Does a Oriental Shorthair's color change with age?

It can: Brown can turn Copal, Black can turn Russet, Tabby can turn Solid and White can turn Shaded.

Which clubs recognize the Oriental Shorthair?

The Oriental Shorthair is recognized by The International Cat Association, Cat Fanciers’ Association, Fédération Internationale Féline and Governing Council of the Cat Fancy.

Oriental Shorthair

The Oriental Shorthair is a sleek, vocal cat bursting with personality, deeply affectionate and devoted to its chosen people.

Size: Medium
Lifespan: 12–15 years
Origin: United States
Temperament: Affectionate
Standard colors: Black, White and Blue and 12 more

Key Traits

AffectionateVocalIntelligentEnergeticPeople-oriented

Find a Oriental Shorthair Breeder Browse All Breeds

Characteristics

Energy Level2

Trainability2

Good With Kids3

Good With Pets2

Grooming Needs2

Coat and grooming

How the Oriental Shorthair coat is built, and what that means when you groom it.

Coat layers: Single coat
Coat texture: Smooth
Coat length: Short
Shedding: Low shedding

Oriental Shorthair colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Oriental Shorthair color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Oriental Shorthair in Black, White, Blue, Lilac, Silver, Brown, Chocolate, Seal, Cinnamon, Caramel, Red, Gold, Cream, Fawn and Apricot. Standard patterns: Solid, Bicolour, Harlequin, Pointed, Tabby, Mackerel tabby, Classic tabby, Spotted tabby, Ticked tabby, Tortoiseshell, Calico, Torbie, Van, Smoke, Shaded, Chinchilla and Caliby.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or pattern	TICA	CFA	FIFE	GCCF
Black	Standard	Standard (“Ebony”)	Standard (“Ebony”)	Standard (“Oriental Black”)
White	Standard (“solid white”)	Standard (“White”)	Standard (“white”)	Standard (“Oriental White”)
Blue	Standard	Standard (“Blue”)	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“Oriental Blue”)
Lilac	Standard	Standard (“Lavender”)	Standard (“Lavender”)	Standard (“Oriental Lilac”)
Silver	No ruling	Standard (“Ebony Silver”)	Standard (“silver”)	Standard (“Black Silver”)
Brown	No ruling	Standard (“Ebony Tabby”)	Standard (“black tabby”)	Standard (“Brown”)
Chocolate	Standard	Standard (“Chestnut”)	Standard (“Havana”)	Standard (“Havana”)
Seal	No ruling	Standard (“Seal”)	No ruling	No ruling
Cinnamon	Standard	Standard (“Cinnamon”)	Standard (“cinnamon”)	Standard (“Oriental Cinnamon”)
Caramel	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Oriental Caramel”)
Red	Standard	Standard (“Red”)	Standard (“red”)	Standard (“Oriental Red”)
Gold	No ruling	Standard (“Ebony Golden”)	No ruling	No ruling
Cream	Standard	Standard (“Cream”)	Standard (“cream”)	Standard (“Oriental Cream”)
Fawn	Standard	Standard (“Fawn”)	Standard (“fawn”)	Standard (“Oriental Fawn”)
Apricot	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Oriental Apricot”)
Charcoal	No ruling	Disqualifying (“charcoal”)	No ruling	No ruling
Patterns
Solid	Standard (“solid colored coats”)	Standard (“Solid”)	Standard (“solid”)	Standard (“Oriental Selfs”)
Bicolour	Standard (“particolors”)	Standard (“Bi-Color”)	Standard (“bicolour”)	No ruling
Harlequin	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“harlequin”)	No ruling
Pointed	Not recognised	Standard (“Pointed”)	No ruling	No ruling
Tabby	No ruling	Standard (“Lynx Point”)	Standard (“tabby”)	No ruling
Mackerel tabby	No ruling	Standard (“Mackerel Tabby”)	Standard (“mackerel”)	Standard (“Mackerel Pattern”)
Classic tabby	No ruling	Standard (“Classic Tabby”)	Standard (“blotched”)	Standard (“Classic Pattern”)
Spotted tabby	No ruling	Standard (“Spotted Tabby”)	Standard (“spotted”)	Standard (“Spotted Pattern”)
Ticked tabby	No ruling	Standard (“Ticked Tabby”)	Standard (“ticked”)	Standard (“Ticked Pattern”)
Tortoiseshell	No ruling	Standard (“Parti-Color”)	Standard (“tortie”)	Standard (“Oriental Tortie”)
Calico	No ruling	Standard (“Calico”)	Standard (“tortie with white”)	No ruling
Torbie	No ruling	Standard (“Patched Tabby”)	Standard (“tortie tabby”)	Standard (“Tortie”)
Van	No ruling	Standard (“Van”)	Standard (“van”)	No ruling
Smoke	No ruling	Standard (“Smoke”)	Standard (“smoke”)	Standard (“Oriental Smoke”)
Shaded	No ruling	Standard (“Shaded”)	No ruling	Standard (“Oriental Shaded”)
Chinchilla	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“tipped”)
Caliby	No ruling	Standard (“Calico”)	Standard (“tortie with white”)	No ruling
Rosetted	No ruling	Disqualifying (“rosetted pattern”)	No ruling	No ruling
Mink	Not recognised	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
Sepia	Not recognised	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling

Eyes: rulings by club
Color or pattern	TICA	CFA	FIFE	GCCF
Blue	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“deep blue”)	Standard (“blue”)
Gold	Standard (“gold”)	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling
Green	Standard (“Green”)	Standard (“green”)	Standard (“vivid, luminous green”)	Standard (“green”)
Yellow	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“eye colour more yellow than green”)	No ruling
Patterns
Odd-eyed	Standard (“odd-eyed”)	Standard (“odd-eyed”)	Standard (“odd”)	Standard (“one green and one blue”)

Nose: rulings by club
Color or pattern	CFA	GCCF
Black	Standard (“black”)	Standard (“Solid black”)
Blue	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“Solid blue”)
Lilac	Standard (“lavender-pink”)	Standard (“Pinkish lilac”)
Slate	Standard (“slate-colored”)	No ruling
Brown	No ruling	Standard (“Brown or pinkish brown”)
Chocolate	Standard (“chestnut”)	No ruling
Seal	Standard (“seal brown”)	No ruling
Cinnamon	Standard (“cinnamon”)	Standard (“Cinnamon brown”)
Brick red	Standard (“brick red”)	No ruling
Fawn	Standard (“pale fawn / fawn”)	Standard (“Pinkish fawn”)
Pink	Standard (“pink”)	Standard (“Pink”)

Paw pads: rulings by club
Color or pattern	CFA	GCCF
Black	Standard (“black”)	Standard (“Solid black”)
Blue	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“Solid blue”)
Lilac	Standard (“lavender-pink”)	Standard (“Solid pinkish lilac”)
Brown	Standard (“brown”)	Standard (“Solid brown or solid pinkish brown”)
Seal	Standard (“seal brown”)	No ruling
Cinnamon	Standard (“cinnamon”)	Standard (“Pink to cinnamon brown”)
Fawn	Standard (“pale fawn”)	Standard (“Pinkish fawn”)
Pink	Standard (“pink”)	Standard (“Pink”)

What the rulings mean

Standard: Described by the club's breed standard.
Fault: Named by the club's breed standard as a fault: the animal can be shown but is penalised.
Disqualifying: The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this colour or pattern.
Not recognised: The club does not accept this colour or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Oriental Shorthair's colors can change over its life.

Brownchanges toCopal
Coat · With age · from 0 to 52 weeks
Blackchanges toRusset
Coat · Progressive
Tabbychanges toSolid
Coat · With age · from 0 to 39 weeks
Whitechanges toShaded
Coat · With age
Whitechanges toChinchilla
Coat · With age
Tabbychanges toShaded
Coat · With age · from 0 to 6 weeks
Tabbychanges toChinchilla
Coat · With age · from 0 to 6 weeks
Bluechanges toTortoiseshell
Coat · With age
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · Progressive
Creamchanges toFawn
Coat · Progressive
Whitechanges toPointed
Coat · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Solidchanges toSmoke
Coat · With age · from 3 to 104 weeks
Bluechanges toGreen
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toYellow
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toGold
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toCopper
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toOrange
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toHazel
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toAmber
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Pinkchanges toSeal
Nose · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toBlue
Nose · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toChocolate
Nose · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toLilac
Nose · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toSeal
Paw pads · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toBlue
Paw pads · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toChocolate
Paw pads · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toLilac
Paw pads · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks

Sources

Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.

About the Oriental Shorthair cat

The Oriental Shorthair is a medium-sized short-coated cat with a sleek frame, large ears and a deep bond with its household. It is affectionate, clever and famously talkative.

The Oriental Shorthair is a medium-sized cat built on the same long, fine-boned frame as the Siamese, carrying a short coat that appears in a very wide array of colours and patterns. Its body is tubular and muscular, the head forms a long wedge, and the ears sit large and open to carry the lines of the triangular face outward. What you notice first is length and balance rather than mass.

This is a cat that lives for its people. Oriental Shorthairs shadow their owners from room to room, settle close by, and stay part of whatever happens in the house. They chatter readily and tend to reply when you talk to them. Their drive stays high well beyond kittenhood, and they hold onto a love of play, climbing and working things out.

Because the attachment runs deep, the breed thrives where a person is home for much of the day, or where a second animal offers company. Most are warm with the whole family and settle quickly around guests once they have taken a moment to weigh a newcomer up.

Quick facts
Attribute	Detail
Origin	United States
Size	Medium
Lifespan	12 to 15 years
Group / role	Companion (shorthair breed group)
Good with	Families, attentive owners, other cats

Who the Oriental Shorthair suits

This breed fits people who want an interactive, chatty cat and who are relaxed about frequent noise. It works in homes that can offer daily attention and play. It is a poorer match for owners who are out for long stretches with no second animal, or who would rather share the house with a quiet, self-contained cat.

Oriental Shorthair history and origin

The Oriental Shorthair was developed in the United States and Britain from Siamese-based breeding programmes that set out to reproduce the Siamese type across a full range of colours and patterns.

The Oriental Shorthair came out of a wish to keep the Siamese body type while dropping the restriction of the pointed coat. Breeders paired Siamese cats with other shorthaired cats to bring in fresh colours, then bred back towards the slim Siamese conformation.

A good deal of the groundwork happened in Britain around the middle of the twentieth century, where solid-coloured cats of Siamese type were raised under a scatter of different names. Breeders in the United States picked up the thread and drew the many colour variants together into one breed.

The breed gained championship recognition with the major American registry in 1977. As the years passed, the accepted range of colours and patterns widened into the hundreds, which makes the Oriental Shorthair one of the most varied of all breeds by coat.

A longhaired cousin, the Oriental Longhair, carries the same body type under a longer coat. The Oriental Shorthair stays tightly linked to the Siamese in build and character, parting mainly on coat colour and pattern.

Oriental Shorthair appearance and breed standard

The Oriental Shorthair is a long, fine-boned cat with a wedge-shaped head, very large ears and a close-lying short coat that comes in an exceptionally wide range of colours and patterns.

The Oriental Shorthair has a long, tubular body set on slender legs, the hind legs standing a touch higher than the front. The tail runs long and tapers to a fine tip. The head reads as a long triangle from nose to ear tips, and the ears themselves are strikingly large and broad where they meet the skull. The eyes are almond-shaped and usually green, though white cats may show blue or odd-coloured eyes.

Breed standard at a glance
Trait	Standard
Height	Approx. 23 to 25 cm at the shoulder
Weight	3 to 5 kg
Coat	Short, fine, close-lying, glossy
Colours	Solid, shaded, smoke, tabby, bicolour and more (very wide range)
Eyes	Almond-shaped, usually green (blue or odd-eyed in white cats)

Coat and colours

The coat is short and lies flat to the body, which keeps grooming light and shows off the breed's lean outline. The Oriental Shorthair is accepted in an unusually large number of colours and patterns, among them solid black, blue, chestnut, lavender, cream and red, alongside tabby, smoke, shaded and bicolour forms. This breadth of colour is the main visible line drawn between the Oriental Shorthair and the pointed Siamese.

Oriental Shorthair temperament and personality

Oriental Shorthairs are affectionate, clever and deeply people-focused cats that attach strongly to their owners and rank among the more vocal of breeds.

The Oriental Shorthair pours its attention into its people and keeps close all day long. It greets you at the door, trails you about, and often asks to be lifted up or to claim a lap. The breed is sharp and inquisitive, and it will nose open cupboards, poke through bags, and pick up the rhythms of the house in no time.

With family the cat is warm and openly affectionate. With strangers it is usually assured and sociable once it has had a short while to size up a new face. It tends to get on well with other cats and with cat-friendly dogs, and the company of a second pet takes the edge off an empty house during the day.

This is a talkative breed. It remarks on goings-on, puts in requests for attention, and keeps up something near a conversation. Owners who like an expressive cat usually find this charming, while anyone after peace and quiet may find it a handful.

Trait ratings (1 = low, 5 = high)
Trait	Rating
Affection	5
Energy	5
Trainability	4
Vocalness	5
Shedding	2

Oriental Shorthair care and grooming

The Oriental Shorthair asks for little coat care but plenty of attention, play and mental work to stay settled and content.

The short coat keeps grooming straightforward, yet the breed's emotional and physical needs sit above average. Daily company and play count for far more than coat upkeep with this cat.

Grooming

Brush or wipe the coat weekly to lift loose hair and keep it glossy
Trim the nails every two to three weeks
Check the ears often and clean gently when needed, given their size
Brush the teeth several times a week to look after dental health

Exercise

Set aside two or more lively play sessions a day with wand toys or chase toys
Provide climbing furniture and a tall cat tree to feed the breed's love of height
Bring in puzzle feeders and a changing set of toys to keep the mind busy
Think about a second cat for company when the house stands empty for long spells

Environment

The Oriental Shorthair is an indoor cat that wants a share in household life. It needs vertical space, quiet nooks to tuck into, and ready access to its people. The short, thin coat offers little insulation, so the cat leans towards warm rooms and will hunt out sunny patches and soft bedding.

Oriental Shorthair nutrition and feeding

Oriental Shorthairs do well on a good-quality, protein-rich cat food served in measured portions to match their active, lean build.

The Oriental Shorthair is an active cat on a lean frame, so its diet should centre on animal protein and be balanced for its life stage. Pick a complete cat food that names meat or fish as the first ingredient. Measured portions guard against both a busy kitten eating too little and a quieter adult putting on weight. Fresh water should stand available at all times.

General feeding guide
Life stage	Amount per day	Meals
Kitten (2 to 12 months)	Follow label by weight; feed to appetite	3 to 4
Adult (1 to 7 years)	Approx. 50 to 70 g dry or equivalent wet	2
Senior (7+ years)	Adjust to hold weight and activity	2

Treats and supplements

Hold treats to roughly ten percent of daily calories and count them within the overall portion. A complete, balanced diet usually delivers every nutrient the cat needs, so supplements belong only on veterinary advice. Dental treats or kibble can help hold back tartar between brushings.

Oriental Shorthair health and common conditions

The Oriental Shorthair is generally healthy and lives 12 to 15 years, though it shares some inherited conditions with the Siamese, including certain heart and eye problems.

The Oriental Shorthair is usually a hardy, long-lived cat, with a typical lifespan of 12 to 15 years and often more with good care. Because it draws its ancestry from the Siamese, it can carry a leaning towards several of the same inherited conditions. Choosing breeders who screen their cats lowers the odds of these problems being passed along.

Conditions seen in the breed
Condition	Signs	Note
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy	Lethargy, fast or laboured breathing, weakness	A heart-muscle disease; screening helps pick it up early
Progressive retinal atrophy	Loss of night vision, bumping into objects	Inherited eye condition that brings gradual loss of sight
Amyloidosis	Raised thirst, weight loss, organ dysfunction	Protein deposits that affect organs such as the liver
Dental disease	Bad breath, drooling, reluctance to eat	Common in the breed; managed with regular dental care

Preventive care

Annual veterinary checkups, moving to twice-yearly visits for senior cats
Keep vaccinations and parasite prevention current
Hold a steady dental routine at home, with professional cleaning as advised
Watch weight and body condition to catch changes early
Ask breeders about heart and eye screening of the parent cats

Oriental Shorthair training and enrichment

The Oriental Shorthair is clever and food-motivated, which places it among the more trainable cat breeds for tricks, recall and harness walking.

The Oriental Shorthair picks things up quickly and takes real pleasure in the mental work that training brings. Many warm to clicker training, fetch and walking on a harness. Because the breed craves attention, a training session doubles as bonding time and helps run off spare energy. Keep sessions short and finish on a win to hold the cat's interest.

Basics

Set up the litter tray and scratching posts early, placing them in quiet, reachable spots
Pair a clicker or marker word with a small treat so the cat ties the sound to a reward
Begin with one plain cue such as sit or come, rewarding each right response
Build up to tricks like fetch or high-five once the basics hold firm
Introduce the harness indoors before any outdoor walk, letting the cat find its own pace

Breeding and raising Oriental Shorthair kittens

Oriental Shorthairs reach maturity by about one year, carry litters for roughly nine weeks, and usually produce four to six kittens that gain from early handling.

Oriental Shorthairs reach sexual maturity at around five to ten months, though careful breeders wait until a cat is physically and mentally grown, usually at least a year, before any mating. Queens carry their litters for about 63 to 67 days. Litters most often hold four to six kittens, in keeping with the wider Siamese family.

Kittens arrive with the body type already there but grow into their adult colour and structure across the first months. Early, gentle handling supports the breed's sociable nature and helps kittens mature into assured adults. Kittens usually stay with the mother until about 12 to 14 weeks so they can finish weaning and learn social manners from their littermates.

Breeding is best left to knowledgeable breeders who screen for the heart and eye conditions carried in the line and who can give proper care to queen and litter alike.

Breeding facts
Metric	Value
Sexual maturity	5 to 10 months
Recommended breeding age	From about 12 months
Gestation	63 to 67 days
Average litter size	4 to 6 kittens
Weaning age	About 6 to 8 weeks
Leave for new home	12 to 14 weeks

A registered Oriental Shorthair: the record behind the chip

Free lifetime registration for your Oriental Shorthair with United Pet Club, searchable by every SPCA branch, at home and abroad.

Registering an Oriental Shorthair in South Africa

A gate left open for the gardener is all it takes for a homebody Oriental Shorthair to go missing. Her free United Pet Club profile keeps your details one scan away, wherever she turns up. Register your cat once, free, and the record outlasts every house move.

A scanner reads your Oriental Shorthair's chip in seconds; the registry decides whether the reading goes anywhere. Capture the 15-digit number in your free United Pet Club account and it goes straight to your phone. Free for life, every brand accepted, every update free. Microchip registration closes the loop.

How do I register my Oriental Shorthair in South Africa?

Sign up for a free United Pet Club account, add her name, colouring, and a photo, and save. The lifetime plan holds the profile at no cost for her whole life, indoors or out.

How do I register my Oriental Shorthair's microchip?

Capture the 15-digit number from your vet's paperwork in your free account with your current contact details. The plan accepts every chip brand and never charges for the record or its updates.

Do cats have to be microchipped in South Africa?

No law requires it, but the SPCA recommends it and shelters chip on adoption as a matter of course. A chip only speaks for an Oriental Shorthair once the number is registered, and that registration is free here.

What does registering an Oriental Shorthair cost?

Not a rand. Profile, microchip record, and every update are covered by the free lifetime plan, with nothing to renew.

Oriental Shorthair frequently asked questions

Common questions about the Oriental Shorthair cover its size, temperament, care needs, lifespan, suitability and where to find one.

How big does an Oriental Shorthair get?

It is a medium-sized cat, usually weighing 3 to 5 kg, with a long, slender body that can make it look larger than its weight suggests.

Are Oriental Shorthairs affectionate?

Yes. They rank among the most people-focused cat breeds, attaching closely to their owners and seeking near-constant company and attention.

Are Oriental Shorthairs hard to care for?

Coat care is easy thanks to the short fur, but the breed needs daily play, mental work and company, so the real effort goes into attention rather than grooming.

How long do Oriental Shorthairs live?

Most live 12 to 15 years, and many reach greater ages with a good diet, steady dental care and regular veterinary checkups.

Is the Oriental Shorthair a good family cat?

Yes, for a household that can give it attention. It is friendly with family and visitors and usually gets on with other cats and cat-friendly dogs.

Are Oriental Shorthairs very vocal?

Yes. Like the Siamese, the Oriental Shorthair talks often and loudly, which suits owners who want an expressive cat but may not suit those after quiet.

Where can I find an Oriental Shorthair in South Africa?

They are available through SACC-registered breeders of the breed, and Oriental Shorthairs and their crosses sometimes turn up in breed-specific rescues and shelters.