Orientals are one of the most varied breeds in terms of color. European felinology uses a single standard — EMS (Easy Mind System, FIFe) — to mark color: breed + color + pattern = 3 to 5 characters. Learn to read this code through three of our cats, and you’ll be able to decode most pedigree entries.

This guide is aimed at future pet-class owners — enough to confidently choose a kitten and read its pedigree.

How to read an EMS code

The EMS code reads left to right: breed → base color → pattern/modifier.

Breed prefix:

OSH — Oriental Shorthair
OSL — Oriental Longhair
SIA — Siamese

Next — the letter for base color (n — black, b — chocolate, a — blue, and so on; full reference below). The final number is the pattern: 24 — spotted tabby, 22 — classic, 25 — ticked.

Our cats and their codes

“Orientals are the most varied in color,” says Elvira.

Three Floriente cats demonstrate the EMS system in practice:

Sebastian — OSH n 24

Black spotted tabby. Base color black (letter n), spotted tabby pattern (number 24). Crisp, contrasting spots on a smooth, short coat.

Simona — OSH a 24

Blue spotted tabby. The same spotted pattern (24) as Sebastian, but a different base color: blue (a) — diluted black, a genetic variation that gives a cooler grey-blue tone. Same body code, different color.

Halva — OSH q (cinnamon tortie)

Cinnamon (o) + tortie modifier. Cinnamon is a warmer, lighter shade than chocolate — closer to soft cinnamon spice. “Tortie” means two color zones — cinnamon and cream — interweave across the body without a clear pattern. Cinnamon is rarer than chocolate in the breed, and cinnamon tortie is rarer still. Because it’s linked to the X chromosome, torties are almost exclusively female.

Three cats. Three codes. No ambiguity.

Solid colors

The nine base EMS colors — letters you’ll see in any code:

EMS letter	Color name	Also known as	Notes
n	Black	Ebony	Deep, cool black; no brown undertone in show quality
b	Chocolate	Havana	Warm milk-chocolate brown
a	Blue	—	Diluted black; grey-blue tone
c	Lilac	Lavender, Frost	Diluted chocolate; pale pinkish-grey
d	Red	—	Warm orange-red; sex-linked gene
e	Cream	—	Diluted red; pale yellowish
o	Cinnamon	—	Warm light brown; lighter than chocolate
p	Fawn	—	Diluted cinnamon; pale dusty beige
w	White	—	Full pigment suppression; separate genetics

Which colors are common, which are rare

What you’ll see in practice: black (n), blue (a), and chocolate (b) are the most common Oriental colors — these are what you’ll find in most litters. Cinnamon (o) and fawn (p) — less often. White (w) — rare. The tortie modifier (a two-color “map” across the body) is available almost exclusively to females — that’s the X-chromosome link. Pointed colors don’t exist in the Oriental — more on that below.

Tabby patterns

Four tabby patterns — and the most common in the Oriental is spotted (24).

EMS number	Pattern name	Visual description
22	Classic (Blotched)	Bold swirls along the sides; butterfly pattern on the shoulders; a “target” on the flank
23	Mackerel	Narrow vertical stripes running parallel along the sides; “fish skeleton”
24	Spotted	Round or oval spots all along the side; spots can be solid or broken into stripes
25	Ticked (Agouti)	No stripes or spots on the body — each hair shows alternating light and dark bands; only minimal markings on legs and face

Other modifiers — outside this basic overview

The EMS system also has a whole group of modifiers for bicolors (white spotting), smoke, silver, and shaded colors. That’s a topic for going deeper into the breed — for those planning to breed or show. For a basic understanding of your cat’s code, the two references above are enough.

Why pointed color is always Siamese, never Oriental

The word “point” comes from English — point. The name describes the pattern accurately: colored points on the ears, paws, nose, and tail, while the body stays light. It’s the classic Siamese marker.

Technically, there are 3 degrees of pointed coloring (Burmese, Tonkinese, Siamese) — all of them, by definition, Siamese variations, not Oriental. The details are for those going deep into the breed.

Key rule: there’s no such thing as a pointed Oriental. If a cat is born with points, by registration he’s automatically a Siamese — no matter that both parents are Orientals. Two Orientals carrying the cs allele (C/cs) look fully colored, but they can produce pointed kittens in their litter — and those kittens are registered as Siamese, not as Orientals.

The hard truth about Oriental EMS codes

Over 600 color combinations exist in the Oriental Shorthair. Each one has an EMS code. That code shows up in the pedigree, in the studbook, and on every FIFe registration document.

If your breeder can’t read an EMS code — find another breeder.

This isn’t a technical formality. The color code is part of the documented identity of the animal. A breeder who doesn’t know whether his cat is OSH n or OSH b, or describes a ticked tabby (25) as “striped,” isn’t working from the studbook — he’s guessing. And guessing isn’t how responsible breeding programs work.

Ask for the EMS code. Read it yourself. If it matches what you see — good. If the breeder hesitates — that’s already an answer.

FAQ

What is EMS in felinology?

EMS — Easy Mind System, a standardized alphanumeric coding system developed by FIFe (Fédération Internationale Féline). It assigns a unique code to every breed, color, and pattern registered in the FIFe system. The EMS code lets any judge, breeder, or registrar anywhere in the world identify a cat’s breed and color unambiguously.

How many colors does the Oriental Shorthair come in?

FIFe recognizes 9 solid (self) base colors in the Oriental Shorthair. When those base colors combine with tabby patterns, white spotting, silver modifiers, and pointed variants — you get over 600 different color-and-pattern combinations. Each one has its own EMS code.

Is character connected to color?

No. Character is shaped by breed, not color. A black, blue, or cinnamon Oriental — they all share the same talkativeness, attachment, playfulness, and activity. Color is pure aesthetics. Pick the one you like visually; it doesn’t affect behavior.

Can an Oriental Shorthair be pointed, like a Siamese?

No. Pointed coloring (EMS 33), by definition, makes the cat a Siamese — no matter what breed the parents are. Two Orientals carrying the recessive cs gene can produce a pointed kitten, but that kitten will be registered as a Siamese, not as an Oriental. Their body type is identical, but the registered breed is different.

If both parents are the same color — what color will the kitten be?

Genetics is probabilistic, not fixed. Even from two parents of the same color, a litter can yield several variations: if both carry a recessive gene for another color, some kittens will be born with it. For example, two spotted tabbies can produce solid kittens, and two Orientals can produce a Siamese kitten (if both carry the cs gene). The breeder estimates probabilities based on the parents’ genotypes, but the exact color of any specific kitten is always a surprise.

Ready to see the cats in living color?

Take a look at our current litter. We list the EMS code and a detailed color description for every kitten — now you can read it yourself.

Meet the cats by their codes: our cats — Sebastian (OSH n 24), Simona (OSH a 24), Halva (OSH q).

Still choosing between breeds? Oriental vs Siamese: What’s the Real Difference?

Oriental Colors: A Basic Guide With Examples From Our Cats