Oriental Shorthair

Like the Siamese, Korat and Khao Manee, the Oriental originates from Thailand from where it was imported in 1850. It differs from these only by the color of its coat and eyes. All are present in the United Kingdom from the end of the 19th century but the British preferred the Siamese to the Oriental. At the beginning of Siamese breeding, the breed accepts all patterns, colorpoint and solid. In the 1920s, Siamese breed clubs in Great Britain decide to focus only on the colorpoint and other color varieties began to disappear. After World War II, breeding programs aimed at introducing chocolate color resulted in the reappearance of the solid pattern. Initially, each new solid color became a new breed: the Chestnut brown foreign, solid chocolate colored, is the first breed recognized by the GCCF in 1958, followed by the Lavender, solid lilac colored then the foreign white which is the third breed recognized. Breeders quickly realize that it is not realistic to continue with the 'one color, one breed' model, given the large number of coat colors existing in cats. In the United Kingdom, it is decided to split the Siamese breed into several breeds: subjects with colorpoint remain Siamese, solid chocolates are Chestnut brown foreign which are imported to the United States, the Havana brown, foreigns represent solid colors which are not chocolate and the Oriental contains all other colors.

The Oriental cat is often described as being lively, affectionate, intelligent, and with "foreign" morphology: it is often compared to a greyhound. An Oriental cat loves to be at the same level as humans, and this stubborn conviction leads it to demand an egalitarian relationship in exchanges of respect, affection and kindness. It becomes much more attached to its master than to the house where it lives, because it understands very well that it is from him that it obtains tenderness, shelter and food. Its great pride will prevent it from leaving and becoming independent. As for its language, the Oriental expresses itself by vocalizing; its vocabulary is truly very extensive, with combinations of sounds, so that it manages to have real conversations. However, it can also exaggerate and become boring or even irritating. It is an ideal cat for a family, with children nevertheless not too young, because the character of the little ones will amuse it but will eventually annoy it. In Canada, the Oriental Shorthair is the 8th most popular cat breed between 2016 and 2019, according to the AFC.

The physique of the Oriental is obviously close to that of the modern Siamese. Longilinear, svelte, muscular, an athletic body. The very fine hair accentuates this effect of elegance. Head: Its medium-sized head is triangular. Three types of profile are accepted: perfectly straight, slightly convex, or in two planes, the plane of the forehead extending the plane of the nose without breakage. Seen in profile the nose is long and straight. The almond-shaped eyes are medium-sized. They are intense green but blue or odd eyes are tolerated for white Orientals. The ears are large and wide, placed in the continuity of the triangle of the head. Ideally the line of the eyes should reach the middle of the ears. The neck is long, fine and elegant. Medium-sized, the body is long and tubular with fine bones. The legs are tall and fine with small oval feet. The tail is also very fine. The tail must be in harmony with the body: it is fine and ends in a point. All coat colors are accepted. Marriages with the following breeds are authorized: Balinese, Mandarin and Siamese.