| Country of Origin: | United States of America |
| Colors: | White, Blue, Ebony, Cream, Red, Brown, Frost, Platinum, Fawn, Chocolate, Chestnut, Cinnamon, Lavender, Champagne, Seal |
| Average Size: | Weight: : 8-12 lbs ( 3.6 – 5.4 kg) Length: Medium |
| Life Span: | 8-12 yrs |
| Coat: | Bicolor |
| Personality: | True extroverts with a loving and affectionate nature |
| Characteristics: | Energy: Active Talkative: High Kid Friendly: Yes Allergic: No |
The first Oriental Bicolor cats were created by Lindajean Grillo, even though some experimental breeding took place in the 1970s and 1980s in the UK. Lindajean carried out a series of mating between Bicolor American Shorthair cats and Siamese cats. After that she chose the best bicolor kitten from the litter to later use it to mate back to Orientals or Siamese cats to regain type. This cat breed was recognized by TICA in 1983.
In the Netherlands and France, during the 1980s, some breeders initiated their Oriental Bicolour breeding lines. In the initial outcross, a white/red Moroccan street cat was used and later Cornish Rex cats in black and white color. For the breeders, it was very important to use different lines and to mate bicolor to bicolor in order to obtain a higher proportion of white patterns on the coat.
During the 2003, Bicolor Oriental Shorthair cats were granted championship recognition by FIFE. These are oriental type cats, and can be shorthaired or longhaired. These cats can be of any color which includes colourpoint. That means that they will have white areas on their coat as a result of white spotting gene.
Some organizations will register Oriental Bicolours in a different way. For example, some will register the Bicolour Siamese and Bicolour Oriental Shorthair separately. Permitted outcrosses are Oriental Longhair, Oriental Shorthair, Balinese and Siamese. However, all offspring will be registered as Oriental Bicolour.
Oriental Bicolour cats have a long and slender body, triangular shape of the head and wide set ears. They have green eyes, but colourpoint types have blue eyes. Their coat is sleek and glossy and they don’t have a thick undercoat. It is also important to note that the defining feature of Oriental Bicolor cats is that they always have white spotting and this is caused by a dominant white spotting gene.
These cats are very affectionate, playful and intelligent. Occasional grooming is necessary, especially with longhaired types of this cat breed.
