Oriental Cat Breed Guide

May 02, 2024

Talkative | Boisterous | Colourful. Oriental cats don’t just settle for being your BFF, they want to be the centre of your world. They’re confident and demanding of affection and not scared to tell you how they feel. Read on to learn more about their ancestry, infectious purrsonality and their specific feeding requirements.

ORIENTAL CAT BASICS

Average Lifespan: 12 - 18 years

Average Weight: 2.5 - 4.5kg

Coat Length: Short and Long

Colouring: Over 300 different colours and combinations

Shedding: Low

WHAT IS THE ANCESTRY OF THE ORIENTAL CAT?

In the wake of WW2, many cat breeds were close to extinction in the UK as breeders were few and far between. One of these breeds was the widely popular Siamese. In order to keep this breed going in the UK, breeders started to outcross Siamese cats with Russian blues, British shorthairs, Abyssianians and domestic shorthairs. The result was a cat that looked exactly like a Siamese but with an array of marvellous colours. At first, the different coloured cats were separated into their own breeds including the chocolate brown Havana cat and the snowy foreign white cat. However, when so many different colours became possible (more than 300 different colours and combinations!), they all became grouped under the banner of the Oriental breed.

WHAT DOES AN ORIENTAL CAT LOOK LIKE?

Other than the colour of their coat, Oriental cats look almost identical to Siamese cats. They have elegant slender bodies and long legs that sit atop dainty paws. They have long whip-like tails which they swish from side to side, sometimes knocking things off tables to get the attention of their hoomans. Their ears are exceptionally large and their face is also long and wedge-shaped. Orientals can have both short and long hair, with the latter known as the Javanese cat in some cat registries. With over 300 different colours and combinations there’s sure to be one of these rainbow cats for any preference.

WHAT IS THE PURRSONALITY OF THE ORIENTAL CAT?

Oriental cats are confident and boisterous kitties. They love being the centre of attention and see themselves as the ruler of the roost. They’re chatty and aren’t afraid to speak their mind, interjecting into conversations particularly if those convos are about them. Oriental cats love to play and although they’re highly intelligent, simple DIY cat toys or an empty cardboard box is enough to keep them occupied for hours.

As these cats are very sociable, they don’t do well if left alone for long periods and are better suited to families with other floofs that they can boss around and play with whilst their pawrents aren’t home.

DO ORIENTAL CATS LIKE TO CUDDLE?

Oriental cats crave attention and affection so make great cuddle buddies. If you’re after a floof to spoon at night under the covers the Oriental cat is for you.

ORIENTAL CAT FEEDING REQUIREMENTS

Oriental cats are unfortunately linked to some heritable cat diseases including flat-chested kitten syndrome, an eye problem known as progressive retinal atrophy which can cause blindness in cats, and hepatic amyloidosis which affects the liver. These can all be tested for by your vet so if you have any concerns make sure to consult with them.

To help fight against eye disease, choose a cat food with zinc and vitamin E which helps to maintain the health of Oriental cats’ eyes. B vitamins are also essential for keeping your cat’s liver healthy, so look for cat food with high-quality chicken or turkey so that your Oriental cat will be getting adequate levels of this essential vitamin.

All cats are obligate carnivores and need a diet high in animal meat to thrive. They absolutely can’t be vegan as they poorly digest plants and need to source 11 essential amino acids mostly from animal protein. Therefore look for cat foods with a high percentage of named animal meat to ensure you’re giving your Oriental cat the best.

SCRUMBLES, THE PAWFECT FOOD FOR ORIENTAL CATS

Looking for nutritionally dense cat food for your Oriental cat that won’t dent your wallet or cost the planet? Look no further than our delicious range of gut-friendly cat food!

Here’s why you and your Oriental cat will love our recipes:

Nutritionally Balanced + Up To 77% Real Meat: Our complete dry cat food and wet cat food recipes contain the purrfect blend of essential vitamins and nutrients that Oriental cats need to thrive. We pack our recipes with at least 60% responsibly sourced human-grade poultry or fish to provide Oriental cats with the 11 essential amino acids they need to maintain their general health
Eye and Liver Health: Our Salmon Dry Cat Food contains Vitamin E and Zinc to maintain your cat’s superhuman vision, and our Meat Cat Food in Jelly is loaded with 60% chicken, duck or turkey so is bursting with B vitamins to keep your Oriental cat’s liver in fighting shape.
Added Gut-Nourishing Goodness: Say goodbye to stinky farts and tummy upsets and hello to pretty poopies! We use prebiotics or probiotics in our recipes to improve digestibility and nourish your Oriental cat’s tummy.
We Leave Out Unnecessary B.S: You’ll never see any common allergens in our recipes. We also leave out the B.S. like unnecessary added sugar, salt or artificial additives and preservatives which upset Oriental cats’ tummies and are downright unhealthy for them.
Climate Friendly: Scrumbles is dedicated to leaving the planet in a better way than what we found it. That’s why we use eco-friendly packaging, source all of our meat ethically, and are proud to be certified B-Corp.