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Orientals have small, lean, athletic bodies, large triangular ears, almond-shaped eyes, and usually a very curious, inquisitive, intelligent temperament. They also have a loud voice and 'talk' a lot more than most other cats. Originally, all orientals were short-haired, with a very light-weight and generally light-coloured coat befitting the hot climate of their origin, but they have been cross-bred with Persians and other long-haired to create medium and long-haired oriental breeds such as the Birman and Himalayan.

The most ubiquitous 'oriental' cat is the Siamese. Other oriental breeds include the Japanese Bobtail (described as a semi-oriental), Burmese, Balinese and many others.