Oriental

In the busiest moments, your Oriental will find a way to interrupt your activities; a little nudge while you eat, a close examination of your tooth brush prior to use, or some help tying your shoes before you leave in the morning. It's understood you'll need help deciding which items to select from the refrigerator! In the calmest of times they'll share the warmth of your lap, provide a comforting purr, and nuzzle your chin when you need it the most.

History

In the past, blue-eyed, colorpointed cats were owned by royalty and were kept in the Royal Palace of Siam. The Siamese breed, however, is only one of several varieties native to the area. The Cat-Book Poems, a manuscript written in Siam (now Thailand) some time between 1350 and 1767 A.D., describes and shows a variety of cats native to the area, including solid black, black and white bicolor, solid brown, blue/gray, and shaded silver, as well as cats bearing the point-restricted color pattern. The cats portrayed in the book had slim bodies and legs, large ears, and tapered muzzles, much like that of today's Siamese and the related breeds.

The first cats imported to England from Thailand were often solid or bicolored. It wasn't until the 1920s when the Siamese Cat Club issued a statement excluding all other colors that the blue-eyed pointed cat became the Siamese norm in Britain.

The concept of cats with the Siamese body style but with a wide range of colors and patterns had captured the interest and imagination of cat fanciers. It was only a matter of time before these cats entered the cat fancy, with a little help from breeders with a flair for exterior decorating.

The Oriental seen in the show halls today is not a direct import from Thailand, but rather a Siamese hybrid developed in the 1950s and 1960s. The breed's creation was deliberate-breeders wanted a cat that looked and acted like a Siamese but that came in a wider range of colors. In the 1950s British breeders crossed Siamese cats with domestic shorthairs and Russian Blues. In the late 1960s American breeders, fascinated with the British Orientals, took up the torch and crossed Siamese, domestic shorthairs, and Abyssinians to create a new look. Body style was not sacrificed for color and pattern, and backcrosses to the Siamese preserved type and personality traits.

The Oriental breeders met with initial resentment from Siamese breeders who were resistant at best to the idea of another Siamese-type hybrid, but, since the way had already been paved by breeders of the Colorpoint Shorthair (which gained CFA acceptance in 1964), the opposition didn't stop Orientals from gaining ground.

In 1972 the CFA accepted the Oriental Shorthair for registration, and granted full Championship status in 1977. Since then, it has rapidly increased in popularity. In recent years the Oriental Shorthair has been consistently ranking high among shorthaired breeds.

Since the Siamese has the longhaired Balinese, and the Colorpoint has the longhaired Javanese, it seems only right that the Oriental Shorthair should have its own longhaired variant-a cat with a long, lean, classy chassis, silky fur, and a full palette of colors to choose from. To that end, the Oriental Longhair is the newest addition to the long line of Siamese-type cats. Although currently rare, the breed is slowly growing in popularity and appeals to the cat lover who wants the elegant body type and personality of the Siamese, the wash-and-wear hairdo of the Balinese, and the myriad of colors of the Oriental Shorthair.

The Oriental Longhair was developed in the late 1970s by breeders who crossed the Oriental Short-hair with the Balinese. The breed achieved official recognition in 1985 when TICA accepted them for Championship status, and they were accepted for registration by the CFA in February, 1988. In 1996 in the CFA, the Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair breeds were combined into one breed division simply called Oriental. At the time of this writing, the Oriental Longhair is recognized for Championship in ACA, CFA, TICA, UFO, ACFA, and AACE.

The Oriental is a deliberately created Siamese hybrid. Breeders wanted to develop a breed that looked and acted like the Siamese but came in a wider range of colors and was not confined to the pointed pattern. First in Britain in the 1950s and then in America in the 1960s and early 1970s, breeders set out to create a new look by crossing Siamese cats with American shorthairs, Russian blues, Burmese and Abyssinians. The Siamese's svelte body style, head type and personality were maintained, however, by crossing the hybrids back to the Siamese after the color was achieved.

In 1977, the CFA accepted the Oriental shorthair for championship status. Since then, the Oriental shorthair has rapidly increased in popularity. In recent years the Oriental shorthair has been consistently ranking high among shorthaired breeds and is currently the fourth most popular shorthair according to CFA's registration totals, a status it has maintained since 1996.

The Oriental longhair was developed separately in the late 1970s by crossing the Oriental shorthair with the Balinese (longhaired Siamese). In 1995, CFA combined the Oriental shorthairs and longhairs into one breed group called the "Oriental," a move that was not without controversy. However, this made breeding, registering and showing longhairs easier. For example, if two Oriental shorthair parents produce kittens with long hair - possible if both parents carry the recessive longhair gene - those kittens now can be registered and shown as Oriental longhairs. Before, when the Oriental longhair was considered a separate breed, such kittens could not be shown. Conversely, when longhair breeders cross back to Siamese or to Oriental shorthairs, the shorthair kittens that are inevitably produced along with the longhairs can be registered and shown as Oriental shorthairs.

The body of the show Oriental is long, lithe and muscular with sleek tapering lines, long, slim legs, and dainty, oval paws. The head is a long tapering wedge with very large pointed ears and slanted almond-shaped eyes. While Orientals might look like the cat fancy equivalent of today's supermodel, they are not starved to keep their shapely forms, nor are they fragile. Pick one up; they are surprisingly heavy cats.

The Oriental is accepted in more than 300 color and pattern combinations. Some colors are more common than others, of course; solid ebony is a popular and striking color. Solid white, chestnut and blue, and tabbies in ebony, blue and red are also favored. In the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), green is the accepted eye color, except for white and bicolor Orientals that may have blue eyes, or one blue and one green eye. Other associations accept additional eye colors.

The Oriental shorthair has short, glossy, fine hair. The Oriental longhair has a medium length coat that's fine and silky. The hair lies close to the body so the fur appears shorter than it really is. Because of the longer hair, the Oriental longhair appears to have softer lines and a less extreme body type than the shorthair.

Birmans are affectionate, gentle, and faithful companions with an air of dignity that seems to invite adoration by their human companions. As former temple cats, Birmans seem to have become accustomed to adoration. They are very intelligent and affectionate, according to fanciers, and very people-oriented. They will generally greet visitors with curiosity rather than fear.

From the tip of its nose to the end of its long, whippy tail, the Oriental is a study in sleek design. This elegant cat gracefully glides across the room on its tall, slender legs. The lines of its angular head flow into its large flaring ears, and are complimented by its almond shaped eyes. Don't be fooled by the svelte, tubular body; these cats have surprising weight and muscle tone and are neither frail nor fragile.

Take the colorful purr-sonality and sinewy grace of the Siamese, and cross it with the unique characteristics of other popular cat breeds and what do you get? The delightful feline companion known as the Oriental Shorthair Cat! These beautiful, graceful cats have the elegant, svelte Siamese body type and come in over 300 colors including solid, tabby, smoke, parti-colored and bi-color. A wedge-shaped head and great big beautiful ears give these adorable cats a true "Oriental" appearance. Orientals are very gregarious! They love attention and can be counted on to help you out with all your daily tasks, from brushing your teeth to making the bed, and they love a good cat nap on your lap or nuzzling your chin. The short, sleek coat requires minimal grooming. For those of you who are looking for a cat to love and a cat that you will love to look at - the Oriental Shorthair is an excellent choice. They make a wonderful addition to the family. They require a strict daily regimen of play, hugs and kisses!

Personality

The personality of the Oriental is as distinctive as the multicolored exterior. They are natural entertainers, full of enthusiasm, energy, and the belief that the world should revolve around them. Haughty and royal one minute, they are animated and inquisitive the next. They are highly curious, and will go to great lengths to be involved in your activities.

Orientals' feelings are easily hurt if you ignore them but, given their full share of affection, Oriental Shorthairs will repay you with a lifetime of love, affection, and intelligent conversation. They usually bond with one person and become extremely devoted and dependent upon their chosen human. Expect them to be at your side, in your lap, and at the door to interrogate you about where you've been.

The breed's vocal tone is generally softer and milder than that of the Siamese, but the range, frequency, and inflection vary from cat to cat. Like their Siamese relatives, they are never at a loss for words on any subject.

They eagerly greet you at the door and tell you all about their day. If you're late, they will scold you and tell you how worried they were that you didn't call. Hide their feather on top of the refrigerator? Wrong! Curiosity and intelligence combine, providing them a means of finding anything and everything. They have been known to open a drawer, or empty your purse to discover their favorite toy. It might be a pen or a crumpled up piece of paper that they can chase around the kitchen floor, it really doesn't matter. Give them the attention and affection they so desperately need, and they will do anything to please you. Ignore them, and they will droop with despair. These elegant, svelte cats remain playful, spirited and loyal well beyond their youth.

The personality of the Oriental is as distinctive as the multicolored exterior. They are natural entertainers - full of enthusiasm, energy and the belief that the world revolves around them. Extremely people oriented and trusting, they show a deep dependence on their human friends and can become distressed or depressed if left alone too often. They usually bond with one preferred person. Expect them to be at your side, in your lap, and at the door interrogating you about where you've been.

The Oriental has a svelte chassis, silky fur and chatty personality.

An Oriental's feelings are easily hurt if you ignore her, but given her full share of affection, Oriental shorthairs will repay you with a lifetime of love, affection and intelligent conversation. Like the Siamese, the Oriental is not for cat-lovers who want their cats seen but not heard. The breed's vocal tone is generally softer and milder than that of the Siamese, but they are never at a loss for words.

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Orientals represent a diverse group of cats that have their foundation in the Siamese breed. When the Oriental Shorthair was accepted for championship status in 1977 it rapidly became one of CFA's most popular breeds. With the 1995 addition of the Oriental Longhair into this family of sleek, muscular felines the Oriental breed can provide a cat for just about anyone.

With over 300 different colors and patterns to choose from, you're guaranteed to find an Oriental that will tickle your fancy. Imagine a Siamese wearing a head to toe coat in white, red, cream, ebony, blue, chestnut, lavender, cinnamon or fawn. These are our solids. For a sparkling undercoat, stir in the silver gene (to all but the white), and you have a smoke Oriental. Perhaps, instead, you'd like the color restricted to the tips of the hair. For this, we have the shadeds to whet your appetite. Paint splashes of red and/or cream on any of these coats and you have a parti-color.

If you like stripes on the legs, tail and face, try a tabby in any of four different patterns: classic, mackerel, spotted, or ticked. Cross the patterns and colors together for a bit of variety, and 32 different combinations emerge...but we're not through. Once again add a patch of red and/or cream and voilá...another 24 combinations, referred to as patched tabbies. Layer in the sparkle of that silver gene, and you've added yet again 56 more! (That's 112 tabby combinations if you've been counting!)

In 1995 Orientals added the bi-color pattern to their repertoire. With the clear white underside, legs, chest and inverted V on the face, these distinctly marked members of this breed have already developed a following of devoted fans.

Finally, breeders dedicated to developing another major addition to the breed added the longhair variety, paralleling their Balinese and Javanese counterparts. These beautiful felines carry the same graceful bodies with the addition of a silky long coat, goatee, and long plumed tail. For the shorthair Oriental, the coat appears painted on, it is soft and satin like to the touch, and their long whippy tail seems to go on forever.

Conformation

The body type of the Oriental is virtually the same as the Siamese's. What sets the breed apart is the wide variety of colors and patterns. Unlike the Siamese that comes in only four colors and one pattern (although that varies depending upon the cat registry), the Oriental is available in over 300 color and pattern combinations. Some colors are more common than others; solid ebony is the most common. Pure white, chestnut, blue, and ebony tabby are also popular. However, Oriental breeders are working with just about every possible color and pattern.

The Oriental is in general a healthy breed but can suffer from the same defects as the Siamese, since they are closely related. Protrusion of the cranial sternum is a common, though not serious, defect seen in some Siamese and related breeds. Endocardial fibroelastosis is a more serious anomaly that can be found in some Siamese lines.

General	The Oriental is a svelte cat with long tapering lines, very lithe but muscular. the ideal Oriental is a svelte cat with long, tapering lines, very lithe but muscular. Excellent physical condition. Eyes clear. Strong and lithe, neither bony nor flabby. Not fat. Because of the longer coat the Longhair Division appears to have softer lines and less extreme type than the Shorthair Division.
Body	Long and svelte. A distinctive combination of fine bones and firm muscles. Shoulders and hips continue the same sleek lines of tubular body. Hips never wider than shoulders. Abdomen tight. Males may be somewhat larger than females.
Head	Long tapering wedge, in good proportion to body. The total wedge starts at the nose and flares out in straight lines to the tips of the ears forming a triangle, with no break at the whiskers. No less than the width of an eye between the eyes. When the whiskers (and face hair for the Longhair Division) are smoothed back, the underlying bone structure is apparent. Allowance must be made for jowls in the stud cat.
Skull	Flat. In profile, a long straight line is seen from the top of the head to the tip of the nose. No bulge over eyes. No dip in nose.
Nose	Long and straight. A continuation of the forehead with no break.
Muzzle	Fine, wedge-shaped.
Chin and Jaw	Medium size. Tip of chin lines up with tip of nose in the same vertical plane. Neither receding nor excessively massive.
Ears	Strikingly large, pointed, wide at the base, continuing the lines of the wedge.
Eyes	Almond-shaped; medium size; slanted toward nose in harmony with lines of wedge and ears; uncrossed. Eye color green, except for white Orientals that may have blue, green, or odd eyes. Eye color: green. Pointed and white - blue. White and bi-color - blue, green or odd-eyed.
Neck	Long and slender.
Legs	Long and slim. Hind legs higher than front. In good proportion to body.
Paws	Dainty, small, and oval. Toes: five in front and four behind.
Tail	Long; thin at base; tapering to a fine point. Longhair Division: tail hair spreads out like a plume.
Coat	(Shorthair Division): short, fine textured, glossy or satin-like, lying close to body. (Longhair Division): medium length, fine, silky, without downy undercoat, lying close to the body, the coat may appear shorter than it is. Hair is longest on the tail.
Color	Orientals come in solid, smoke, shaded, bicolor, particolor, and tabby color classes, making possible over 300 possible colors and patterns.
Disqualify	Any evidence of illness or poor health. Weak hind legs. Mouth breathing due to nasal obstruction or poor occlusion. Emaciation. Visible kink in tail. Miniaturization. Lockets and buttons. Incorrect number of toes. Longhair Division: definite double coat (i.e. downy undercoat).
Penalize	Crossed eyes. Incorrect eye color. Palpable and/or visible protrusion of the cartilage at the end of the sternum.
Allowable Outcrossers	Shorthair: Siamese or Colorpoint. Longhair: Siamese, Colorpoint, Balinese, or Javanese.

Coat Color: the Oriental's reason for being is the coat color whether it is solid, shaded, smoke, parti-color, bi-color or tabby patterned.

Solid - In the solid color cat, the coat color should be of uniform density and color from the tip to the root of each hair and from the nose to the tail. The full coat color score (20) should be used to assess the quality and the correctness of the color.

Shaded - The shaded cat has a white undercoat, with a mantle of colored tipping shading down from the sides, face and tail from dark on the ridge to white on the chin, chest underside and under the tail.

Smoke - Cat in repose appears solid in color. In motion the color is clearly apparent. Extremities are solid in color, and have a narrow band of white at the base of hairs next to the skin which may be seen only when the fur is parted.

Parti-Color - A solid* cat with patches of red or softly intermingled areas of red on both body and extremities (presence of several shades of red acceptable; *dilute colors exhibit cream instead of red).

Bi-Color - Bi-Colors should conform to the established standard for their co-existing pattern, with the addition of white feet, legs, underside, chest and muzzle, including an inverted "V" blaze on the face.

Tabby - In the tabby patterned cat, the quality of the pattern is an essential part of the cat. The pattern should match the description for the particular pattern and be well defined. The pattern should be viewed while the cat is in a natural standing position. The remaining ten points are allotted to the correctness of the color, it matches the color description.