Size: Small to medium.
Coat Length(s): Medium hair.
Body Type: Svelte.
Grooming Requirement: Every few weeks.
Talkativeness: Very vocal.
Activity Level: Very high.
Affection: Very affectionate.
Usually Good With: Adults, seniors, and children (6+).
Time Alone: 0 to 4 hours per day.
Attention: Needs lots of attention.
Handling: Can be a handful.

The Oriental Longhair is essentially a Siamese not limited to short hair, the colorpoint pattern and few color choices. The Oriental Longhair is accepted in more than 300 color and pattern combinations. The breed was deliberately developed from the colorful Oriental Shorthair; the fanciers involved wanted a breed that had the same wide range of colors but with a longer coat. In the late 1970s, breeders crossed the Oriental Shorthair with the Balinese (longhaired Siamese), and the Oriental Longhair was born. In 1985, the breed achieved championship status in TICA. In 1988, the Oriental Longhair was accepted by CFA for registration and later for championship.

To really understand the Oriental Longhair, however, you have to know a bit about the colorful history of the Oriental Shorthair breed. The Oriental Shorthair was developed in the 1950s from crosses between the Siamese, domestic shorthair and the Abyssinian. The breed has the body style and personality of the Siamese but is not restricted to the colorpoint pattern; the Oriental Shorthair comes in every color of the rainbow except green—that color is reserved for the beautiful, almond-shaped eyes (the Oriental Shorthair may have green or blue eyes, or one of each, depending upon the coat’s color and pattern).

In 1995, CFA combined the Oriental Shorthair and the Oriental Longhair into one breed called the Oriental. The Oriental Longhair became a division of the Oriental breed, and suddenly breeding and registering the Oriental Longhair was much easier. For example, if two Oriental Shorthairs produced longhaired kittens (possible if both parents possessed the recessive longhair gene), those kittens could now be registered and shown in the longhair division instead of being sold or given away as pets. And when Oriental Longhair breeders cross back to the Siamese or Oriental Shorthair to maintain the proper head and body type and keep the bloodline diverse and healthy, any shorthair kittens born in those litters can be registered and shown as Oriental Shorthairs.

It also meant the Oriental Shorthair’s colors and patterns were acceptable for the Oriental Longhair. The same year, CFA accepted bicolor for the Oriental, which increased the number of possible colors and patterns to more than 300.

The Oriental Longhair is still quite rare, but the breed has fans and is gaining more. The breed appeals to the cat lover who wants the long, svelte body type and talkative temperament of the Siamese, the semi-long wash-and-wear hair of the Balinese and the rainbow of colors of the Oriental Shorthair. Most breeders who work with the Oriental Longhair also work with the Oriental Shorthair, and often with the Siamese or one or more of the other Siamese-derived breeds as well.

The myriad colors and patterns may catch your attention, but the vivacious personality of the Oriental Longhair holds it. Very active, playful and entertaining cats, they are always underfoot and want to be involved in all of your activities, from aerobics to quiet evenings by the fire. A tall cat tree is necessary to keep your Oriental Longhair from climbing to the top of the highest bookcase. There are few places Oriental Longhairs cannot reach, and their curiosity and intelligence makes it hard to keep them out of closed closets and cupboards. They hate closed doors, particularly when their special person is on the other side.

Extremely people-oriented and trusting, Oriental Longhairs generally form a close bond with one person. While friendly to others in the household, it’s clear who their preferred person is. They spend most of their time with their favorite human and eagerly await his or her return. Once you form that close emotional bond, Oriental Longhairs put complete trust in you. If left alone or ignored for too long, they mourn. With the proper amount of love and attention, however, Oriental Longhairs become completely devoted companions. Like most Siamese-derived breeds, they are snugglers, wanting to be on your bed, in your lap and, most of all, at your side. The Oriental Longhair is not for those who work all day and have an active social life at night.

Although known to be demanding, noisy and mischievous, these qualities endear them to their many fans. This breed’s vocal tone is generally softer and milder than that of the Siamese, but Oriental Longhairs still love to share all the intimate details of their day with their favorite person. They are never at a loss for words on any subject.

Oriental Longhairs often live 15 years or even longer if they’re kept indoors. However, some Oriental Longhair lines share the same hereditary weaknesses as some lines of Siamese, since the breed was created by using Siamese and is still outcrossed with Siamese and related breeds today. In particular, the hereditary disease liver amyloidosis, has been found in some lines Orientals. This disease causes an insoluble protein called amyloid to be deposited in the liver, causing lesions, dysfunction, and eventual liver failure. In addition, incidences of the heart disease dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlargement of the heart muscle that decreases heart function, have been found in some lines of Siamese and closely related breeds like the Oriental, but on the plus side these breeds seem to be at a lower risk than some other breeds for the more serious and often fatal feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), according to Dr. Susan Little of the Winn Feline Foundation. Be sure buy from a breeder who provides registration papers and a written health guarantee.

In addition, Oriental Longhairs are prone to plaque buildup, tartar formation and gingivitis. Gingivitis can lead to the dental disease periodontitis (an inflammatory disease affecting the tissues surrounding and supporting the teeth), which can cause tissue, bone and tooth loss. Untreated, dental disease can cause infections in vital organs and undermine a cat’s overall health. If your cat is prone to dental disease, he needs dental exams during his annual veterinary checkups, periodic professional teeth cleaning by your veterinarian as needed, and, if your cat will tolerate it, regular tooth brushing using cat toothpaste and a cat toothbrush (you can also use a soft child’s size toothbrush).

Even though this breed is a longhair, Oriental Longhairs lack the downy undercoat that mats so easily and therefore don’t need very frequent grooming. However, grooming Oriental Longhairs more often than what is required is good for their health because it gives you the opportunity to check for developing health problems. It also provides some of the attention that's so important to your cat’s well-being and happiness.

This breed’s fine-textured coat is medium length, silky and lies close to the body, except for the plumage on the tail, which is lush, feathery and considerably longer than the body hair. Colors and patterns are too numerous to name, but are divided into the classes of solid, shaded, smoke, parti-color, tabby and bicolor. The newest class, bicolor, doubles the possible combinations. All these variables make for a bewildering array of possibilities, but some colors are more common than others. For example, solid ebony, pure white and some of the tabby patterns are popular. Because the Oriental is accepted in so many colors and patterns, breeders usually specialize in a few favorites.

Although at cat shows you will see only the variety of Oriental Longhair just described—the Extreme—two varieties exist, each with its own group of proponents. No matter which type you prefer, both make great pets. The Traditional Oriental Longhair is a medium to large cat with a rounder, more moderate body and head type. The body is long, substantial and solid, and is neither cobby nor svelte in type, nor in any way extreme. The cat presents a well-balanced appearance with all elements in proportion. The overall impression should be of a cat who is robust and muscular but also graceful and lithe. The head is rounded and broad compared to the Extreme, although it still has that distinctive Oriental look. The ears are alert, not overly large, medium in length, almost as wide at the base as they are tall and rounded at the tip. The fur is medium in length and lacks the downy undercoat. Like the Extreme, the Traditional is accepted in over 300 color and patterns.

According to Traditional Oriental Longhair fanciers, the Traditional is healthier than the Extreme and has fewer of the Extreme’s health concerns.