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Breed Profile

Size: Medium
Origin: Thailand
Colour: Over 300 Colors and Patterns

This is, quite simply, a Siamese cat without the typical Siamese coat markings. It has been called the 'greyhound of cats'.

Owner's Guide

Domestic Breed. This is, quite simply, a Siamese cat without the typical Siamese coat markings. It has been called the 'greyhound of cats'.

Appearance: As for Siamese, but with non-pointed coat colours.

History: When Siamese Cats were first introduced to the West they had a variety of colour patterns. Very early on (in the 1920s), it was decided to concentrate on one particular kind of colouring. The official, pedigree Siamese Cat was to display a seal-point coat - that is, a pale coat with dark brown extremities - and intense blue eyes. Other forms were rejected and soon vanished. Over the years, the colour of the Siamese points was varied, but the basic pattern - of pale ground colour with darker extremities - was always retained. As time passed, this pattern became synonymous with the breed, and any cat without points could no longer even be called a Siamese.

When, in the 1950s, certain breeders decided to resurrect the original non-pointed type of colouring in their Siamese they therefore had to find a new name for their cats. The first type they sought was the all-brown cat which was eventually given its own name - the Havana. Other solid (or 'self') colours that were developed were referred to as 'Foreigns'. The more complicated colours, involving patterns such as tabby, spotted or tortoiseshell, were the ones called 'Oriental Shorthairs'. In America, this distinction between Foreigns and Oriental Shorthairs was not made. There, they were all called Oriental Shorthairs.

The method used to create these cats has been to introduce various other short-haired breeds into Siamese stock. This had to be done in such a way that only the colouring of these other breeds was added, and the Siamese type, with its slender, elongated build, was retained.

Personality: As for Siamese.

Colour Forms: All colours are acceptable except the typical Siamese pointed coat pattern. The list of colours already developed has grown and grown. It includes the following:

GCCF:
ORIENTAL SELF: Havana (= Brown); Lilac; Foreign White (the only colour-form still using its older title of 'Foreign'); Black; Blue; Red; Cream; Cinnamon; Caramel; Fawn.
ORIENTAL TORTIE: Black; Blue; Chocolate; Lilac; Cinnamon; Caramel; Fawn.
ORIENTAL SMOKE: Black; Blue; Chocolate; Lilac; Red; Tortie; Cream; Blue Tortie; Chocolate Tortie; Lilac Tortie; Cinnamon; Cinnamon Tortie; Caramel; Caramel Tortie; Fawn; Fawn Tortie.
ORIENTAL SHADED: Black; Blue, Chocolate; Lilac; Red; Tortie; Cream; Blue Tortie; Chocolate Tortie; Lilac Tortie; Cinnamon; Cinnamon Tortie; Caramel; Caramel Tortie; Fawn; Fawn Tortie; Black Silver; Blue Silver; Chocolate Silver; Lilac Silver; Red Silver; Tortie Silver; Cream Silver; Blue Tortie Silver; Chocolate Tortie Silver; Lilac Tortie Silver; Cinnamon Silver; Cinnamon Tortie Silver; Caramel Silver; Caramel Tortie Silver; Fawn Silver; Fawn Tortie Silver.
SPOTTED TABBY: Brown; Blue, Chocolate; Lilac; Red; Tortie; Cream; Blue Tortie; Chocolate Tortie; Lilac Tortie; Cinnamon; Cinnamon Tortie; Caramel; Caramel Tortie; Fawn; Fawn Tortie; Black Silver; Blue Silver; Chocolate Silver; Lilac Silver; Red Silver; Tortie Silver; Cream Silver; Blue Tortie Silver; Chocolate Tortie Silver; Lilac Tortie Silver; Cinnamon Silver; Cinnamon Tortie Silver; Caramel Silver; Caramel Tortie Silver; Fawn Silver; Fawn Tortie Silver.
CLASSIC TABBY: (as for Spotted Tabby)
MACKEREL TABBY:(as for Spotted Tabby)
TICKED TABBY: (as for Spotted Tabby)

CFA: Blue; Chestnut, Cinnamon, Cream; Ebony, Fawn, Lavender, Red, White; Blue Silver; Chestnut Silver; Cinnamon Silver; Cream Silver; Ebony Silver; Fawn Silver; Lavender Silver; Parti-color Silver; Red Silver; Blue Smoke; Cameo Smoke; Chestnut Smoke; Cinnamon Smoke; Dilute Cameo Smoke; Ebony Smoke; Fawn Smoke; Lavender Smoke; Part-color Smoke; Classic Tabby Pattern; Mackerel Tabby Pattern; Spotted Tabby Pattern; Ticked Tabby Pattern; Patched Tabby Pattern; Blue Silver Tabby, Blue Tabby; Cameo Tabby; Dilute Cameo Tabby; Cinnamon Silver Tabby; Cinnamon Tabby; Chestnut Silver Tabby; Chestnut Tabby; Cream Tabby; Ebony Tabby; Fawn Tabby; Fawn Silver Tabby; Lavender Silver Tabby; Lavender Tabby; Red

Breed Clubs:

Oriental Cat Association. Publishes a Yearbook and a series of pamphlets on various colour forms. Address: 3, Ownstead Gardens, Sanderstead, South Croydon, Surrey, CR2 OHH, England.

Oriental Shorthair Breed Council. Publishes a Newsletter. Address: P.O. BOX 250066, West Bloomfield, MI 48325-0066, USA.

Note: There is also a breed publication: Tailes of the Orient. Address: 7828 Citadel Drive, Severn, MD 21144m USA.