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Oriental Shorthair
Oriental Shorthair - a
discussion of the breed
standard in
reference to the best pictures by the best cat
photographer of the best cats in a slide show that is loading right
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wait about 2-4 seconds for
this slide show to load. The slide show is courtesy Google and
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It's great to briefly discuss in outline the Oriental Shorthair breed standard when you can see some of the best cats of this breed at the same time. The breed standards are a bit technical but once deciphered they do tell us what the breed is ideally meant to look like. You'll see that the cats in the slide show meet many (almost all) aspects of the standard.
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In order to be svelte you can't have any fat and the absence of fat is a requirement of this breed. The picture of Pepper in the slide show, shows off the body conformation well.
The Modern Siamese is called a "Wedgie" in reference to his wedge shapped head. No surprise then that this breed which has the same body conformation as a Modern Siamese should have a long and tapered wedge shaped head. From the nose to the ears there should be a straight line. The photograph of the called Derek Jetter in the slide show, shows of this requirement admirably, I think.
The requirement for a clean lined wedge shaped head is reinforced by the requirement for a long and straight nose that forms a continuation of the forehead without a break (smoothly).
The muzzle should also be wedge shaped (being part of the overall wedge shape of the head this is to be expected).
In keeping with a slender look the neck and legs should be slender and long, while the paws should be dainty. Any element of this cat that can be long and slender is and that includes the tail which should taper to a fine point.
The ears are a major feature of this breed. They should be "strickingly" large, wide at the base and pointed. This is very noticeable in the photographs.