Friendliest and most aggressive cat breeds

The friendliest cat breed is said to be the Oriental and Siamese both long and short haired. This is according to a University of Helsinki study in which they questioned the owners of about 4000 purebred cats living in Finland. They admit that when you assess cat personality through a questionnaire you don't necessarily obtain accurate information because subjectivity can distort the results.  Although they did their best to make the results as accurate as possible:

For validation, we studied the internal consistency, test–retest reliability, inter-rater reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity of this questionnaire and extracted factors.

The Burmese ranks highly in friendliness too. They friendliest originate in the Far East - coincidentally?

Friendly Oriental Shorthair. Photo: Helmi Flick.

I will also add that it is difficult to label an entire cat breed with a clear personality because by and large breeders don't breed for personality but for appearance. That said, it is known that Siamese cats or those cats within the Siamese family, as I call them, are vocal and interactive. If a domestic cat wants to interact, they have to be called friendly. Cats of the Siamese cat family are like this. They can be quite demanding and have loud voices. 

ASSOCIATED PAGE: Information on cat behavior – 13 snippets

But sadly, the Turkish Van has been branded the most aggressive cat breed by quite a margin by this group of scientists (but how big is the difference?). Once again there has to be a caveat against their conclusions. I suggested in an earlier post that it is possible that the human participants in this study all bought their Turkish Van cats from the same breeder. And what if that breeder had a foundation male cat who was a little bit aggressive but a beautiful specimen in terms of appearance. That would distort the results. Or perhaps the same male foundation cat's offspring were all used by various breeders in Finland. That, too, would have the same effect. I'm just suggesting that distortions in these sorts of surveys can occur and I'm sure the scientists would go along with that.

Aggressive Turkish Van? No, but perhaps in comparison to the more friendly Siamese and Oriental. Photo: Helmi Flick.

However, I have read in the past, in a different study as I recall, that the Turkish Van has this reputation. It's interesting in one way to because I believe that the Turkish Van and Turkish Angora are the same cat. I believe that the cat fancy split one Turkish cat into two breeds. On that basis you would have thought that the Turkish Angora will also be aggressive but it is not listed in that way in the study.

There is difficulty in assessing a cat's personality in any case. The circumstances under which they live affects their behaviour and therefore the assessment of personality. A breeder can alter personality through selective breeding. This is a cat's personality being affected by inherited genes. But personality is also affected by environmental conditions and experiences. For example, a Turkish Van living in a slightly difficult human environment where the owner perhaps is not there a lot of the time and there are other cats, one of which might be a bully, would result in that individual Turkish Van presenting a less appealing personality to their owner.

ASSOCIATED PAGE: Siamese Cat Behavior Problems

I believe that when assessing cat personality, you have to do it on a cat-by-cat basis and in a good environment from the cat's perspective to ensure that you bring out the best in them. I don't know whether these conditions were wholly met by this study. I doubt it. The strength of the study is that they looked at 4000 cats or more. That's a large number and therefore some of these wrinkles that I have mentioned might have been ironed out to a certain extent. Therefore, the study has some value.

The friendliness of the cats of the Siamese cat family squares up with the views of Gloria Stephens who wrote the book Legacy of the Cat. She knows cats very well particularly cat breeds because she was a show judge. Her views validate the conclusions of the scientist. But I would make your own mind up on whether the Turkish Van is aggressive. I think that you will find many very friendly examples of this breed. But as for the Siamese, Oriental Shorthair, Oriental longhair, Balinese and Burmese, you'll find that they are friendly. But are they any more friendly than many other individual cats of other breeds or non-purebred cats?

That's an issue which needs to be mentioned briefly. If you're talking about friendliness and aggressiveness in individual cats, you will find millions of fantastically friendly shelter cats waiting to be adopted. You don't need to go to a breeder and rely on her and fork out $1000. You can pay the far cheaper shelter adoption fee and probably find an individual cat which is more friendly than even the friendliest of Siamese cats.

There is one last point that comes to my mind. If you say that the Turkish Van is more aggressive than the Siamese you have to ask by how much. If it is by a small amount, you might not even notice it in day-to-day living. It is a question of degree. Once again, I am watering down these results because I am sceptical about them although by all means read the study if you wish which you can do so by clicking on this link. It is called: Reliability and Validity of Seven Feline Behavior and Personality Traits.

Picture of ebony Oriental Shorthair show cat

This is a Flickr photograph by Terje Sund of a black (ebony) Oriental Shorthair (OSH) at, I believe, a cat show. The photographer describes the cat as a "world winner". I believe that this cat is female. The cat looks fierce but that's just chance and misleading which can happen sometimes in photography. The cat is simply opening their mouth at the same time as the photographer took the photograph. 

Black Oriental Shorthair show cat looking aggressive. Photo: Sund

It gives an impression of aggression but I don't think this is true at all. Although the ears are flat which sorta gives the impression that the cat is trying to protect them, a precursor to aggression. However, I think this too is misleading because often Oriental Shorthair cats are bred with ears that come out of the side of the head rather than are positioned on top of the head. 

This is selective breeding and it looks odd to me and I wondered why it should happen. It should be in the breed standard but it appears not to be. The ears are meant to be "very large with a broad base and pointed. They are set so that the outer edges continue the sides of the wedge". 

There's nothing in there which indicates that they should be horizontal! I'm referring, by the way, to the World Cat Federation breed standard. I have referred to that standard because I believe that this cat is in Europe and has been bred by European breeder.

I recently wrote a short article about black Oriental Shorthair cats. This is another one and I think black goes very well with this breed because it helps to outline the body shape which is very particular for this breed being very slender. The head, too, has a particular profile with a very straight line between the forehead and the nose.

The photographer describes the picture as: Black (ebony) oriental shorthair, OSH n. World Winner, females, 2010 (St. Etienne France) and 2011 (Poland). Coco Chanel's V for Vendetta.

Pictures of black leggy and slender Oriental Shorthairs

Here are some interesting and I think very nice pictures of black, leggy and slender Oriental Shorthair cats. The black coat delineates the cat's shape to the maximum against their background. And this cat has a very particular shape as guided by the breed standard. You don't have to look very far to see why the Oriental Shorthair is so slender with such long legs. 

Picture of black leggy and slender Oriental Shorthair. Photo: in public domain.

The International Cat Association's breed standard for what they describe as the Siamese Breed Group which includes the Oriental Shorthair, the Oriental Longhair and Balinese, states that the body should be "long and tubular with equal width at shoulders and hips. Medium-sized. Fine-boned". As for the legs the guideline is that they are "long with hind legs higher than front legs; finally boned but proportioned to carry the body length and weight; firm muscles." The feet should be small and the tail long.

Picture of black leggy and slender Oriental Shorthair. Photo in public domain.

Everything about this breed standard indicates slenderness and an elegant cat. I think this breed appeals to people who like elegance in domestic cats. I suspect that the interior of their homes may reflect this aspect of aesthetics. In many ways the black coat is highly suited to the Oriental Shorthair because, as mentioned, it shows off the elegant shape. You can make some extraordinary nice photographs of the Oriental Shorthair because they do form these wonderful shapes.

The only issue that I have with modern Oriental shorthair breeding is that they can be bred to extreme where they breed a bit too far in emphasising the breed standard's major characteristics. This can lead to overly long, unnatural legs and long faces (and huge ears). It is vital that breeders do not create animals which are so far from what nature would have given them that it affects their performance and health.

Black Oriental SH. Photo: public domain.

Are Oriental Shorthairs healthy?

Like most purebred, pedigree cats Oriental Shorthairs (OSH) have inherited certain health problems due to selective breeding. One major issue for me, is that there is a family of Siamese cats which includes the Oriental Shorthair. They are all centred around the Siamese cat because the Siamese cat is in their breeding lines. And the problem here is that, on my reckoning, and based upon my extensive research, the Siamese cat has the most inherited health problems of any cat breed. So the question is: is the Oriental Shorthair susceptible to many of the medical problems that potentially affect the Siamese cat?

Oriental SH - photo: Helmi Flick

In addition to that long list of possible illnesses it is said that these animals are susceptible to respiratory illnesses and cardiomyopathy has also been reported in some lines. This information is according to Dr Ross D Clark DVM in his book Medical, Genetic and Behavioural Aspects of Purebred Cats.

A pet insurance company say that the OSH can suffer from progressive retinal atrophy and glaucoma. In addition, about nine years ago I wrote an article about hepatic amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental cats. The article was based upon information provided by a visitor to the website, Lisa Lyons, who lives with Oriental Shorthair cats. The symptoms of hepatic amyloidosis include jaundice, a high white cell count, a low red blood cell count, vomiting, anaemia, general malaise and cyst damage to the liver causing bleeding. It is a very serious disease which is incurable and fatal. Some cats die within 2 to 3 years. That does not paint a very pretty picture in terms of the possible health problems affecting the Oriental Shorthair cat. But I have to be truthful and straightforward in answering the question in the title.

I would recommend that you read my page on Siamese cat health problems. It might surprise you. I decided at the Siamese cat was the most unhealthy cat in the world certainly amongst all the pedigree cats.

Range of Siamese Cat Points

Here is a picture by Flickr photographer Chris Isherwood of his Siamese cats and an Oriental Shorthair (an associated cat breed). I have guessed (incorrectly on two occasions!) what type of pointing the cats have:

Siamese cat types and one Oriental Shorthair

One aspect of the cats that you can see clearly is the smooth single coat that lies close to the skin. This is typical of Siamese cats. It is in complete contrast to the shaggy long coat of the Maine Coon and the dense tight coat of the British Shorthair.

Someone can leave me a comment to correct me! Go on, I dare you.

Javanese Cat another relative of the Siamese

The Siamese cat has an extended family. There are several cat breeds that could almost be Siamese cats but are not treated as such by some cat associations; the CFA being one such association. One breed of cat that is closely related is the Javanese. In the United States, it is a longhaired modern Siamese cat (called the Balinese cat by some associations) with non-standard pointing. It is sometimes described as an Oriental Longhair that is pointed. The Oriental Shorthair is another related cat. The Javanese is a very elegant cat with a wonderful plumed tail. Please remember that the body conformation of the cat in the Helmi picture is oriental meaning slender. This is the body of what I call a Modern Siamese. There are traditional cats that are more normal in conformation.

Javanese cat photo - "4Ever"- copyright Helmi Flick

The photo on this page is protected by copyright ©. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

The non-traditional points are:

• cream
• lynx: seal, blue, chocolate, lilac
• tortoiseshell
• flame

Read and see more about the Javanese cat by clicking on this link.

The description "Javanese cat" means something different in Europe and the UK. The Javanese cat has nothing to do with the island called Java; an island that is part of Indonesia.

Oriental Shorthair: Cousin of Modern Siamese

The Oriental Shorthair in the USA is a close relative of the modern, oriental body shaped Siamese cat. It is has the same slender body shape but under cat association breed standards breeders are not confined to color pointing and certain colors. It seems that anything goes in respect of the coat color and pattern. You just keep the "canvas" (the body) the same! I am talking like a cat breeder/fancier now.

Click on this link to see and read about the Oriental Shorthair cat. And see two more articles that refer to the Oriental Shorthair.

Chocolate self Oriental Shorthair kitten - Photo by demented-pixie

Black Siamese Cat

A so called black Siamese cat will, in fact, be a black Oriental Shorthair cat, a close relative. The Oriental Shorthair is the same modern looking slender cat as the modern Siamese except there can be an almost infinite number of colors and patterns. That was the reason for the creation of the Oriental Shorthair as a cat breed as I understand it.

Pleas go to this page to see and read about the Oriental Shorthair.

And please go to this page to see a very large and beautiful photograph of a black Oriental Shorthair cat by Helmi Flick in her studio.

Here is a smaller version.

Black Siamese Cat? No, an Oriental Shorthair
Photo copyright Helmi Flick

The photo on this page is protected by copyright ©. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

Black Siamese Cat Breed

People search for "black siamese cat breed". There is no such thing as a black Siamese cat but the Oriental Shorthair is a cat breed that is closely related to the Siamese cat. I should be more precise. It is closely related to the modern Siamese cat, the cat breed that is very slender to an extreme.

The difference between the Oriental Shorthair and the Modern Siamese is that the former can be any colour/pattern including black while the Siamese as we know must have pointing.

It is a breed that was probably invented or created by a Siamese cat breeder who felt restricted by the limitations of the four pointing colors at the CFA but who liked the slender body shape. Most people, incidentally prefer the traditional Siamese shape over the modern.

Here is a video I made of a very vulnerable Oriental Shorthair kitten - a tabby - being photographed by Helmi Flick.