- Highly active and inquisitive cat
- Sociable and dependent cat
- Very talkative cat
- Lean and elegant cat breed
- Requires grooming every day
- Outdoor cat
Personality
Like all cats of Oriental type, these cats are lively and companionable. This breed is 'into everything' and always wants to know what's going on. Oriental Longhair cats are very talkative cats that can become bored easily and need plenty of attention for fun and games. These cats crave company, which is something to consider if you are out for most of the day – getting two litter mates may give them some company.
History and Origins
Country of Origin: England
Other Names: Foreign Longhair, Angora, Madarin, British Angora
Oriental Longhair cats were originally imported from Ankara in Turkey in the 19th century and were the first longhaired cats to be brought to Western Europe. The breed disappeared when the more fully coated Persian arrived in the early 1900s. The modern Oriental Longhair cat has been genetically recreated by breeders in the UK through crosses with Abyssinian cats (for longhair gene) and Siamese cats (for body type). A few of the original cats were taken to the USA where they were bred and are now classified as Turkish Angoras. The Oriental Longhair cat breed was formerly known as the British Angora before being renamed in 2002 by British cat fancies in avoid confusion with the Turkish Angora cat breed. In Europe, a solid coloured Oriental Longhair cat is known as a Javanese.