Oriental Longhair

The Oriental Longhair Cat stands out for their friendly personality and their silky, luxurious coat. Oriental Shorthairs and other Oriental cats share many characteristics with these lovely cats: They are playful, intelligent, and social, with a strong need for attention. Your Oriental Longhair cat will become a lifelong friend if you bring one into your home. There is nothing they love more than following their favorite person around, poking curious noses into everything from the refrigerator to the bathtub, and tapping with paws whenever something looks amiss.

Aside from body language, Oriental Longhairs have an impressive vocabulary of meows, trills, and chirps derived from their Siamese heritage. Cats like to engage in conversation and are gregarious. Oriental Longhair cats require special companionship when it comes to companionship. Without the ability to socialize, these cats can become seriously distressed and develop destructive habits if left alone for too long.

Although they have a favorite human to follow and snuggle with, they're happy to make friends with those who have four legs and fur. An Oriental Longhair is the perfect companion for a social cat or friendly dog, particularly if you travel a lot. Oriental Longhairs are certainly more affectionate than most cat breeds. This breed is more than capable of lending a paw to your family if they are looking for a fantastic cuddle buddy.

Oriental Longhair: Introduction to the Breed

When it comes to owning a pet, you will need to make some significant decisions for your family. Make sure you research the available breeds before purchasing a new cat and determine which one will best suit your family and lifestyle. It is important to consider what characteristics you would like to see in a cat, as well as what characteristics you would not prefer to see in a cat. You need to know a few things about Oriental Longhairs before deciding.

Oriental Longhair are generally:

Oriental longhairs have a lot of personalities, just like their famous ancestor, the Siamese. Cats like to communicate with people and are vocal. Despite being very outgoing, they have a good-natured temperament that prevents them from being aggressive. They love playing games, especially with their housemates, because they are energetic and curious. However, Oriental longhairs also enjoy the companionship of other cats and gentle dogs.

What is the origin of Oriental Longhair?

An Oriental Longhair, also known as a Javanese cat, a British Angora, a Foreign Longhair, or a Mandarin cat, is a member of the Oriental cat family. To create cats with the body style and personality of Siamese cats, in a variety of coat colors and patterns, these cats used Siamese cats as key foundation members. In the 1950s, the Oriental story began in England. Food shortages and constant bombardment during the second world war nearly wiped out many cat breeds there. Breeders developed new colors and patterns as they rebuilt their foundations.

Both Oriental Shorthairs and Oriental Longhairs have Siamese heritage, Russian Blue, Abyssinian, British Shorthair, and various domestic genetics that further expanded and improved the Siamese gene pool. An Oriental cat can usually only be distinguished from a contemporary Siamese cat by its color.

In the beginning, breeders tried to come up with separate breed names for each colored Oriental cat resulting from various pairings. As a result, we have breeds like the Havana Brown, the Foreign White, and the Oriental Bicolor. In time, cat breed registries decided that there were too many different color and coat combinations (all of them wonderful!) and adopted Oriental Shorthair/Longhair terminology.

Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) recognition was granted to Oriental Shorthairs in 1977, but not to Oriental Longhairs until 1995. TICA granted recognition in 1979, and today, cat breed registries around the globe recognize the breed.

What are the Risks for the Oriental Longhair Cat Breed?

Like all breeds, Oriental Longhair’s are at risk of developing health conditions down the road. Asthma, megaesophagus, feline lower urinary tract disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, liver amyloidosis, and progressive retinal atrophy are some common conditions associated with their Siamese heritage. A small percentage of Oriental Longhair kittens are born cross-eyed. They inherited these traits from their Siamese relatives. If your cat goes outside, crossed eyes may impair their vision making them more vulnerable to injury.

Food is a very personal thing for cats, and each has their own tastes, dislikes, and needs. Nevertheless, cats are carnivores and must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food. In a growing, energetic kitten, the proportions of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle and overall health, so it makes sense that a less active senior cat will require a different balance of these nutrients than a growing, energetic kitten. In addition, feeding the right quantity of food to maintain 'ideal body condition' in accordance with feeding guidelines and accommodating individual preferences regarding wet and dry food are also important considerations.

It is important to brush your Oriental Long Hair regularly - this is an opportunity to bond with your cat and check for injuries or parasites. If your cat has a greasy coat, this may indicate poor health since it isn't self-grooming. Regular vaccinations and parasite control are recommended for all cats.

Despite your best efforts, Oriental Longhair’s can still get sick, even if you do everything in your power to keep them healthy. Due to this, it's important to be prepared for the things you cannot control.

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