Oriental cats are a breed with a specific beauty. Graceful felines are included in the group of Siamese-orientals, they are often called "oriental" or "Asian" cats. They have the posture of true aristocrats and amazing large ears. Thanks to their “unearthly” appearance, orientals are winning the hearts of cat lovers all over the world every year.
Characteristics of an oriental cat - character, and habits
By their nature, orientals are real stars, because they want to be the center of attention. They will not peacefully wait for the owner to go about their business. Instead, howls will readily jump into his lap or circle around him, demanding immediate attention.
At the same time, they are also extremely sociable - the breed is capable of making many sounds from purring to meowing with different tonality and duration. And therefore, in the absence of proper attention, the fluffy pet is ready to drive the owner crazy with his demanding talkativeness.
Description of the breed
Like any member of the species, an oriental cat must meet a certain breed standard. Compliance is especially important for owners planning exhibitions and breeding. But even someone who takes an Oriental just as a companion needs to understand how a pet should look like.
Appearance - what an oriental looks like
The head is of medium size and well proportioned in relation to the body. It is shaped like a wedge with straight lines. The wedge starts from the nose and gradually widens towards the ears. When viewed in profile, a slight bulge of the skull is determined. The forehead is flat. The ears are large, set wide and directed straight, set at an angle in relation to the head. At the base, they are wide, but the tips are pointed. The eyes are medium in size, almond-shaped and slightly slanted towards the nose. The classic shade is bright green. The nose is long and straight.
The neck is long, with a smooth transition to the line of the back. The body is long, well-muscled, but graceful. The limbs are slender and in proportion to the body. Feet are oval, rather small. The tail is thin and long, tapering towards the tip, resembling a whip.
Today, orientals are divided into two types in appearance: classic and extreme. Extreme-type cats have low-set ears and a strongly elongated muzzle.
The size
Normal height at the withers for an adult oriental is considered a parameter in the range from 23 to 25 cm. The body can be up to 90 cm long.
The weight
The average weight of an adult oriental cat is in the range of 3.7 to 4.5 kg. The weight norm for a cat ranges from 2.3 to 3.2 cm.
Wool
The breed is short-haired, the hair is fine and shiny. The entire coat should be close to the body and silky to the touch. There is practically no undercoat.
Colors
The classic colors of oriental cats are:
- Ebony is a black shade of wool, also called black solid.
- Bronze - the shade resembles bronze, but let's say a bright red color, closer to red, while the paw pads and nose are soft pinks.
- Lavender - this color is also positioned as lilac, the legs and nose are lavender, sometimes their shade is closer to pink.
- Havana - classic chocolate color, can vary from light to dark brown, brownish-pink paws, brown nose.
- Blue - a combination of blue-gray with a slight tint of silver, the paw pads and nose are blue.
- Cream or fawn - includes shades of fawn (beige coat) and cinnamon (shades of red or very light brown), feet and nose should be pink.
- Tortoiseshell or tricolor - it combines white, black, and red hair.
- White is a unique color without a yellow tint, the paws and nose are pale pink, the eyes can be not only green, but also blue, or heterochromia can appear.
In addition, oriental can have a tabby color (the presence of spots, flatness, marble pattern, etc.) over the main shade of the coat.
Life expectancy - how long do oriental cats live
The average life expectancy for an Oriental who receives full care and attention is 15-16 years. But sometimes oriental beauties can live even more - up to 20 years.
Are oriental cats hypoallergenic or not? How often do they shed?
Orientals can be called practically hypoallergenic since their protein (provoking allergies in humans) is synthesized to a lesser extent than in other breeds.
Molting in oriental cats is moderate, and therefore it does not cause any particular problems. With proper care of the coat and sufficiently humidified air in the house, the shedding will occur only in the fall and spring seasons. During this time, the owner will need to increase the frequency of brushing the pet up to several times a week.
Is the Oriental cat a friendly breed?
The breed is extremely friendly. They will be welcoming both to those with whom they live in the house and to guests. When meeting a stranger, the family's eared pet will carefully sniff him, and then sit next to him to get affection from a new person.
Attitude towards children
Oriental cats love children and always behave with them as carefully as possible. They are careful and attentive and are also ready to frolic with the baby at any time. But if the child accidentally harms the pet, the oriental will leave and hide away, leaving the bite like a little revenge for goodbye.
Relationship to other animals
The complaisance of the Oriental makes them easily interact with other pets of a different species. They will act friendly and playful with any furry family member. But if rodents live in the house, you should be more careful and control the interaction of the cat with them. No matter how kind she was, nobody canceled the predator's instincts.
Playfulness
An eared cat with a Georgian nose will happily run after a ball, bring toys to the owner like a dog and just play with a new thing. She is active and mobile, loves to explore everything, and there is no place in the house where she does not climb, informing the owner of this. Sometimes she can purposefully hide and watch as they are looking for her, and then suddenly jump out, inviting to play. It will be useful for the future owner of oriental to purchase a play complex for the pet in order to captivate the pet with business without his participation.
How does loneliness endure
Orientals are firmly attached to their master, and therefore his absence becomes severe stress. Prolonged seclusion or frequent absence of the owner due to work and other reasons can be a serious challenge for the pet. As a result, such a "Georgian cat" may not only be in a state of severe stress but also start to get sick as a result of nervous exhaustion.
Potential health problems
The representatives of the oriental breed have quite good health, but some pathologies are relatively common:
- Congenital or acquired enlargement of the esophagus (megaesophagus).
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
- Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity (especially gingivitis).
- Amyloidosis of the liver.
- Retinal atrophy.
- Flat chest syndrome.
Kittens cost
The price of kittens directly depends on the class to which they belong:
- Pet class - from 20 to 35 thousand rubles.
- Breed class - from 35 to 60 thousand rubles.
- Show class - from 60 to 120 thousand rubles.
Oriental cats catteries
You can buy an oriental cat in one of the following catteries:
- Kennel Avatar. Located in the Moscow region, in the city of Vidnoe.
- Salammbo kennel. Located in Moscow. The cattery is registered in WCF. They are engaged in breeding Oriental and Siamese cats.
- Kennel JUNGLE. Located in Moscow. The cattery is registered in WCF and FIFe. They are engaged in breeding Oriental, Seychelles, and Siamese cats.
- Cattery MASCOT. Located in Moscow. The nursery is registered in FARUS. Only oriental cats are bred.
- Cattery Liberty World. Located in Moscow. The cattery is registered in WCF. Only oriental cats are bred.
Need for care
The Siamese Oriental is not a difficult breed to care for. Brushing them once a week is enough, and clipping should be done once a month.
But they should be bathed a couple of times a year. More frequent bathing will be stressful for the pet and is not necessary for the cat itself. Ori is good at self-cleaning. Also, on the days of water procedures, it is important for the owner to use only a special hypoallergenic shampoo.
Oriental eyes should be wiped daily using a cotton pad dipped in a light chamomile decoction. In addition, sensitive oriental ears need to be cleaned weekly with special products as recommended by your veterinarian.
Maintenance cost
For a full and long life oriental, the owner needs to understand not only how to keep this cat, but also how much financial investment is required for this.
Nutrition
The priority type of feeding is the use of dry food, and it is best to choose holistic and premium food. This is due to the sensitivity of oriental digestion and their tendency to gain weight. The cost of a monthly meal with such feed can cost the owner from 4 to 10 thousand rubles.
Feeding with natural products is also allowed, but the owner will have to strictly monitor the balance of the Oriental diet. And the price of such food will directly depend on the choice of products and their quality.
Veterinary
Carrying out standard vaccination according to the calendar will cost the owner of oriental in the amount of 1 to 3 thousand rubles. Any other costs are determined by the veterinarian according to need.
Grooming
Grooming for oriental cats does not take long, but visiting a groomer can be a pleasant change for the pet and make life easier for the owner. One trip to the salon to the groomer can cost the owner of a fluffy beauty in the price from 2 to 3 thousand rubles.
Exhibitions
Visiting exhibitions can cost from 5 to 30 thousand rubles. for participating in one event in Russia. The price varies according to the status of the exhibition and the title of the winners. But this amount does not include the cost of travel to the venue, accommodation, and meals for the owner of the Oriental and his pet.
Pros and cons of the breed
Certainly, positive qualities of oriental cats are:
- Exotic and aesthetically pleasing appearance.
- Friendliness to people and animals.
- The ability to subtly feel the owner at the level of intuition.
- Highly developed intelligence.
- Ease of training, up to the possibility of full pet training.
- Sociability and affectionate behavior.
- Simple enough care.
- Lack of an extensive list of genetic pathologies.
- Hypoallergenic.
The disadvantages of the breed include:
- High price.
- Touchiness.
- The need for a lot of attention from the owner.
- Digestive system sensitivity.
- Poor cold tolerance.
History of the breed
Back in the 19th century, the first mentions of Siamese cats with a fully monochromatic color appeared, but until 1923 there was debate about whether they should be included in the breed standard. As a result, the British Siamese Fan Club ruled that this quality of the breed was not encouraged. From that moment on, work began on the selection of future oriental cats. In the process of crossing with Siamese, Russian blue, British shorthair, Abyssinian, and even simple domestic cats were bred.
As a result, in 1956, the American Kennel imported the first representative of the Oriental breed with chocolate color. In 1958, they adopted the original form of the general breed standard and continued breeding. Subsequently, breeders from America were able to achieve recognition of the monochromatic oriental cat as a separate breed in 1977 and continued to work on the creation of new colors in the breed.
Already in 1995, bi-color (two-color) cats were able to gain recognition, and the breed began to popularize around the world.
Interesting facts about Oriental cats
Anyone who plans to purchase an Oriental is useful to learn about the interesting features of the breed:
In the oriental world, they are often called rainbow cats. They got this nickname for their rich variety of colors.
The lack of an undercoat becomes a problem for the pet, and therefore in the cold season, it is necessary to wear oriental warmly.
Prior to the full recognition of the breed, many cat lovers called the Oriental one-color coffee-colored Siamese.
oriental is jealous of their belongings and their chosen place. Almost any intervention or attempt to take a toy will cause resentment.
This breed does not have the habit of releasing claws and even a scratching post is in little demand with them.
Owner reviews
The owners of oriental cats characterize their favorites as graceful and interesting pets. They celebrate the exotic aesthetics of these cats, combined with a unique character and genuine affection. Also, many owners say that this breed is for those who like to talk. They are impressed that fluffy beauties will gladly support any conversation, and they themselves will proactively communicate with a person.
Similar breeds
The closest relatives, the Siamese cats, are most similar to the Oriental. In addition, some common blacks with exotic beauties are Balinese and Thai cats, Tonkinesis, Havana brown, and Abyssinian cats.