And this big-eared breed tends to enjoy a longer lifespan—it’s not unusual for an Oriental shorthair to live more than 15 years. Though their looks are unusual and many might not be familiar with these felines, Oriental shorthairs aren’t as rare as exotic cat breeds like the Khoa Manee or American Bobtail.
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Oriental Shorthair Characteristics
The lively and gregarious Oriental shorthair is regarded as a great pet. Unlike many other breeds, this cat is gregarious by nature and can become withdrawn and depressed if left alone for longer than a few hours at a time.
Most Orientals enjoy meeting new people. A cat may occasionally grow obsessed with one person and become more evasive around others, but this is more of an anomaly than the norm.
It should be mentioned that vocalization plays a significant role in the personality of Oriental shorthair cats, a characteristic that most Siamese cats share. An Oriental’s vocal range can be used to convey a variety of emotions, such as curiosity, excitement, despair, or other feelings. Numerous Oriental cat owners claim that their cats engage in varied meows and chirps as part of their “conversations.” Because of the similarity of one of their vocalizations to that of geese, this breed is even known as the “honking cat.”
| Affection Level | High |
| Friendliness | High |
| Kid-Friendly | High |
| Pet-Friendly | High |
| Exercise Needs | Medium |
| Playfulness | High |
| Energy Level | High |
| Intelligence | High |
| Tendency to Vocalize | High |
| Amount of Shedding | Medium |
History of the Oriental Shorthair
Numerous other cat breeds were crossed to create the Oriental shorthair. Following World War II, numerous domestic cat breeds faced danger. English breeders brought Russian blues, Abyssinians, and British shorthairs into their lines in an attempt to bring the Siamese back to life.
Initially, each non-pointed hybrid was given a distinct breed designation; however, breeders quickly discovered that these cats’ gene pool contained a wide variety of color combinations. To simplify classification, all non-pointed kittens became known as Orientals.
The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) awarded the Oriental championship status in 1977 after it was first brought to the country in the 1970s. The breed was limited to shorthairs at first, but additional crossbreeding in the U S. led to the development of the Oriental longhair and Oriental shorthair breeds. In 1995, the CFA granted championship status to the Oriental longhair.
The roughly 300 different colors and patterns that exist today are the result of further crossbreeding in the United States that increased the breeds’ coat color combinations. The Oriental’s vibrant coat has earned it the nickname “rainbow cat” at times.
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