THE CATS OF WECLAW

ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR

The Oriental Shorthair is a self-coloured (non-pointed) member of the Siamese Family. They can be found in solid colors (white, red, cream, ebony, blue, chestnut, lavender, cinnamon, or fawn), smoke (white undercoat to any of the above except white), shaded (only the hair tips colored), parti-color (red or cream splashes on any of the above), tabby (mackerel/striped, ticked, spotted, and blotched/classic), and bi-colored (any of the above, with white). In total, there are over 300 color and pattern combinations possible.

Origins

The Siamese cat was imported to Britain from Siam (now Thailand) in the later half of the 1800's. According to reports, both pointed and solid colors were imported. The gene that causes the color to be restricted to the points is a recessive gene, therefore the general population of the cats of Siam were largely self (solid) colored. When the cats from Siam were bred, the pointed cats were eventually registered as Siamese the others were referred to as "non-blue eyed siamese" or foreign shorthair. Other breeds that were developed from the moggies of Siam include the Havana Brown and the Korat. It was not until 1977 that the Oriental Shorthair was accepted for competition. In 1985,  the bicolor oriental shorthair was recognized for competition. The bicolor is any one of the accepted oriental shorthair color patterns with the addition of white to the belly, face, and legs/paws.

Personality

Oriental Shorthairs are intelligent, social animals who bond closely to their people. They are inquisitive, highly friendly, emotional, and sometimes quite vocal. People have commented that the Oriental Shorthair looks like a Greyhound or a Chihuahua. Many comment that they are much more 'dog-like' in personality.

Oriental Shorthairs are talkative cats, they can get quite loud sometimes.  The Oriental Shorthair loves to communicate with her owner. They are active cats, who like to play. If they feel lonely without any playmate, they create one, and anything will be dedicated to become their playmate. Oriental Shorthairs like to jump quite high, but they keep their balance between the narrowest things with great elegance, thus disrupting or disturbing anything very seldom.
Oriental Shorthairs are no outdoor cats, they like a cosy warm place. They like to sleep on top of radiators, the television or the computer, or anything which creates heat.
They love their owners and demand attention and affection, they enjoy riding on their shoulders or cuddling on their knees, or to cuddle in bed under a warm blanket.
These extremely intelligent cats make very good companions for people, who like to have constant companionship. Oriental Shorthairs will follow you, wherever you go, if you sit down, they will sit on your lap, if you eat, they will sit besides you on the chair, without being demanding or begging for food, when you go to bed, they will enjoy to sleep in your bed with you. With Oriental Shorthairs you will have a very attractive companion and they will be your friends for a life time.