History
Oriental Cat is a native of Thailand. But the cat that we see today is not a direct import from Thailand, but rather a Siamese hybrid developed in the 1950s and 1960s. Breeders wanted a cat that looked and acted like a Siamese but that came in a wider range of colors. In the 1950s British breeders crossed Siamese cats with domestic shorthairs and Russian Blues. In the late 1960s American breeders, fascinated with the British Orientals crossed Siamese, domestic shorthairs, and Abyssinians to create a new look. In 1972 the CFA accepted the Oriental Shorthair for registration, and granted full Championship status in 1977.
The Oriental Longhair was developed in the late 1970s by breeders who crossed the Oriental Short-hair with the Balinese. The breed achieved official recognition in 1985 when TICA accepted them for Championship status, and they were accepted for registration by the CFA in February, 1988. In 1996 in the CFA, the Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair breeds were combined into one breed division simply called Oriental.

Appearance
Oriental is similar to Siamese but differs in the sense that it comes in a variety of colors. Unlike the Siamese that comes in only four colors and one pattern, the Oriental is available in over 300 color and pattern combinations. Solid ebony is the most common color.

Personality
Orientals are natural entertainers full of enthusiasm and energy. They demand full attention. They are very sensitive and easily hurt, if ignored. They usually bond with one person and become extremely devoted and dependent upon their chosen human.