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Oriental
- Temperament: Playful, intelligent, affectionate
- Size: Medium-sized cat
Adult females: small to medium, approximately 5-8 pounds
Adult males: medium, approximately 8-12 pounds
Kittens mature slowly and don’t fully develop until 18-24 months. - Colors: Oriental Shorthair cats come in hundreds of color and pattern combinations, including the traditional solid, tabby (Distinct color patterns with one color predominating), tortie and torbie (tortoiseshell cats with tabby patterns). All of these can be silver/smoke and with or without white.
- Life Expectancy: 10+ years. Oriental Shorthairs and those within the Siamese Breed Group can live longer than other cat breeds, reaching an above average life expectancy and have been known to live 20+ years.
The Oriental is a real energizer in cat form. Kind, affectionate and tireless. A devoted friend and an extremely talkative neighbor.
The Oriental is just as famous for their voice as their looks. They will “talk” to you all day and night, expressing their opinion on everything and demanding attention.
Oriental cats have a unique sounding meow. Their voices tend to be quite loud and the sound they make is very hard to describe, but once heard, it's never forgotten! Some people liken it to the sound of a baby crying, and it is quite piercing.
They will be quick to meow for more or less any reason, and sometimes they simply talk to their owners, with a distinctive and often large vocabulary! Some people find this endearing, whilst others will soon find it grating.
Whilst not the case for all cats of the breed, Oriental cats can be somewhat high strung, and will suffer from stress and anxiety if something upsets their status quo or is not to their liking.
This can manifest as behavioral problems or obsessive behaviors, clinginess, or a range of other issues.
Personality
The Oriental cats are dogs in a cat form. They are easy to train and seem to learn new tricks with pleasure. They can give a paw, bring small objects in their teeth to their owner - in a word, carry out all the basic commands that dogs are usually taught.
It is difficult to find a cat more devoted to its owner. Orientals will follow him everywhere, observing a small distance and not allowing themselves to unceremoniously get into, for example, their owner’s plate when he eats.
Siamese need to communicate. If the owner is forced to leave the cat for the whole day alone, in the evening she will be very persistent in demanding attention. These are talkative cats with a distinctive voice. Be prepared that they certainly will not be silent.
They thrive on attention and affection and are often found beside their humans. Orientals like to be “helpful” and follow family members around throughout the day. They love warm places and can be typically found sitting on their humans laps during the day and snuggling under the covers with family members at night.
Orientals are very social and do not like to be left alone for long periods. As a result, many families have a second Oriental or another pet to keep them company during the day. This breed is best for those who enjoy having someone to talk and interact with throughout the day.
History
Oriental cats are Siamese in origin, but without a strictly defined, Himalayan pattern on the coat.
In ancient Thai manuscripts, images and descriptions were found not only of cats with Siamese color (the color is “shifted” to points - muzzle, legs, ears and tail), but also of fully colored shorthair, refined cats. They simultaneously with cats of Siamese color came to Europe at the end of the 19th century.
In 1896, an exhibition was held in England, which showed a blue Oriental cat brought from Bangkok. However, the Siamese, who caused great interest in England with an unusual color, “eclipsed” their relatives with a solid body color for a while.
In the 1920s, such cats could not take part in exhibitions. But in the 1960s, interest in Oriental cats of "not Siamese color" reappeared. Breeders set a goal to get a slender, elegant, sophisticated cat, but only of a solid color. To do this, at the initial stage of breeding, the Siamese crossed with the most slender, fully colored shorthair cats.
Oriental cats received official recognition in the early 1970s in England and around the same time in the USA.
Currently, Oriental and Siamese cats belong to the same pedigree group, have a common standard and can be bred together.
Care
Oriental cats are a highly intelligent, agile, and athletic breed that require stimulation and a lot of toys to keep them occupied. They are loyal and loving and will pout and pine if given little or no attention and therefore are best suited for families who enjoy spending time and interacting with them on a regular basis.
They are great jumpers and love heights, so perches and cat trees should be provided. When left alone, Oriental cats have been known to entertain themselves for hours by turning on faucets, opening cabinets, seeking out new hideaways and watching television. They have been known to walk on a leash and play fetch as well as any Retriever. Keep your Oriental entertained and out of trouble by providing puzzle toys that require them to think and move to release treats or use a clicker to teach them tricks, such as tossing a small ball to fetch or running an agility course.
Oriental cats have a thin coat of fur, so you only need take care of their fur periodically by combing it with a rubber brush to rid the pet of shedding fur. If an Oriental with long hair has settled in your family, then you will have to comb her at least three times a week. During molting, comb your pet more often.
Oriental and Siamese, interesting facts
What is the difference between Siamese cats and Oriental cats? For some reason, many people believe that Siamese cats have some other look and character than Orientals.
Siamese and Oriental kittens are very often born in the same litter.
Siamese and Oriental cats differ only in coat color and eye color, everything else is exactly the same: the same voices, the same long noses, the same big ears and long tails, the same thin short and adjacent coat.
Moreover, it must be remembered that Oriental cats are descended from Siamese. There were lovers of thin and elegant Siamese who wanted to see the same cats with a completely painted body and green eyes.
The standards of all the felinological systems of the world describe the cats as absolutely identical in structure in the Siamese and Oriental breeds, and the difference lies only in the color of these cats.
Since the Siamese color is recessive, two Siamese parents can give only Siamese kittens, but the Oriental and Siamese cat, and sometimes even two oriental cats can give birth to Siamese and Oriental kittens (but for this, oriental cats must be carriers of the Siamese color gene).
Oriental cats are incredibly affectionate, just like their oriental brothers. These breeds differ only in color and eye color (Oriental cats have green eyes, Siamese cats have blue eyes).
