Oriental Shorthair

The Oriental Shorthair is the Siamese in a rainbow of colors. In the 1950s and 1960s, breeders in Britain and America crossed Siamese with other short-haired cats, including Russian Blues, British Shorthairs and Abyssinians, and kept the Siamese body type in every color and pattern the crosses produced.

The result is one of the most varied breeds in the fancy. There are several hundred possible color and pattern combinations, including solid, tabby, smoke, shaded and bicolor. The look is long and lean, with a wedge-shaped head, almond-shaped green eyes and ears so large that they look like a bat’s.

The Oriental also has a longhaired version, called the Oriental Longhair, with a silky coat that lies close to the body and a feathered tail. The shorthair is the more common of the two, and both are known for an extremely elegant, tubular shape.

The personality is pure Siamese. Orientals are talkative, social and highly attached to their people. They are curious and clever, and they will help with whatever you do, from opening a drawer to answering the phone. Many are devoted to a single person and cannot stand to be alone.

The Oriental is an athlete and a clown. It leaps, climbs and chases, and it likes to play with toys and people. It is also a famous heat seeker, with a talent for finding the warmest spot in the house, the laptop, the sunny floor, or you.

Grooming is minimal, just a weekly comb. Health notes include the liver disease amyloidosis, the eye disease PRA and dental disease, and responsible breeders screen for them. An Oriental does best with company, a tall cat tree, and a household willing to listen.