The Oriental, also called Oriental Shorthair, is a breed of cat originating in Thailand.
This medium to large sized cat is the unpointed variety of the Siamese.
Origins:
Like the Siamese, the Korat and the Khao Manee, the Oriental originated in Thailand.
It differs from these only in the color of its coat and its eyes.
All arrived in the United Kingdom at the end of the 19th century but the British preferred the Siamese to the Oriental.
It was only after 1950 that they became interested in it.
He was called foreign shorthair.
In fact, it has existed for centuries just like the baptized Siamese cat, which is actually only part of the breed (which we still find today in Thailand the old Siam) where cats with different colors that present the physical appearance of the Siamese.
Around the 1920s, these Siamese without "points" were designated by their breeders as new breed cats, the foreign.
By crossing Siamese and British Shorthair or American Shorthair of different colors, we obtained successively Oriental chocolate, white (foreign White).
In the United Kingdom and continental Europe, the names differ slightly on one side or the other of the Channel (foreign or oriental shorthair).
In 1968, American breeders began breeding programs, favoring an extreme morphological type, close to the current Siamese, while the British preferred a moderate type.
The CFA recognized the breed in 1972 as the Oriental Shorthair.
Character:
The character of the Oriental is described as very close to that of the Siamese.
It would be a lively and playful cat, curious, extroverted and endearing.
The oriental would be attached to its owner, which makes it often nicknamed "cat-dog".
Also, the Oriental cat is talkative and "communicates" if spoken to. Very sociable, he would also fear loneliness.
However, these character traits remain individual and depend on the history of each cat/kitten.
Standards:
The physique of the Oriental is obviously close to that of the modern Siamese.
Slender, slender, muscular, an athletic body. The very fine hair accentuates this effect of elegance.
Its head is triangular, with large ears, wide at the base.
The almond eyes are placed at an angle. They are intense green or blue.
The legs are tall and thin with small oval feet.
The tail is also very fine.
All dress colors are accepted.
Marriages with the following races are allowed: Balinese, Mandarin and Siamese.
التسميات
cat breeds