Oriental Shorthair Cat Breed Information
Also known as: Oriental, Foreign Shorthair
Genetically a Siamese in non-pointed colours. Lean, leggy, large-eared, vocal, and one of the most colour-and-pattern-diverse pedigree breeds (over 300 recognised colours and patterns).
A highly affectionate, highly trainable, great with young children cat. On the practical side: low grooming demands and minimal drool. The trade-off is vocal.
About the Oriental Shorthair.
The Oriental Shorthair is genetically a Siamese in non-pointed colours. Body type, personality, vocal habits and care needs are identical to the Siamese; the breed exists to give buyers the option of a solid, tabby, tortoiseshell, smoke or bi-colour cat with the Siamese build and temperament. Over 300 colour and pattern combinations are recognised.
Personality and behaviour
Oriental Shorthairs are loud, active, demanding and trainable. They greet visitors at the door, follow their humans around the house, and use their voice to demand food, attention and door opening. The breed is intensely people-bonded and miserable when alone for a working day.
Trainability is among the highest of any cat breed. Clicker work, fetch, harness walking and tricks are all routine. The breed is athletic, climbs everything, and benefits from a vertical orientation in the home.
Care and grooming
Coat care is among the easiest of any pedigree cat. A weekly rub with a chamois or rubber mitt covers the small amount of shed.
The bigger care item is mental and social. Plan on 30 to 45 minutes of structured play daily and a second cat for households with regular working hours.
Indoor vs outdoor in New Zealand
Indoor or catio. As with the Siamese, the breed is friendly to strangers, conspicuous, valuable and not street-aware. Prey drive is moderate, so the SPCA NZ containment case applies.
Where to find an Oriental Shorthair in New Zealand
The NZCF and Catz Inc breeder directories list NZ-registered breeders (NZCF Oriental Shorthair, Catz Inc Oriental Shorthair). Expect a three to seven month waitlist, NZD 1,200 to 2,800. Many NZ Oriental breeders also produce Siamese and Balinese kittens within the same lines.
Insurance and lifetime cost
The claim profile mirrors the Siamese: dental disease, asthma, occasional cancers in middle to late life, and breed-line amyloidosis. Lifetime cost mid-range for a pedigree cat at $250 to $400 a month all-in.
The Oriental Shorthair, by the numbers.
Each trait scored 1 to 5 on the AKC scale. The verdict synthesises the data; the panels below show the strengths, group averages, and the full trait table.
Top strengths
Family Life
avg 4.3Affectionate with Family
Good with Young Children
Good with Other Pets
Physical
avg 1.0Shedding
Grooming Frequency
Social
avg 3.3Openness to Strangers
Playfulness
Adaptability
Independence
Personality
avg 4.8Trainability
Energy Level
Vocal Level
Prey Drive
Mental Stimulation Needs
Living with a Oriental Shorthair.
A 24-hour breakdown of how this breed's day typically goes, scaled to its energy, mental-stimulation, and grooming needs.
What a Oriental Shorthair costs to own.
An indicative NZ lifetime cost: purchase, setup, then food, vet, insurance, grooming and other annual outgoings. Adjust the inputs to see how your choices change the total.
A Oriental Shorthair costs about
$144per month
$33
$5
$26,422
Adjust the inputs:
Where the monthly cost goes
Food
$40 / mo
$475/yr · breed-appropriate dry & wet food
Insurance
$35 / mo
$418/yr · lifetime cover protects against breed-specific claims
Vet (avg)
$44 / mo
$530/yr · routine checks plus breed-specific risk
Grooming
$0 / mo
$0/yr · brushes, shampoo, professional clips
Other
$25 / mo
$300/yr · toys, treats, dental, boarding
Indicative NZ averages calculated from breed weight, grooming need and screened-condition count. One-off costs (purchase $2,000 + setup $300) are factored into the lifetime total but not the monthly figure.
How does the Oriental Shorthair compare?
This breed
Oriental Shorthair
$26,422
14-year lifetime cost
- Purchase + setup$2,300
- Food (lifetime)$6,650
- Vet (lifetime)$7,420
- Insurance (lifetime)$5,852
- Grooming (lifetime)$0
- Other (lifetime)$4,200
Reference
Average NZ cat
$23,600
14-year lifetime cost
- Purchase + setup$500
- Food (lifetime)$7,000
- Vet (lifetime)$5,600
- Insurance (lifetime)$5,600
- Grooming (lifetime)$1,400
- Other (lifetime)$3,500
A Oriental Shorthair costs about $2,822 more over a lifetime than the average nz cat, mostly highervet and higherpurchase + setup.
What to ask the breeder.
Reputable NZ cat breeders test for these conditions and share results. The bigger health drivers for the breed appear in the Common group.
Common
1 conditionDental disease
Slender jaw and crowded teeth as in Siamese.
Occasional
2 conditionsHeritable conditions shared with Siamese
Amyloidosis, PRA, asthma and dental disease all reported in lines shared with Siamese.
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
An occasional condition in the Oriental Shorthair. Worth asking about.
The Oriental Shorthair in NZ.
- Popularity: A consistent NZ pedigree breed, smaller in numbers than Siamese but actively bred through Catz Inc and NZCF.
- Typical price: NZ$1200–2800 from registered breeders or rescues
- Rescue availability: rare
- NZ climate fit: Lean coat handles all NZ regions; provide warm sleeping spots in Otago and Southland winters.
- Living space: Apartments work well in two-cat households. Houses with vertical climbing space suit best.
Who the Oriental Shorthair is for.
Suits
- Households home most of the day, or running two cats
- Owners who want a Siamese personality with non-pointed colour options
- People wanting a vocal, interactive, dog-like cat
Less suited to
- Long-hours-out single-cat households
- Owners wanting a quiet cat
- Outdoor-roaming setups
Common questions.
Is an Oriental Shorthair the same as a Siamese?
Will an Oriental Shorthair tolerate being alone?
How many colours does the breed actually come in?
If the Oriental Shorthair appeals, also consider.
Breeds with a similar profile that might suit your household.
Siamese
Slender, blue-eyed colourpoint cat from Thailand. Among the most vocal and people-bonded breeds in the world. Smart, demanding, and a poor fit for households where the cat is alone all day.
Balinese
The longhaired Siamese, with the same body type, colourpoint pattern, intense vocal personality and trainability as the Siamese itself. The longhair gene is recessive and appears occasionally in Siamese litters.
Tonkinese
A deliberate cross between Siamese and Burmese, the Tonkinese sits between its parent breeds in colour, build and temperament. Active, vocal, demanding, and a fixture in NZ Catz Inc and NZCF breeder lists.
Last reviewed:
Sources for this pageInformation only. Breed traits and health notes on this page are aggregated from public registry and breed-authority sources. Individual animals vary; this page is general information, not veterinary, behavioural, or insurance advice. Always consult a registered NZ vet or breeder for guidance specific to your situation.