Oriental cat
The term
Oriental cat is not generally used for any one particular
breed of
cat. Rather, it describes a set of physical characteristics belonging to a number of
cats from
Southeast Asia.
The
Cat Fanciers' Association and the GCCF (the
Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in the UK), however, do recognize the Oriental as a specific breed.
Orientals have small, lean, athletic bodies, large triangular ears, almond-shaped eyes, and usually a very curious, inquisitive, intelligent temperament. They also have a loud voice and 'talk' a lot more than most other cats. Originally, all orientals were short-haired, with a very light-weight and generally light-coloured coat befitting the hot climate of their origin, but they have been cross-bred with
Persians and other long-haired to create medium and long-haired oriental breeds such as the
Birman and
Himalayan. They are also being cross-bred with the
Bengal Cat to produce the
Serengeti Cat.
The most ubiquitous 'oriental' cat is the
Siamese. Other oriental breeds include the
Japanese Bobtail (described as a semi-oriental),
Burmese,
Balinese and many others.
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CFA breed profile*
CFA breed standard
