The Oriental is very much an artificially created type of breed. Although solid-coloured cats
of Siamese type have been seen for many years, ussually as the result of a mismating,
they were not popular until the 1950s. Then, experimental matings took place between Siamese
and Russian Blues, among others, and led the way to the development of the Havana.
A byproduct of this breeding programme was the Oriental Lilac.
Character and temperament
Oriental cats are basically Saimese cats without the restrictive, Himalayan, pattern in their coats.
They have exactly the same type and conformation as the Siamese, and their temperament is
the same too: outgoing personalities that demand a lot of attention.
Orientals have exceedingly loud voices and will often instigate the conversation - they are not like
well brought-up children who only speak when they are spoken to. They want to be involved in
every household activity, be it sharing your bed or helping you wash the dishes. Just like dogs,
they love to play retrieving games and derive hours of pleasure from a simple piece of screwed-up
paper. They do not like to be left for any lenght of time an their own, and would benefit from a feline
companion if you are out at work all day.
These cats are naturally very clean and a good condition of short, sleek hair is assured by
patting with clean hand or a silk-tissue. Big ears demand regular cleaning. Oriental cat should
have a stake to scratch and a lot of toys.
One coloured varietes of oriental cats
All colour and pattern variations of Oriental have green eyes.
