Is Oriental Shorthair cats breed hypoallergenic, that’s one of the most asked questions by the fans of this breed. Before getting into are these cats hypoallergenic or not? Let’s get to learn about their appearance, characteristics, history, interesting facts, physical attributes, and living needs.
These are svelte cats with beautiful characteristics and a coat having a rainbow of colors, including approximately three hundred possible color combinations. Member of Siamese family of the cat breed (that also involves the Oriental Longhair, Siamese, and Balinese), Oriental shorthair Cats are athletic, vocal, and intelligent.
APPEARANCE
Technically, oriental shorthairs are medium-sized cats weighing 8 to 12 pounds, but their narrow, long frame makes them look much taller. This breed comes in virtually almost every hue from lavender and blue to ebony. It also has patterns including the smoke and tortoiseshell. And as suggested by their name, they have sleek coat, shiny, and short when regularly brushed. Moreover, these cats have got one of the most catchy faces you will see. The head is wedge-shaped and creates an impressive distribution of their facial features, along with almond eyes, prominent cheekbones, and a long nose.
BREED OVERVIEW
LENGTH: About one and a half feet long
WEIGHT: 8-10 pounds
COAT: Smooth and short
EYE COLOR: Blue, Green, gold, yellow; likely the odd-eyes
COAT COLOR: Various colors are possible; including shaded, solids, tabby, and smoke color combinations.
LIFE EXPECTANCY: 10-15 years
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR
FRIENDLINESS: High
AFFECTION LEVEL: High
PET-FRIENDLY: High
KID-FRIENDLY: High
EXERCISE NEEDS: Medium
ENERGY LEVEL: High
PLAYFULNESS: High
TENDENCY TO VOCALIZE: High
INTELLIGENCE: High
AMOUNT OF SHEDDING: Medium
ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR CATS HISTORY
These cats came from a crossbreeding of various different cat breeds. At the time of World War 2 wake, numerous breeds of domestic cats were in jeopardy. The breeders in England started introducing British shorthairs, Abyssinian, and Russain Blue into their lines to revive the Siamese. Non-pointed cats were the result that ultimately bred back to the Siamese cats. These subsequent crosses made Siamese-pointed cats that would grow on breed, having elegant and unique color combinations which became this cat breed’s foundation we recognize as oriental.
Firstly, every non-pointed color got a distinctive breed distinction, however, breeders realized very shortly that the gene pool of these kittens would end in a large number of color combinations. In order to make things simple, every non-pointed cat became recognized as Orientals.
In the 1970s, these Orientals were introduced to the US and fastly earned championship status from the CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) in 1977. This breed was simply a short-haired variety initially, but additional crossbreeding in the US gave rise to both the Oriental Longhair and Oriental Shorthair breed varieties. In 1995, the CFA gave championship status to the Oriental Longhair.
The crossbreeding in the US also expanded the coat color combinations of the cat, which led to about 300 colors and patterns varieties existing today. Because of their colorful coat, these Oriental are sometimes referred to as the rainbow cats.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR CATS
- They Are Smartest among All Cat Breeds
It’s difficult to pick the head of the class of cat breeds because of the stipulations in every breed, although many say that the smartest among all is Oriental Shorthair (if not the smartest) of every cat breed. These smart cats enjoy playtime, interaction, stimulation, and are inquisitive by nature.
- Oriental Shorthair Has got more patterns and Color Than Any Cat Breed
Having every color and pattern a person could possibly imagine, these cats have about 300 combos. Some are solid, others have stripes, however, every true Oriental share big expressive eyes, same angular face, limber lengthy bodies, and tall pharaoh-like ears. Despite their unique colors, there’s no mistaking the Oriental shorthair for any different breed given their unique appearance.
- They Are True Entertainers
This cat breed is extremely vocal, prefers to get attention, and always keeps you imagining what they will do next. These cats are an excellent choice for active families that love to give lots of attention and love to their cats since this is what this cat breed truly requires. Orientals don’t do great in conditions where they’re left alone frequently, as they want attention and they may even get depressed–much like the Siamese with which they share bloodlines.
- They’re Super Talkative
If you own an Oriental shorthair cat, you will agree with the fact that these kittens make no bones regarding grabbing and conversing your complete attention. If you are someone who loves the cat that keeps you guessing, yearns to be around you, and is dedicated to being your true companion, then Oriental shorthair is what exactly you are looking for!
LIVING NEEDS
An oriental shorthair can grow in both apartments and homes. The main living needs of these kittens align with their activity levels and social nature — Oriental shorthair cats always want a friend in sight and prefer to explore and play.
When an oriental shorthair is not by your side, he or she is probably stretching out on a cat tree or investigating to top of your refrigerator.
If you are often out of your home for long time periods, this is not the ideal arrangement for these kitties, they will get lonely! And if you are a homebody and love a peaceful environment, the elegant chipper chatter and honk of oriental shorthair may get a little over “extra” for your nature.
ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR WITH KIDS, OTHER CATS AND DOGS
An oriental shorthair is friendly as a social butterfly and gets along with kiddos and dogs well. However, you always should train your kids on how should they interact properly with animals and should supervise any pet with smaller children.
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES OF ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR
BODY
Body is Svelte and long. A unique mixture of firm muscles and fine bones. Hips and shoulders extend exactly the similar sleek lines of the tubular body. The hips aren’t usually wider than the shoulders. The neck is slender and long, and Abdomen is tight.
HEAD
In great proportion to the body, there’s a long long tapering wedge. The entire wedge begins at nose and spread out in the straight in line to tips of ears making a triangle, having no stop at whiskers. Not smaller than the width among the eyes. Whenever these whiskers (and the fact hair for Longhair Division) get smoothed back, and the underlying structure of bone becomes apparent. Skull is flat. The nose is straight and long. The forehead is continued without any breaks. Muscles are fine and wedge-shaped. The Chin is of medium size. The tip of the chin typically lines up with the tip of the nose on a similar vertical plane.
EARS
Ears are strikingly large, wide at base, pointed, and continue the lines of wedge.
EYES
Eyes are, medium-sized, almond-shaped. Neither recessed nor protruding. With lines of ears and wedge, eyes are tilted towards the nose in harmony. Uncrossed. Color is green; white blue and pointed; bi-color blue and white, odd-eyed or green.
PAWS & LEGS
The Hind legs are higher than the front ones. Legs and slim. In great proportion to the body. Paws are small, dainty, and oval. On the front, the toes are 5 and on the behind, they are 4.
COLOR
An Oriental comes in smoke, solid, shaded, bicolor, tabby, particolor color classes.Making about 300 pattern and color combinations, the reason for being of oriental is the color of coat.
TAIL
There’s an extended thin at base and reduced to a fine point. Longhair Division: hairs of the tail are spread out like a plume.
COAT: LONGHAIR
Silky, fine, without a downy undercoat, resting near to the body, this coat appears shorter than it actually is. The length is medium. Hairs are longest on the tail.
COAT: SHORTHAIR
Lying close to the body, short, glossy, or satin-like, fine-textured
Now, let’s get back to our main question, are these adorable kittens hypoallergenic and are they hypoallergenic to you and your partner?
IS ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR CAT HYPOALLERGENIC?
Happily, this question’s answer is yes. Not any cat is completely non-allergenic; but, this breed typically makes either very little or no allergies at all. Same as the Siamese cat, an oriental shorthair will possibly cause fewer allergens as compared to other cats.
The best reasons why Oriental Shorthair cats are known to be hypoallergenic include:
- Low shedding rate
- Low Fel d1 production rate
- Easy to maintain
- Have short hair
Overall Hypoallergenic Score of Oriental Shorthair cats: 7 out of 10
A wide range of allergies is caused by pets, including skin and breathing allergies. However, it actually depends on how sensitive you are. Some people own sensitive skin which makes them more likely to get dermatitis, while others have more risk of having breathing allergies from the inhaling allergens.
Thankfully, an oriental shorthair has a very low possibility of causing either.
IS ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR IS HYPOALLERGENIC FOR YOU?
Dead skin cells, hair, and saliva shed by these adorable creatures usually trigger cat allergies.
If you are extremely sensitive, even a hypoallergenic cat like the oriental shorthair can get you allergies. As written above, it actually depends on how sensitive you are.
Probability of Causing Skin Allergies: 3 out of 10
Probability of Causing Breathing Allergies: 4 out of 10
The most important thing for people with breathing issues to take care of is shedding. It is not only regarding the losing hair you will come in contact with. It is regarding the allergens caught in fur being released too.
As your cat sheds, Things like pollen dust, dander, and outdoor allergens can be released into your house.
Direct exposure cause skin allergies to substances having allergy-causing proteins like the Fel d1.
SYMPTOMS OF CAT ALLERGY
Cat allergy common symptoms include itching and swelling of membranes throughout the eyes and nose that drive to eye inflammation and a stuffy nose. Others develop rashes on the face, neck, and upper neck showing reaction to the allergen. If the cat allergens reach the lungs, they might mix with the antibodies and cause you symptoms like coughing, wheezing, and problem in breathing. Moreover, cat allergies might cause trigger chronic asthma and acute asthma attacks.
TREATMENT OPTIONS OF CAT ALLERGY
There are few treatment choices for those having cat allergies. Most common among them include:
- Over-the-counter decongestant sprays
- Corticosteroid nasal sprays such as Nasonx and Flonase
- Cromolyn sodium, that blocks the discharge of chemicals from the immune system and also reduces symptoms
- Antihistamines like Claritin, Benadryl, and Zyrtec
- Allergy or immunotherapy shots that help in desensitizing a person to allergens
- Nasal lavage to rinse nasal passage and also reduce sneezing and postnasal drip
- Probiotics and acupuncture
- Leukotriene inhibitors such as Singulair
DOES ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR CAT SHED VERY MUCH?
The answer to this one of the most asked questions by Oriental Shorthair owners is “No”. Oriental shorthair kittens shed very low, this is why they have a fewer likeness of affecting breathing allergies.
Same as the Siamese, these cats are not big shedders. Their short and sleek coats can also contribute to the lower levels of shedding.
Hair Length: 2 out of 10
Shedding Levels: 3 out of 10
The fur length of oriental Shorthair cats is short-medium and they sport a short and glossy coat lying near to their body. Therefore, you will not likely see the masses of hair at your house when they shed.
Moreover, with suitable grooming, you can, even more, overcome the level of their shedding.
DANDER AND SALIVA LEVELS OF ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR
If you have sensitive skin, you have more chances of getting affected by Fel d1, an allergy-causing protein that’s present in the dander, saliva, and urine of a cat. This protein is possibly the heart of allergic reactions for people who have skin allergies. When living with a cat of any breed, it is very difficult to prevent yourself from getting in contact with it. However, Oriental Shorthair is counted among those few breeds with that you might be protected as it makes less Fel d1 naturally than most of the other breeds.
Dander Levels: 2 out of 10
Saliva Exposure: 2 out of 10
The medium-sized body of Oriental Shorthair calls for a medium-high dander production flow. However, that’s not the case, this cat only got fewer Fel d1 levels and also has a very low production rate of dander.
Similar to most cats, the Oriental Shorthairs tends to lick themselves cleaned daily giving you the risk of getting your hands on their saliva. However, because of their low production rate of Fel d1, their drool has a very low possibility of producing allergies when trapped over their coat. You know what’s more interesting, these are fewer chances of these kittens spreading everywhere at your home as they don’t shed too much as well.
There are a lot of characteristics of Oriental Shorthair cats, making them relatively safe for most of the peoples. If you’re extremely sensitive to the cats, it is best to spend some time around this cat breed or play it safe before you commit to bringing it home.
TIPS FOR DECREASING CAT ALLERGIES
Typically, if we were rational and sane regarding our allergies, we’d stay far away from anything making us sick. A lot of us, however, are not rational and sane about pets, particularly our cats. Although symptoms of cat allergy never get away entirely, they’re manageable.
A basic fact to remember about the cat allergens is that they want to be airborne and you must breathe them in to have an allergic reaction for you to them. The Cat allergen is quite small therefore it stays suspended in the surrounding atmosphere for longer. Moreover, there’s a high recontamination rate (since these cats are usually running around your house). Following are some steps that will help you in preventing cat allergies.
- Keep cats out of your bedroom altogether.
Just close your bedroom door to keep these cat allergens down in your bedroom. The bedroom must be a protection from allergens. Therefore tempt your cat to rest and sleep somewhere else throughout the day.
- No more sleeping with them on your bed.
Sorry, that’s a little price to give for the relief of allergy. If you succeed in getting control of your symptoms, by every means, call them back, however, don’t forget to take some break while trying to reduce your symptoms.
- With some high-grade Vaccum cleaner, Vacuum up cat allergen twice weekly.
Vacuum flooring, walls, carpet, furniture, and chairs… everywhere. Use hand tools on Vacuum. Particles of cat allergen are quite invasive and small so you truly have to go through a complex job. The answer here is fine hand tools for your vacuum.
- Use vapor steam cleaners for cleaning your home.
Besides vacuuming, vapor steam cleaners are confirmed now by research that they help a lot to kill off the cat dander/proteins, which are embedded in the upholstery and carpets. Stean cleaners give a way of killing and cleaning bacteria, dust mites, mold spores, and the cat allergen
- At least two times a month, wash every bedding in 140-degree hot water
This eliminates the cat allergen as well as dust mite (because we understand that still some of you will allow them to sneak up on your bed now and then).
- Immediately wash your hands after touching your cat and don’t rub your eyes.
If you rub your eyes, it might cause itching in your eyes for some time. To prevent this problem, use some strong soap that’s anti-bacterial.
- Keep your cat clean.
Most people clean their cats in order to reduce cat allergen’s amount that’s released into the air from their cat, however, the research appears to be opposing of its effectiveness.
- Keep your cats in a single area of your house.
Some people might find this difficult but this at least prevents the spread of cat allergens and keep them to a place where you can focus your cleaning efforts and air purifier.
CARE FOR ORIENTAL SHORTHAIR
Oriental Shorthair is recognized as a good pet that is fun to observe and interact with. Oriental Shorthairs are outgoing and by nature, these kittens are gregarious. Unlike a lot of other cat breeds, these kittens may withdraw when they are left lonely for a lengthy period.
Oriental Shorthair is regarded as enjoying playing and interactive pet with human parents and family or other dogs and cats. It is usually recommended to check if Oriental own a furry companion. As reported by a lot of Oriental owners, when they get back home their cat usually greets them at the house door and will start to vocalize with many chirps and meows.
You should remember that the vocalization is a vital part of the personality of Oriental Shorthair, a quality shared among Siamese Family’s cats. These cats oftentimes express interest, despair, excitement, and more emotions with an array of vocal sounds.
Unlike other cat breeds that are stranger-shy, most of the Orientals love getting in contact with new people and will actively ask for their attention by sitting on their lap. Occasionally, an oriental gets fixated on a person and might get more evasive on mixing with other people, however, this is more of an exception than the rule.
Oriental shorthairs can learn tricks, and when they are trained at a young age they are able to walk on a harness, and may also take pleasure in playing fetch. Moreover, they have an excellent vertical and usually love perching on the high spots(such as the top of your cabinets, refrigerator, or bookshelves) to have your eye on the activity down below.
A silky smooth coat lying near to body accents the angular face of the breed, long legs, and wide-set ears. This coat is low-maintenance, having the cat doing an exceptional self-grooming job. But, your cat might love when you brush occasionally to stimulate his/her skin and remove loose hairs.
