Oriental Short Hair
Oriental Short Hair: The Oriental is a svelte cat with long, tapering lines, very lithe but muscular. Excellent physical condition. Eyes clear. Strong and lithe, neither bony nor flabby. Because of the longer coat, the Longhair Division appears to have softer lines and less extreme type than the Shorthair Division.
Oriental Short Hair Personality
The personality of the Oriental is as distinctive as the multicolored exterior. They are natural entertainers, full of enthusiasm, energy, and the belief that the world should revolve around them. Haughty and royal one minute, they are animated and inquisitive the next. They are highly curious, and will go to great lengths to be involved in your activities. This is not the breed for you if you work all day and have an active night life.
The Oriental shouldnÂ’t be left alone for long periods and need other cats as playmates and company for those times you canÂ’t be with them. The Oriental craves attention; this breed needs quality time with their preferred persons.
Physical Attributes of Oriental Short Hair
Body
Long and svelte. A distinctive combination of fine bones and firm muscles. Shoulders and hips continue the same sleek lines of tubular body. Hips are not typically wider than shoulders. Abdomen tight. Neck long and slender.
Head
Long tapering wedge, in good proportion to body. The total wedge starts at the nose and flares out in straight lines to the tips of the ears forming a triangle, with no break at the whiskers. No less than the width of an eye between the eyes. When the whiskers (and face hair for the Longhair Division) are smoothed back, the underlying bone structure is apparent. Skull flat. Nose long and straight. A continuation of the forehead with no break. Muzzle fine, wedge-shaped. Chin medium size. Tip of chin lines up with tip of nose in the same vertical plane.
Ears
Strikingly large, pointed, wide at the base, continuing the lines of the wedge.
Eyes
Almond shaped, medium size. Neither protruding nor recessed. Slanted towards the nose in harmony with lines of wedge and ears. Uncrossed. Eye color green; pointed and white blue; white and bi-color blue, green or odd eyed.
Legs & Paws
Legs and slim. Hind legs higher than front. In good proportion to body. Paws dainty, small, and oval. Toes five in front and four behind.
Tail
Long thin at the base, and tapered to a fine point. Longhair Division: tail hair spreads out like a plume.
Color
Orientals come in solid, smoke, shaded, bicolor, particolor, tabby color classes, and pointed with white, making over 300 color and pattern combinations. The OrientalÂ’s reason for being is the coat color.
Coat: Long Hair
Medium length, fine, silky, without downy undercoat, lying close to the body, the coat may appear shorter than it is. Hair is longest on the tail.
Coat: Short Hair
Short, fine textured, glossy, or satinlike, lying close to body.