Characteristics
Shorthair, longhair
25–35 cm
3–7 kg
up to 20 years
Brief information
Origin story
Thailand is rightfully called the birthplace of oriental cats. The first mention of these amazing animals can be found in the annals of Siam, which told of fully colored cats, similar to Siamese, but without marks of this breed on the paws, head and tail. These animals were considered sacred and did not leave their homes in Buddhist temples. In Siam, there was even a law prohibiting the export of these animals abroad. But at the end of the 19th beginning of the 20th century, these animals first came to England. We can say that it was from this time that the breeding of modern oriental cats began.
The current representatives of the breed appeared due to the crossing of Siamese cats with other short-haired representatives. The breed received recognition only in 1974, spreading across the ocean to the territory of the United States. In our country, the Oriental cat appeared only in the late 80s of the 20th century. The rock standard today is common for Siamese and oriental cats, although their character and color are completely different.
Description
Oriental cat is distinguished by a flexible, long, slender body with a strong muscular skeleton. In this case, the hips should not be more shoulders, this is considered the marriage of the breed. Head is mediumsized, wedgeshaped. A distinctive feature can be called ears that look very large (there are such, it is worth recognizing). The tail is long, narrow in the base and even more tapering to the tip.
The wool of shorthaired representatives is very silky, shiny, tightly adjacent to the body. In longhaired ones, it also adjacent to the body, while looking shorter than it is actually. Almost no undercoat.
Character
Oriental cats are famous for their amazing temperament. The main advantage is devotion, which is sometimes unusual even for dogs. In no case should these cats be given away or transferred already in adulthood, otherwise they will yearn and, without exaggeration, become depressed. An oriental cat is so loyal to its owner that it is ready to follow him everywhere: from the rooms of an apartment to a round-the-world trip. She tolerates the road perfectly, the main thing is that the owner is nearby.
Oriental cats are famous for their voice and love of communication. Moreover, they have a rather specific timbre and are ready to make a whole palette of sounds: from a drawn-out meow to snorting and purring.
Care
Oriental cats are quite easy to care. Animals with short wool must be combed with a massage brush once every 7-10 days, animals with long wool more often twice a week. It is extremely not recommended to bathe representatives of this breed, they themselves do not really like this activity.
Particular attention should be paid to the claws of the oriental: they grow very quickly, so the claws do not always cope with them. Claws must be trimmed independently or in a veterinary clinic.
Conditions of detention
Cats of this breed are very active. Sitting quietly aside, enjoying loneliness, is definitely not about them. They are ready to be in the spotlight, play, caress and even perform tricks, just not to be alone. By the way, oriental cats have high intelligence, so with proper training they can be taught certain commands.
Oriental cats are true lovers of active games, and they rarely release their claws, which means they will be great companions for children. However, the neighborhood with a dog may not always be perceived positively, but this is just a matter of time.
It is not recommended to buy an Oriental cat from your hands, firstly, the animal can be sick (but such a risk exists in any breed), and secondly, due to the popularity of the breed, many unscrupulous sellers have appeared who pass off completely different animals as Orientals, who, naturally, they will not have the devotion and sociability of Orientals, even while maintaining external data.
