Bred to combine Siamese lines with traditional solid colors, this cat is highly curious and loves to explore its surroundings.
Solid-colored Oriental Shorthairs were developed in the 1950s, initially by crossing Siamese with other shorthaired cats to eliminate the typical Siamese colorpoint pattern. The first of the Oriental Shorthairs had coats in a rich dark shade of brown and were known as Havanas.
In later years, these cats were used to develop a separate breed, called the Havana Brown, in the United States. Decades of further selective breeding introduced a wide range of other solid colors to the Oriental Shorthair, starting with a dilute version of the Havana referred to as lilac in the UK and lavender in the US.
Origin: UK, 1950s
Breed registries: CFA, FIFe, GCCF, TICA
Weight range: 9–14lb (4–6.5kg)
Grooming: Weekly
Colors and patterns: Colors include brown (known as Havana), ebony, red, cream, lilac, and blue.