Oriental
Oriental History
- The breed's beginnings can be traced back to a baroness named von Ullman of Roofspringer Cattery in England. In 1950, she crossed a seal point Siamese with a Russian Blue. Several generations later produced the Oriental, a new breed with a Siamese body, but sporting a solid, rich, chestnut color.
- In the United States, this breed was originally called the Foreign Shorthair. The name was changed to Oriental Shorthair at a meeting of breeders in New York City in the early 1970s.
- Earned championship status by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1977.
Oriental Behavior Concerns
- Smart and social cats who enjoy close friendships with their favorite people.
- Extremely outgoing, a feline extrovert.
- Makes no apologies for being active or even rowdy.
- Highly talkative and demanding.
- Enjoys perching on high places, even on top of refrigerators or doors.
- Benefits by being paired with another Oriental or breed equal in energy and intelligence.
- Needs regular exercise to prevent from becoming bored and destructive.
Look of Orientals
- Identified by its triangle-shaped head, almond-shaped, expressive eyes that slant upward, a sleek, tubular body and whippy tail.
- Eye colors can be green, blue, or even odd (one blue and one green).
- Resemble a feline version of a Greyhound or Chihuahua in color.
- Comes in short and long length coats.
- Short coat lies close to the body and feels silky to the touch.
- Features a full color palette, the Oriental comes in more than 300 colors and patterns.
Grooming Oriental Cats
- Easy-to-care-for coat can be kept looking its best by occasionally running a rubber cat brush through it.
Suggested Nutritional Needs for Oriental
- Usually can be free fed because they are so active and burn off excess calories.
- Rarely at risk for being overweight.
Fun Facts of Orientals
- By definition, Oriental Longhair is due to the presence of a pair of recessive longhair genes.
- Orientals are deceptively muscular and they appear lighter than they actually are.
