Mary Allen
The Oriental Shorthair is not for everyone. These (we think) beautiful, intelligent cats need very special owners.
No one can overlook these cats: slender and long-legged, they creep gracefully through their territory. Their relationship with the big cats is particularly clear in these animals.
In addition, there are large bat ears, which confuse our image of a “normal” house cat a little.
Find out here about the Oriental Shorthair, which is related to the Siamese cat, and find out whether this breed fascinates you just as much as the many other fans of the very special and challenging cat.
Where does the Oriental Shorthair come from?
Siam as the epitome of the Orientals has been known and loved in Europe for centuries. It was only in the last century that attempts were made to crossbreed the cat from Siam (the term was used to designate what is now Thailand during colonialism), resulting in some new, interesting breeds. Many of these are now internationally recognized alongside the Siamese cat.
The goal of the first breeds was to preserve the eyes of the Siamese and to achieve a uniformly brown coat. When this succeeded, the Oriental Shorthair was born, which has only been recognized as an independent breed since the last century. Internationally it is listed under the name Oriental Shorthair, in German, the name is also abbreviated to OKH.
What does the Oriental Shorthair look like?
The Oriental Shorthair is a medium-sized cat breed. To the details:
The body
The body of the Oriental Shorthair looks like that of the Siamese cat, muscular and strong, but still elegant. When running and jumping, he looks anything but clumsy. These cats (like the Siamese) owe their graceful movement pattern to their long, slender legs with narrow paws.
The fur
With the Oriental Shorthair, you can look forward to a silky, shiny, easy-care shorthair. There is almost no undercoat, which is why the cats hardly shed their hair.
When breeding cats, a wide variety of coat colors and coat markings is allowed. The most common and therefore the most popular are single-color versions
- Black,
- White,
- Blue (blue-grey tones),
- chocolate brown (Chocolate),
- Lilac (diluted gray with a slight purple tinge) or
- Cinnamon (maroon or cinnamon color).
For markings, tortoiseshell (two-tone black, red, and little or no white) and tabby (mackerel, brindle, or spotted) are allowed.
The head
Like most Orientals (e.g. the Siamese cat), OKH also has a wedge-shaped head which, with the characteristic ears, appears quite large compared to the rest of the body. These are called bat ears because of their size. They are very pointed at the end and contribute significantly to the overall picture of this breed.
The eyes
The eyes of the OKH should always be bright green, unlike the blue-eyed Siamese. However, there is an exception for white OKH: Green, deep blue, or two different eye colors (one green, the other deep blue) are accepted here.
How tall is an Oriental Shorthair?
The shoulder height of the average OKH is between 30 cm and 40 cm. The head-trunk length can be up to 90 cm.
How heavy is an Oriental Shorthair?
Cats weigh between three and four kilograms, and tomcats between four and five kilograms. As with any breed of cat, there are animals that will break away to the top or bottom.
Temperament and nature of the Oriental Shorthair
Most Orientals are known for having a loud, often uncomfortable voice. However, the OKH has a soft and quiet voice, which she also likes to use for communication. It has this in common with the Abyssinian cat breed, for example.
The character of the OKH is dominated by its social nature. Without company, this cat’s mental and physical health suffers. Given these traits, it is advisable to adopt two kittens from the same litter or two kittens from different litters. You as a cat owner are the number one of your cats, but especially at OKH, the company of conspecifics is very important.
Novice cats should not let this breed into their lives as their first four-legged friend. Their demands are high and could overwhelm people who are new cats.
Oriental cat breeds like these have an extreme need for movement so that they don’t even shy away from walking on a leash. They climb on boxes, cupboards, and railings and also throw things down here and there. This cat breed is therefore not suitable for quiet people in quiet households.
Proper keeping of the Oriental Shorthair
For the optimal health of these cats, people should above all give them time and activities. The animals are too intelligent to be left to their own devices. You can and should therefore challenge this intelligent breed with a clicker or through special cat training. OKH, like most Orientals, can learn circus-like tricks if the keepers are patient and a little experienced.
If you don’t have much time, live alone, or work full-time, it’s better to choose a different breed. There are enough cat breeds that are good at keeping themselves busy, lying around lazily for hours, and enjoying life. This does not include the OKH. While she is headstrong and shows what she wants, she is also clingy to the same extent. That is why she needs and seeks time with her people, without whom her health and well-being would soon suffer. Your future favorite place will most likely be your lap.
Another important point in keeping is the temperature. For the health of your cat, your home should always have a pleasant room temperature, even in winter. The oriental cat does not like an apartment that cools down during the day. The lack of an undercoat sometimes affects the cat’s health in European winters.
The cat bed, if the animal is not allowed to sleep in your bed, is welcome to be in a heated place: next to the radiator or on the pleasantly warm tiled stove.
The Oriental Shorthair is one of the few breeds of cat that you can take with you on a leash for a walk, provided you have gently accustomed her to being on the leash as a kitten.
What care does the Oriental Shorthair need?
Like almost all short-haired breeds, the OKH requires little care when it comes to its coat. It stays silky without special care, even if you only brush it every few days. In this breed, weekly combing is more about human-animal bonding than care and hygiene of the coat.
Because the fur has a special shine and should stay that way, some keepers swear by the gift of a raw egg once a week. Make sure they are fresh and ideally buy organic eggs.
For additional care, you can rub the fur with a soft cloth so that the sebum is evenly distributed from the base. In this way, you support the cat wash and the fur remains silky shiny.
So that not too much hair ends up on your couch or pants, you can stroke the cat here and there with wet hands. You’ll see how much loose hair gets stuck on it.
What typical diseases does the Oriental Shorthair have?
It is a hardy Oriental breed with good health and a low genetic load.
A genetic problem in this breed relates to their immune system. It can lead to anemia or heart disease. Through skillful mating, experienced breeders can avoid such hereditary diseases and maintain the health of the offspring.
How old does an Oriental Shorthair get?
The life expectancy of this breed is about fifteen years.
How much does an Oriental Shorthair cost?
You will probably only find a purebred OKH from breeders. It is rather unknown in Central Europe and therefore not so easy to get. An approximately three-month-old kitten from a breeding litter that has undergone all the important pre-treatments (examination, vaccination) costs between €600 and €900.
However, pedigree cats sometimes end up in animal shelters: if there are problems after purchase, if the family dog does not accept the cat, or if family circumstances change. It’s worth checking with animal shelters and studying advertisements in local newspapers or on the internet. Perhaps at least half-breeds of the desired breed will be offered.
But beware: Unfortunately, more and more cats are offered as purebreds on the Internet at a greatly reduced price – often even with papers. Please consider that these animals often come from dubious breeding and this breeding is associated with a lot of animal suffering. The kitten is separated from the mother too early, the mother has immediately mated again for profit, and these kittens never see a veterinarian or a vaccination. It certainly makes more sense to take in a lonely animal soul from the home or from a family in need.
What makes the Oriental Shorthair so special?
There are breeds of cats that will delight everyone because they cater to everyone’s tastes in some way. Exactly the opposite is the case with OKH. Opinions differ here: this cat is not to everyone’s taste.
She will find her great love where something special is sought. Those who reject mediocrity and like to step out of line a little themselves will soon feel like soul mates.