A Siamese-type cat in a striking white-patched coat — as loud, athletic and relentlessly involved in your business as any of its Oriental relatives.
- Origin
- United States / United Kingdom
- Category
- shorthair
- Lifespan
- 12–15 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Weight
- 3–5 kg
- Coat
- Short, fine and close-lying (a longhair variety also exists)
- Colours
- Any Oriental colour broken with clear white patches
😺 Temperament
🏡 Best suited to
📊 Personality ratings
📜 History & origin
The Oriental Bicolour was developed from the 1980s onward by crossing Oriental Shorthairs with bicolour cats to introduce the white spotting gene into the Oriental group, while retaining the long, elegant Siamese body type. British breeders pursued the variety in parallel, and it gained recognition as a distinct variety from the GCCF and later from TICA. Because the white spotting is dominant, breeding programmes could establish the pattern relatively quickly, and the breed now appears in the full Oriental colour range, in both short and long coats.
🧼 Care & grooming
The short coat asks almost nothing beyond an occasional rubber-glove groom. Everything else about this cat asks a great deal: it needs daily interactive play, climbing space, puzzle feeders and, ideally, company. These are cats that follow their people from room to room, comment on proceedings at length, and become genuinely unhappy if left alone for long working days — many do best in pairs.
🩺 Health notes
Oriental-type cats share the health profile of the Siamese. Progressive retinal atrophy occurs in some lines and can be DNA-tested for, as can pyruvate kinase deficiency; amyloidosis affecting the liver has been reported, and dental disease is common enough to justify a serious home-brushing routine. Choose a breeder who tests, and budget for regular dental care.