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Oriental Shorthair Cat
IntroductionYou could almost sum up this breed in one sentence, perhaps two. This breed of cat is, what I would call, the Modern Siamese in different clothes. However, cat fanciers wouldn't refer to the prefix, "Modern".This cat is then no different to the Modern Siamese (or Siamese) except for her wide range coat colors and patterns. She is not a particular favorite of mine as I pefer a more old fashioned conformation, but looking at the stylish head and shoulders "portrait" of Patti above (by Helmi Flick), she can be an extremely attractive cat. The CFA hit the nail on the head when they say the Oriental Shorthair Cat was developed to "explore" a wide range of coat colors and patterns. In the breed standard the CFA
Someone must have chosen this body type with which to do the exploring. Theoretically, this may have been a mistake bearing in mind that most people prefer the Traditional Siamese (and therefore shape). This is confirmed by the Polls being run on this web site. You can see the preferences in respect of the Persian (Ultra and Traditional) and the Siamese (Modern and Traditional) by clicking on the links. However, the non-pure bred domestic cat fits the bill for a standard shaped cat of many patterns and colors so this breed (in my opinion) is intended to be a mirror of that cat, in terms of coat types, but in a more svelte body.
When you see these cats in person, close up, you get the full impact of their very delicate and slightly unusual appearance. They are to my mind not very large cats either, which adds to this slightly rarified image. Cat NamesPerhaps indicative of the need to rationalise the cat registries and/or create a global cat registry; for a while in the UK the spotted tabby Oriental Shorthair was callled an Egyptian Mau (a different breed, which you can see by clicking here). Also, there appears to be current confusion over naming in that in the UK the Chestnut Oriental Shorthair is called the "Havanna" but this is not the cat breed known as the Havana Brown in the USA.
History
Appearance and CharacterFor appearance you can do no better than look at Helmi's pictures.Bearing in mind that any coat color and pattern is acceptable for this cat breed, it is a good opportunity to briefly go over some coat types that can be found on the Oriental Shorthair cat:
Solid: This type of cat is "self colored". This results in a solid coat color. The color is uniform throughout, with no agouti gene banding of the hair follicles and no tabby patterns etc. Tabby: This is produced by the Agouti gene and is the classic pattern with which we are familiar on moggie non-purebred cats. Bicolor: It is the piebald gene (spotting gene) that produces the bicolor pattern being white + another color.
Smoke: This is another form of shaded and visa-versa. They are both a form of tipped coloration in which the shaft of the hair follicle is white (for the silver series) or golden (for the golden series). Smoke tipping is heavier than shaded tipping. The character of the Oriental Shorthair Cat is the same as the well known Siamese, namely, talkative, outgoing, energetic and playful. They are very social. This implies that "input" from the human companion is required. Domestic cats that are described as intelligent and this breed would be an example, usually demand a higher committment to care. In other words you will have more of a relationship with your cat, at least potentially. BreedersI have been unable to find a breeder with a website that I can list based on my criteria, which is a Google search listing in the first 3 pages. The 3 listed where unsuitable.If you would like to be listed please contact me (see navigation bar on the left for relevant page). From Oriental Shorthair Cat to Home Page
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