Personality:
- Fervent desire to be loved.
- Active, inquisitive, intelligent, and vocal.
History:
In the late 1940′s, breeders crossed Siamese cats with American Shorthairs, British Shorthairs and Abyssinians in order to create a cat of Siamese type while adding to the spectrum of point colors. Siamese purists in the Cat Fanciers’ Asscociation (CFA) blocked the acceptance of the new colors for registry as Siamese cats and insisted that they be considered as a separate breed. In The International Cat Association (TICA), cats with the new colors are still considered as Siamese. There is no Colorpoint Shorthair breed in their association. Accepted for championship as an individual breed by CFA in 1974.
Body Type:
- Medium-sized, refined, and svelte with long tapering lines.
- Head is a long, tapering wedge with large pointed ears.
- Blue eyes are a medium almond shape.
Coat:
- Coat is short, fine, and glossy.
- Colors on points include red, cream, seal-lynx, chocolate-lynx, blue-lynx, lilac-lynx, red-lynx, seal tortie, chocolate-tortie, blue-cream, lilac-cream, seal tortie-lynx, chocolate tortie-lynx, blue-cream lynx, lilac-cream lynx and cream lynx.
- Paler body coat with contrasting points on face, ears, legs and tail.
- Some colors exhibit thumbprint marks on backs of ears.
- CFA restrictions prohibit Colorpoints born with the four traditional Siamese color points (seal, blue, chocolate and lilac) from being shown. This situation does not exist in TICA and other breed associations.
- Kittens are born white, developing colorpoints when they are a week to 10 days old.
Health and Wellness:
- Since Colorpoint Shorthairs are hybrids with Siamese in their pedigree, they sometimes have kinked tails and/or crossed eyes. These defects do not affect the well being of the cat, but are grounds for disqualification in the show ring.
- Some lines have had occasional problems with cardiomyopathy, a defect of the heart muscle that can lead to heart failure.
- Gingivitis occasionally is a problem in some lines. Preventive dental care and early treatment can minimize this condition.
What you should know:
- Colorpoint Shorthairs want to be with you, on you, and involved with everything you do.
- They get their feelings hurt when you don’t let them help you with all of your activities.
- If you want a cat that is independent, the Colorpoint is not for you.
