Cats of this breed must surely be among the friendliest and most affectionate of cats. They are affectionate to an extreme.

Curious, intelligent and playful, the Oriental whether shorthaired or long haired love exploring their environment.

Shoes, drawers, desks, cupboards...not a thing in the house will be left alone. When you have an Oriental at home, make sure that there are plenty of toys to play with and space to explore.

Make sure that plug points and the wiring are attended to because cats of this breed are curious to a fault.

With their origins in the Siamese breed Orientals come in an astounding range of over 300 different colours and patterns.

With tall, slender legs, large ears, almond eyes, a thin, long tail, short hair and elongated body, the Oriental is charming.

The long haired Oriental has a silky coat, goatee and a plumed tail.

Acceptable eye colours include green while for the whites it includes - blue, green and odd eyes and pointed Orientals have blue eyes. For other colours, hazel and amber eyes are also allowed.

Points for disqualification include crossed eyes, incorrect eye color, malocclusion severe enough to affect breathing, palpable and/or visible protrusion of the cartilage at the end of the sternum, emaciation, lockets, buttons, visible tail kink, extra toes and severe emaciation or sign of poor health.

For the long haired Oriental an additional point for disqualification includes a double coat i.e. a downy undercoat.