Meet the Oriental Shorthair

There’s a reason we Oriental Shorthairs are sometimes called Rainbow Cats – it’s what we were bred for! Though our closest ancestors, the Siamese, are an ancient breed from Thailand, we are pretty new. Siamese cats were incredibly popular in Europe, but after World War II they were in danger of becoming extinct. In the 1950s a group of breeders in England wanted to save my ancestors and started a breeding program that brought back the Siamese and developed a new and more colorful version.

English breeders crossed Siamese with other breeds like Russian Blues, British Shorthairs, and Abyssinians. Some of the litters had the traditional Siamese colorpoint pattern and blue eyes, which helped to increase the Siamese cat population. Other cats came out in a rainbow of solid colors and patterns, and when these cats were bred with more Siamese cats, Orientals were born! The introduction of these other breeds didn’t just bring color and pattern varieties – it also created my cousin, the Oriental Longhair. Some cat registries, including The International Cat Association, consider us separate breeds, but the Cat Fanciers’ Association considers us one breed.

Orientals were also developed in the United States in the 1970s. A group of American breeders in New York fell in love with the idea of a Siamese personality in a kaleidoscope of colors and started a breeding program. They bred Siamese with American Shorthairs, which introduced even more color and pattern varieties. Today, between the Shorthairs and Longhairs, we come in over 600 color combinations and patterns – more than any other cat breed in the world! The New York breeders brought us to the attention of the CFA who officially recognized us in 1977. Between our rainbow coats and colorful personalities, we’ve been one of the most popular cat breeds ever since!