Oriental Shorthair — questions to ask before paying a deposit
A responsible breeder will have these readily available. Deflection is a red flag.
Systemic (AA) amyloidosiscan shorten life or cause chronic pain
Amyloid protein deposits build up in the liver and other organs, most often becoming apparent between 1 and 7 years old; the liver can become fragile and rupture, which is frequently fatal. It is well documented in Siamese and Oriental Shorthair specifically, with a genetic (mixed Mendelian/polygenic) basis that research has linked to variants near the SAA1 gene — but this is a research finding, not yet a commercial diagnostic test.
Ask to see: No DNA test is commercially available yet; the SNP associations are a research finding, not a validated clearance test. Ask the breeder about the line's history of unexplained liver disease or early deaths — diagnosis in a living cat is by biopsy, not blood or DNA testing.
PubMed — Generalized AA-amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental cats (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9220576/) · PubMed — Complex segregation analysis of familial amyloidosis in Oriental shorthair cats (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33129552/) · PMC — Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Associated with AA-Amyloidosis in Siamese and Oriental Shorthair Cats (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10742459/)
Mucopolysaccharidosis VI (MPS VI)can shorten life or cause chronic pain
An inherited lysosomal storage disease with mild and severe forms; signs can include stunted growth, a wide face with a shortened nose, reduced joint flexibility and degenerative joint disease. UC Davis names Oriental Shorthair explicitly (along with Oriental Longhair, Siamese and related breeds) as appropriate for this test.
Ask to see: UC Davis VGL MPS VI DNA test on both parents.
UC Davis VGL — Mucopolysaccharidosis VI (MPS VI) (https://vgl.ucdavis.edu/test/mps-vi-cat)