Oriental Shorthair cats…
So you’ve seen pictures of our two pairs of Oriental Shorthair cats, Serge and Enzo (the red ones) and Jack and Dixon (the Siamese-looking ones). Until we met these gorgeous cats, we knew nothing about the breed, so have done a bit of research that we’d like to share with you.
Developed in the UK in the 1950s the Oriental Shorthair is effectively a Siamese cat of a different colour – any colour except the traditional ‘pointed’ colours of the Siamese. Following World War 2, cats available for breeding were in short supply, UK cat breeders were struggling and had to become creative to rebuild their breeding programmes and revive the Siamese cat. They did this by cross breeding Russian Blues, Abyssinians, British Shorthairs (and some regular domestic cats) with Siamese cats; this cross-breeding is responsible for the development of the Oriental Short and Long Hair breeds. The wide variety of coloured kittens became the Oriental breed – there were simply too many variations to give each hybrid its own breed – and the traditional colour pointed kittens strengthened the failing gene pool of the Siamese breed.
Oriental Shorthairs have the same head and body type as the modern Siamese, with a straight profile, large wide-set ears, and intelligent eyes, which are often green, unlike the piercing blue colour of its Siamese relative. They display a huge range of coat colours and patterns – more than 300 variations – and the coat is fine, glossy, very short and close lying. They are lean, medium sized cats with a muscular athletic body and are heavier than they look to pick up! On average males weigh 3.6 – 5.4 kg, females tend to be less than 3.6 kg. Kittens are not fully grown until they’re between 18 and 24 months old. And their lifespan can be at least 15 years, with some having been known to live past 20.
Like their Siamese ancestors, Oriental Shorthairs are lively, intelligent, sociable, curious and vocal. They’re very active with high energy levels, displaying kitten-ish behaviour well into adulthood. They need an environment that provides enrichment and holds their attention, with lots of cat trees and places to climb. Because of their high curiosity levels and friendly personalities, it’s probably safer to keep them as indoor cats. And also because of these personality traits they can get bored and withdrawn if left alone – so if you’re out a lot, this might not be the cat for you. Or you could have two! Serge and Enzo, and Jack and Dixon, are happy cats who love each other’s company! And we just love having them stay at The Cat’s Whiskers.
See you soon
Cheryl & Pete xx
We are always ready to take on your furry friends at The Cat’s Whiskers cattery.
Call us, email us, whenever.
