Oriental Longhair: Size, Weight, Lifespan, Personality Special Info

An outgoing, friendly personality plus a silky, luxurious coat: are just two things that make the Oriental Longhair cat stand out! These adorable – and lovable – cats share many traits with their Oriental Shorthair cousins ​​and other Oriental cats: they are playful, intelligent, and more social than the average cat, with an innate need for attention.

Bring an Oriental Longhair cat into your home, and you will have a friend for life. These cats love nothing more than following their favorite person’s every move, poking curious noses into everything from the refrigerator to the bathtub, and reaching out to tap with paws whenever anything looks out of place.

Not only do Oriental Longhairs use body language to express themselves, but they also have the ability to develop an impressive vocabulary of meows, trills, and chirps in keeping with their Siamese heritage. These gregarious cats are opinionated and love to engage in conversation.

When it comes to companionship, the Oriental Longhair cat has some special needs. These cats do not do well at all when they are left alone for too long; In fact, they can become severely distressed or develop destructive habits if they are deprived of the ability to socialize.

While they choose a favorite human to follow and snuggle with, they are happy to make friends with other family members, including four-legged and furry ones. Another social cat or friendly dog ​​makes an ideal companion for the Oriental Longhair, especially if you are someone who spends some time away from home.

As cats go, Oriental Longhairs are definitely more affectionate than most. If your family wants at least one wonderful cuddle companion, this breed is more than capable of lending a paw.

• Origin: United Kingdom
• Lifespan: 10 – 15 years
• Weight: 2.3 – 4.5kg
• Size: Medium
• Length: Up to 18 inches
• Colors: They come in all colors, patterns, and eye colors

Breed Characteristics

Like its well-known ancestor the Siamese, the Oriental Longhair is full of personality—and not shy about showing it. These cats are vocal and enjoy interacting with people. While they are very outgoing, they have a good nature that prevents them from being aggressive or too annoying (mostly).

They are energetic and curious, so they especially like to play games with their housemates. People often prefer, but Oriental Longhairs also appreciate the companionship of other cats and gentle dogs.

Affection Level: High	Friendliness: Medium
Kid-Friendly: High	Pet-Friendly: High
Exercise Needs: Medium	Playfulness: High
Energy Level: High	Intelligence: High
Tendency to Vocalize: High	Amount of Shedding: Medium

History

Thanks to breeders’ goal of developing every possible combination of coat colors and patterns in a single breed, Oriental Longhairs are one of the most diverse cat breeds in the world.

Cat breeding saw a dramatic decline during World War II. As breeders resumed after the war, they experimented with unique crosses that gave rise to many modern cat breeds—including the Oriental Longhair.

In the 1950s, breeders crossed Russian Blues, British Shorthairs, Abyssinians, and regular domestic cats with Siamese. These litters were then bred with Siamese, producing pointed and non-pointed kittens. In just a few generations, these cats were indistinguishable from Siamese except for their color.

And from this breeding, the non-pointed cats formed the foundation of the Oriental breed.

Initially, different colored cats had unique breed names. But when the number of colors continued to grow, breeders decided to combine all non-pointed cats into one breed – the Oriental.

Orientals come in both short and long coat lengths. Longhair alone comes in hundreds of different color and pattern combinations. So, there will be an oriental longhair that appeals to everyone.

Appearance

The Oriental Longhair looks like a Siamese, with a triangular head, large ears, and almond-shaped eyes. But, longhairs have slimmer and more slender bodies with long, plumed tails.

The breed is also known for its wide range of coat colors and patterns. At nearly 300 variations, the Oriental longhair offers significantly more variety than any other breed except its short-haired counterpart.

Temperament

Oriental Longhairs are social—and sometimes demanding—cats that thrive on human companionship. They do well in homes where they can bond with plenty of other pets or people (including children).

Orientals like to be where the action is, and they’re not shy about letting you know when they want more attention. Extremely vocal, they are known to follow their humans around the house, having (sometimes one-sided) conversations. They don’t like to be left alone – and can cause mischief when they are. Therefore, many people get pairs of orientals to entertain each other.

These cats retain their kitten-like attitude throughout their lives. They love to play and often have a favorite toy. They can also learn to play fetch or participate in cat agility. Tall cat trees are a must for this intelligent, agile, and curious breed.

After an active day, Orientals love to curl up on a warm bed or in the lap of their favorite person.

Personality

Like their Siamese ancestors, the Oriental Longhair is a lively, elegant, and intelligent cat with a high level of energy and curiosity. They bond well with family members and thrive on attention and affection.

This is a very active cat, who enjoys watching over and being ‘helpful’, in other words, getting in on your business, no matter what you’re doing! They are slightly less chaotic and loud than Siamese, but these are still a lot of cats to handle, and one cannot be left unsupervised for long!

Health Problems

Oriental Longhairs are generally considered a healthy breed, but there are some genetic conditions that can affect this breed, including:

Kinked Tails and Crossed Eyes: These are quirks inherited from their Siamese relatives. Neither symptom is harmful, but crossed eyes can affect your cat’s visual acuity, making him vulnerable to injury—especially if he goes outside.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy: This is a progressive degenerative condition that eventually leads to blindness.

Liver amyloidosis: In this condition, the amyloid protein accumulates in the liver, and this reduces function and can lead to liver failure.

Care

Much of what you can do at home to keep your cat happy and healthy is common sense, just as it is for people. Pay attention to her diet, make sure she gets plenty of exercise, brush her teeth and coat regularly, and call us or an emergency pet hospital when anything seems unusual.

Be sure to follow the schedule of exams and vaccinations we recommend for your pet. During your cat’s exams, we will perform her necessary “check-ups” and test for diseases and conditions that are common at OLH.

Another very important step in taking care of your pet is signing her up for pet health insurance. There will certainly be medical tests and procedures that she will need throughout her life, and pet health insurance will help you cover those costs.

Best Food For

• Hill’s Prescription Diet y/d Chicken Flavor Dry Cat Food
• Hill’s Science Diet Adult Chicken Recipe Cat Food
• Hill’s Science Diet Adult Healthy Cuisine Roasted Chicken & Rice Medley Cat Food
• Hill’s Science Diet Adult Healthy Cuisine Seared Tuna & Carrot Medley Cat Food

Feeding

Every cat is unique and each has its own unique likes, dislikes, and needs when it comes to food. However, cats are carnivores and every cat must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food.

The amount of these nutrients varies based on age, lifestyle, and overall health, so it’s no surprise that a growing, energetic kitten needs a different balance of nutrients in its diet than a less active senior cat.

Other things to keep in mind include feeding the right amount of food to maintain an ‘ideal body condition’ according to dietary guidelines and catering to individual preferences regarding wet or dry food recipes.

Grooming

The Oriental Longhair has a single-layer coat that is medium length rather than long; In fact, these cats look positively short-haired when placed next to Persians and other very long-haired cats. You don’t need to brush too much, just offer once a day to help remove any loose hair and keep shedding to a minimum.

Frequent brushing can also reduce the frequency of hairball buildup, so you’re doing yourself and your cat a favor when you treat him to a grooming session.

As they are, these cats are also hardworking. Regular toenail trims can help protect your furniture from damage. Last but not least, consider brushing your cat’s teeth at least a few times a week. Teach your kitten to accept a small toothbrush and some cat-friendly toothpaste and they’ll enjoy a lifetime of dental health.

Training

The high intelligence of the Oriental Longhair makes them easy to train. They can pick up new commands easily, and they have a strong need to please their owner, which is a unique trait for cats.

With a little patience, you can teach your Oriental Longhair to do anything from playing fetch to walking. They see training sessions as an opportunity to bond and spend time with their favorite man, so take advantage of it!

Litter training this cat breed takes some effort. Many kittens are potty trained on their first exposure to the litter box; Their mothers often teach them before they go home to their permanent families.

Exercise

Oriental Longhair cats are extremely playful. They (and you) will benefit if you offer at least a tall cat tree, a window seat or two, and a nice scratching post in every room.

Without these essentials and a good collection of toys, these cats will jump and climb on every piece of furniture you own, and they’ll find all kinds of things to play with: your toothbrush, those earrings you accidentally left on the nightstand, and your Collecting favorites is considered fair game.

Adoption center

Finding a reputable breeder will help ensure that your kitten is healthy and well-socialized when you bring it home. Make sure you do a ton of research before deciding if the Oriental Longhair is the right cat for you (remember, this is a very vocal breed). Talk to other owners, breeders, and breed clubs to get more information.

A good place to start your research is through the Cat Fanciers Association‘s list of accredited breeders.

Adopting a cat can be very rewarding, so you can try reaching out to your local shelter or searching Petfinder for Oriental Longhairs. While these purebred cats are not extremely common, you never know when one will be abandoned and in need of a home.

See More Cat Breeds For Further Research

• Nebelung
• American Bobtail

FAQs

Oriental longhair price in India

How much does an oriental longhair cat cost? An Oriental Longhair cat can cost between $400 and $2,000, depending on whether it is considered pet quality or breeding quality.

Are Oriental cats friendly?

The Oriental is an intelligent, loving, and loyal cat that loves its human family very much and will get along with almost anyone as long as they are respected.

Are Oriental Longhairs hypoallergenic?

They are considered non-allergenic cats, but it is still a good practice to groom your Oriental frequently to keep scratching to a minimum. An Oriental’s personality is as distinctive as its coat.

Do Oriental longhair cats shed?

Do Oriental Longhair Cats Shed? Oriental Longhairs are long-haired cats, so you should expect a certain amount of shedding from this breed, but they don’t shed as much as other cat breeds.

How rare is a long-haired cat?

It is estimated that 1 in 10 domestic cats in the US is a domestic longhair. That’s a ton of fuzzy cats. And given their incredible population, it’s inevitable that you’ll see plenty of fully domesticated longhair cats at your local shelter.