- Highly active and inquisitive cat
- Sociable and dependent cat
- Very talkative cat
- Lean and elegant cat breed
- Requires grooming once a week
Personality
Like the Siamese, the Oriental cat breed is an intelligent, curious cat that makes its presence known. They love to talk to their human companions and expect a reply. They want to be part of the family and enjoy playing games like fetch with a ball of scrunched up paper. Oriental cats like to be kept amused and do not like to be left alone, so if you are out at work all day, getting another Oriental cat is probably a good idea.
History and Origins
Country of Origin: USA/Britain
The Oriental cat is really a Siamese with a different colour coat and green eyes (except in the case of the Foreign White which has blue eyes). The shape and temperament are exactly the same as the Siamese. The Oriental cat breed was created by crossing Siamese cats with other breeds to produce different colours. Black 'Siamese' had been in existence for a long time, but it wasn't until the 1950s that serious efforts were made to breed different colours and the black form is known as the Black Oriental cat. The next Oriental cat breed to be developed was the Havana, a chocolate colour 'Siamese' (not to be confused with the Havana Brown which is a separate American breed). Selective breeding has since produced many more colours and coat patterns.
