Type the name of the breed you're looking for below
[wpdreams_ajaxsearchlite] Don't see the breed your're looking for? Click here and let us know!
Breed Characteristics
1 paw - breed exhibits the least amount of this characteristic
5 paws - breed exhibits most amount of this characteristic
[fbcomments]
Colorpoint Shorthair
| Origin And History | The effort to produce a Siamese-style pointed cat in colors other than the traditional four began in England and in America in the 1940s, carried out by breeders who used foundation crossings between the Siamese, Abyssinian, and the red domestic shorthair. The American Shorthair also became part of the matrix. Initially, the Colorpoint breeders experienced setbacks and failures; in the effort to achieve the proper colors in the proper places, the Siamese body type was often sacrificed. The breeding was further complicated by the difficulty of working with the red coloration because it is a sex-linked color. The Colorpoint Shorthair shares body style, personality, coat length, and pointed color pattern with the Siamese, but in the untraditional colors of red, cream, tortoiseshell, and lynx (tabby) points. Two separate schools of thought exist about the Colorpoint Shorthair: those who think that since these cats are pointed like a Siamese, they should be considered Siamese, and those who deem the Colorpoint a Siamese crossbreed. In fact these cats were initially created by crossbreeding Siamese with American Shorthairs, the same crossbreeding that created the Oriental breed of cats. |
| Personality | The Colorpoint Shorthair is a highly intelligent, playful, and people-friendly breed. They are extremely affectionate and outgoing and enjoy lounging around and playing with people, causing them to also be described as "extroverts". They can also be very sensitive with nervous temperaments, which do not adapt well to changes of environment or to strangers. Like Siamese, they can be extremely vocal and attention-demanding, feeling a need for human companionship. They have over 100 vocal sounds, much more than regular cats, making very unusual meows. Males are sometimes found to be overly aggressive towards other animals, will fight with other cats whenever they feel their territory has been invaded or just to express dominance. Sensitive to their owner’s moods, Colorpoints are more than happy to sit at your side or on your lap and purr words of encouragement on a bad day. Colorpoints, like the Siamese, are talkative and want to discuss their day with anyone who will listen. If you don’t seem to want to pay attention to them, they will insist, following you around the house chattering away in their somewhat raspy voice. Colorpoints are very intelligent and easily learn to play games such as fetch. An item as simple as a wad of paper or as sophisticated as a stuffed mouse will become the object of their full attention as they demand that you throw it for them to bring back to you. |
Physical Attributes
| Appearance | Colorpoints are elegant and refined, with long, hard bodies, fine boning, and wedge-shaped heads with large, flaring ears. Their almond-shaped eyes are deep vivid blue, slanted towards the nose, in harmony with the shape of the wedge head and the placement of the ears. A blindfolded person holding both a good Siamese and a good Colorpoint should not be able to tell the difference. The Colorpoint Shorthair comes in a variety of point colors. They include: Red Point (also called Flame Point), Cream Point, Cinnamon Point, Fawn Point, Seal Point, Chocolate Point, Blue Point, Lilac Point, Lynx Point (in any of the colors), Tortie Point (in any of the colors), and Torbie Point (in any of the colors). If a solid pointed kitten is born from "Colorpoint Siamese" parents, it is Registered as a "Colorpoint Siamese," because it is still genetically a Colorpoint. |
| Health | Colorpoint Shorthairs require little grooming. Most never need a bath. Gentle brushing with a rubber brush will remove loose hairs, and the coat can be “finished” by smoothing with a chamois cloth. Good food with lots of protein and plenty of playtime exercise will maintain the muscular body that is part of the natural beauty of the Colorpoint. These cats are heat seekers; they enjoy the warmth of your lap even on warm summer evenings. Colorpoints bask in the sunlight during the day and sleep under the covers with you at night. Heed the instructions of your cat’s breeder when you acquire your Colorpoint Shorthair, and you will be blessed with a long-lived joyous companion. |
