Although it is possible to mate various cats together and produce kittens which look more or less like Orientals, only certain matings will produce cats which can be registered and sold as Orientals.
Although it is possible to mate various cats together and produce kittens which look more or less like
Orientals, only certain matings will produce cats which can be registered and sold as Orientals.
Oriental Shorthairs, Oriental Longhairs, Oriental Bicolours, Balinese and Siamese are allowed in Oriental pedigrees. (The US Colorpoint Shorthairs are known here as Siamese). The Oriental Shorthair look-alikes produced from Oriental Longhair/Oriental Shorthair, Balinese/Oriental Shorthair or Oriental Longhair/Siamese crosses should be registered as Oriental Longhair Variants as should their descendants unless tested not to carry longhair.
Registration Policy for Oriental Shorthairs
other than the Foreign White
This registration policy applies to all Oriental Shorthair breeds which at present have Full, Provisional or Preliminary recognition with the exception of the Foreign White (SIA w 67). It shall also apply to any other breeds/colours of Oriental Shorthair which may be produced by a combination of the colour genes already recognised in Oriental Shorthairs.
When breeding Oriental Shorthairs every attempt should be made to select healthy cats to breed from, free from known hereditary diseases.
If a cat is known to have possessed the gene for Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), its progeny should be screened for PKD, either under the FAB/PKD scheme or by a reliable genetic test, before being used for breeding Oriental Shorthairs.
If practical and reliable genetic tests become available for Hepatic and/or Renal Amyloidosis, cats should be screened for this before being used for breeding Oriental Shorthairs in order to be aware of the extent of the problem.
If any hereditary disease, for which a practical and reliable test is available, becomes prevalent in Oriental Shorthairs, this Registration Policy may be amended to require testing for that particular disease before progeny may be registered on the Active Register, untested cats being registered on the Genetic register.
Breeds Permitted in the Pedigrees of
Oriental Shorthairs
A. ORIENTAL SHORTHAIRS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FOREIGN WHITE
Oriental Shorthairs are recognised in the following colours: black (brown) (n), blue (a), chocolate (b), lilac (c), red (d), black tortie (f), cream (e), apricot (em), blue tortie (g), chocolate tortie (h), lilac tortie (j), cinnamon (o), cinnamon tortie (q), caramel (m), caramel tortie (k), fawn (p) and fawn tortie (r) and the silver versions of all of these.
A.i. Standard Division: Havana (OSH b), Oriental Lilac (OSH c), Oriental Black (OSH n), Oriental Blue (OSH a), Oriental Red (OSH d), Oriental Cream (OSH e), Oriental Apricot (OSH em), Oriental Tortie (OSH f,g,h,k,q,r), Oriental Cinnamon (OSH o), Oriental Caramel (OSH m), Oriental Fawn (OSH p), Oriental Spotted Tabby (OSH standard colours 24), Oriental Classic Tabby (OSH standard colours 22), Oriental Mackerel Tabby (OSH b standard colours 23), Oriental Ticked Tabby (OSH standard colours 25).
A.ii. Silver Division: Oriental Smoke (OSH silver colours), Oriental Spotted Tabby (OSH silver colours 24), Oriental Classic Tabby (OSH silver colours 22), Oriental Mackerel Tabby (OSH silver colours 23), Oriental Ticked Tabby (OSH silver colours 25).
A.iii. Shaded Division: Oriental Shaded (OSH all colours, standard and silver 11).
B. UNRECOGNISED ORIENTAL SHORTHAIRS
Breeds which are not yet recognised at Preliminary level but which are produced by a combination of
the colour genes already recognised in Oriental Shorthairs are accepted in the pedigrees of Oriental
Shorthairs. If recognised, these would be placed in the appropriate division.
(NB Any breeds displaying white spotting (but not the piebald spotting which is the genetic basis
for bicolours), white gloving or the gene for Burmese colour restriction are excluded.)
C. SIAMESE
Siamese (SIA a-r, SIA a-r 21) are accepted in the pedigrees of Oriental Shorthairs.
D. SIAMESE OF UNRECOGNISED COLOURS
Pointed cats of any of the Oriental Shorthair colours described in A or B above, but which are not yet accepted as
Siamese, are accepted in the pedigrees of Oriental Shorthairs. e.g. Silver Tabby Point, Smoke Point etc.
For the purposes of this document these cats will be described as Siamese.
E. ORIENTAL BICOLOUR SHORTHAIRS
Oriental Bicolour Shorthairs of all colours and patterns are accepted in the pedigrees of Oriental Shorthairs.
Note. Shorthair non-bicolour offspring of bicolour matings will have been registered in the past on the reference register as "xxx point shorthair of Siamese type" or "xxx shorthair of Oriental type". These and Shorthair Oriental Bicolour Variants are to be considered as the appropriate colour and pattern of Siamese or Oriental Shorthair for the purpose of this registration policy.
F. i. ORIENTAL LONGHAIRS AND VARIANTS; BALINESE AND VARIANTS, ORIENTAL BICOLOUR LONGHAIRS
Oriental Longhairs and Oriental Longhair Variants of all colours and patterns except white; Balinese and Balinese Variants
of all colours and patterns and Oriental Bicolour Longhairs of all colours and patterns are accepted
in the pedigrees of Oriental Shorthairs, provided that the Oriental Shorthair has been shown by genetic
testing not to carry longhair.
F. ii. WHITE ORIENTAL LONGHAIRS AND ORIENTAL LONGHAIR VARIANTS
G. FOREIGN WHITES
H. WHITE CATS OF ORIENTAL TYPE
II. OTHER BREEDS
FOREIGN WHITES
OTHER WHITE CATS OF ORIENTAL TYPE
III. REGISTRATION POLICY
1. FULL REGISTER
2. SUPPLEMENTARY REGISTER
4. REFERENCE REGISTER - I
Cats of Oriental Shorthair appearance produced from matings between Foreign Whites and other Oriental
Shorthairs shall be registered on the Reference Register as "SH of Oriental type"
After five generations of matings to cats of breeds listed in section I above the resulting progeny
may be registered as Oriental Shorthairs on the Supplementary Register.
5. REFERENCE REGISTER - II
All other cats of Oriental Shorthair appearance which have in their pedigrees within the preceding
five generations any cats other than the breeds listed in section I above shall be registered on the
Reference Register as "no recognised breed" and with no progression, unless accompanied by a five-generation
pedigree showing no gloved, Burmese/Tonkinese coloured, Bengal, rex-coated or hair-deficient breeds,
together with an explanation of the reason for the outcross: this may be referred to the relevant
BAC before progeny may be registered as "SH of Oriental type".
NOTE 1: All Red, Cream or Apricot Orientals with one or more Tabby Point, Oriental Tabby or Oriental Shaded
parents must be registered as Red, Cream or Apricot Oriental Tabbies or Shadeds until proved otherwise. They may not
be registered as Oriental Selfs or Oriental Smokes until test matings or genetic testing have proved them to be free
of the agouti gene.
In the case of cats imported onto the GCCF register, no cat with a Tabby Point, Oriental Tabby or Oriental Shaded within
five generations may be registered as a Red, Cream or Apricot Self or Smoke unless either
NOTE 2: In the case of cats imported onto the GCCF register, no cat with an Oriental Longhair,
Oriental Longhair Variant, Balinese, Balinese Variant or Oriental Bicolour Longhair within five
generations may be registered as an Oriental Shorthair unless it is shown by genetic testing to be free
of any FGF5 mutation.
N.B.
(amended October 1996 with the recognition of Apricot as an Oriental colour
Copyright, including logo, © 1997 - 2013 Oriental Joint Breed Advisory Committee. All rights reserved.
White Oriental Longhairs and Oriental Longhair Variants are accepted in the pedigrees of Oriental
Shorthairs provided that the Oriental Shorthair has been shown by genetic testing not to carry longhair
and the line of descent from them is broken by a Siamese, Balinese, Balinese Variant, Pointed Oriental Longhair
or Pointed Oriental Longhair Variant.
The genetic test referred to above must show the cat to be free of any FGF5 mutation.
This may be either by a test of the cat itself, the result of which must be supplied with the
application for registration, or by the line of descent from any cat in this group being broken
by a cat which has been so tested.
Note. Longhair non-bicolour offspring of bicolour matings will have been registered in the past on the reference register as "xxx point longhair of Balinese type" or "xxx longhair of Oriental type".
These and Longthair Oriental Bicolour Variants are to be considered as the appropriate colour and pattern of Balinese or Oriental Longhair for the purpose of this registration policy.
Foreign Whites are accepted in the pedigrees of Oriental Shorthairs provided the line of descent from them is broken
by a Siamese.
White cats of Oriental type (including Foreign White) are accepted in the pedigrees of cats imported onto the GCCF register.
Foreign whites are not accepted in the pedigrees of Oriental Shorthairs except as allowed by (G) and (H) above.
Matings between Foreign Whites and other Oriental Shorthairs are not permitted.
Any progeny of Oriental Shorthair appearance will be registered on the Reference
Register as "SH of Oriental type". After five generations of matings to cats of groups
A, B, C, or D above, the resulting progeny may be registered as Oriental Shorthairs
on the Supplementary or Experimental Register, as appropriate.
White cats of Oriental type other than Foreign Whites are not accepted in the pedigrees
of Oriental Shorthairs except as allowed by (F.ii) and (H) above.
Oriental Shorthairs, with the exception of the Foreign White, with Full
recognition which have in their pedigrees within the preceding five generations only Oriental
Shorthairs of the same division as listed in A.i. to A.iii. above shall be registered on the
Full Register, with the exception of those cats whose pedigrees include within three generations
a cat registered on the Reference Register.
Oriental Shorthairs, with the exception of the Foreign White, with Full recognition
which have in their pedigrees within the preceding five generations only breeds listed in section I
above shall be registered on the Supplementary Register.
Oriental Shorthairs of breeds, such as those listed in B above, which do not yet have Preliminary recognition
but which have in their pedigrees within the preceding five generations only breeds listed in section I above,
shall be registered on the Reference Register but shall be eligible to be considered as registered on the
Supplementary Register in the event of Preliminary recognition of their breed.
Cats of Oriental Shorthair appearance produced from matings to other recognised breeds whose
Registration Policies permit Oriental Shorthairs as an outcross breed shall be registered as directed
by the Registration Policy for the other breed, but with no reference to Oriental type, and shall not
be permitted in the pedigrees of Oriental Shorthairs.
No cat may be registered as a Tabby or Shaded unless it has an agouti parent.
a. the cat has been proved by test matings or genetic testing to be non-agouti, or
b. there is a non-red, non-agouti cat breaking the line descending from the Tabby Point/Oriental Tabby/Shaded, or
c. a Red, Cream or Apricot cat in the line descended from the Tabby Point/Oriental Tabby/Shaded has been proved by test
matings or genetic testing to be non-agouti.
This ruling shall take effect from 26th April 1989, amended February 2014 and shall not be retrospective.
All suitable offspring of two Full Register parents shall themselves be registered on the Full Register.
All suitable offspring of two Supplementary or Experimental Register parents, or from one Full Register
and one Supplementary or Experimental Register parent, shall be registered on the Supplementary or
Experimental Register as appropriate. From 26th April 1989, amended February 2014 any kittens born from
parents of any breed not listed in groups A, B, C or D shall be registered as defined above.
amended February 2001 by addition of Apricot Point to C and note re imports
amended February 2005 by addition of notes re health and testing, Oriental Bicolours and amendments of Notes
amended June 2012 to allow Oriental Longhairs, Balinese and Oriental Bicolours in ancestry. Cats with longhair ancestry must be clear from Longhair.
amended February 2012 to allow non-Bicolours from Bicolour breeding in ancestry.
amended October 2015 to clarify status of Foreign Whites in ancestry, and to convert to GEMS breed codes.
amended February 2017 to allow white cats without limitations in the pedigrees of imports
These pages were brought up to date from the original by Julia May which is still accessible here:- 