Oriental Shorthair
| Oriental Shorthair | |
|---|---|
Green-eyed black blotched (“classic”) tabby adult | |
| Other names | Foreign Type |
| Origin | United States |
| Foundation bloodstock | Siamese (landrace from Thailand) |
| Breed standards | |
| FIFe | standard |
| TICA | standard |
| WCF | standard |
| ACF | standard |
| ACFA/CAA | standard |
| CCA-AFC | standard |
| GCCF | standard |
| Domestic cat (Felis catus) | |
The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat that is developed from and closely related to the Siamese cat. It maintains the modern Siamese head and body type but appears in a wide range of coat colours and patterns. Like the Siamese, Orientals have almond-shaped eyes, a triangular head shape, large ears, and an elongated, slender, and muscular body. Unlike the breed's blue-eyed Siamese forebear, Orientals are usually green-eyed.
In 1977 the Oriental Shorthair was accepted by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) for championship competition. Since 1997, it has also received recognition from the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) and various other cat breeding organisations. The breed is among the most popular among CFA members.
The Oriental Longhair breed differs only with respect to coat length.