Colorpoint Shorthair facts for kids
Colorpoint Shorthairs are a special kind of domestic cat. Some cat groups see them as their own unique breed. Others consider them a colorful version of an existing breed, like the Siamese. These cats are known for their wide range of sixteen different point colors. These colors go beyond the four main Siamese colors.
This breed was first created by mixing Siamese cats with American Shorthair cats. The goal was to get the Siamese look but with new colors. Colorpoint Shorthairs have the same "point" pattern as Siamese cats. This means their ears, face, paws, and tail are darker than their body. But their points come in colors like red, cream, tortoiseshell, and lynx (tabby) patterns. Their body shape and head might be a mix of both parent breeds.
The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and the World Cat Federation (WCF) are the main groups that call them a separate breed. Other groups often see them as part of the Siamese or Oriental Shorthair breeds.
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What Makes Colorpoint Shorthairs Special?
The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) in the United States uses "Colorpoint Shorthair" for Siamese-like cats with special colors. These colors are different from the usual Siamese colors (seal, chocolate, blue, and lilac point). This name also applies to Siamese cats whose family tree shows other colors. In some other countries, "Colorpoint" might refer to Persian-type cats with pointed coloring, like Himalayans.
In the CFA, a Colorpoint Shorthair can have the four traditional Siamese colors. However, they are usually shown in red point (also called flame point) or cream point. They can also be shown in tabby point (lynx point) or tortoiseshell point.
Most cat groups, other than the CFA, do not see the Colorpoint Shorthair as a separate breed. They just consider them a different color group within the Siamese breed.
How the Breed Started
People started trying to create Siamese-style cats with new colors in the 1940s. This happened in England and America. Breeders mixed Siamese cats with Abyssinian cats and red domestic shorthairs. The American Shorthair was also used in this mix.
At first, breeders faced challenges. It was hard to get the right colors in the right places. Sometimes, the special Siamese body shape was lost.
Personality of a Colorpoint Shorthair
Colorpoint Shorthairs are very smart, playful, and love people. They are super friendly and enjoy spending time with humans. They like to relax and play, and are often called "extroverts" because they are so outgoing.
These cats can also be a bit sensitive. They might not like big changes in their home or meeting new people. Like Siamese cats, they can be very vocal and love attention. They need human company. They have over 100 different sounds, which is more than most other cat breeds. This makes their meows very unique!
Male Colorpoint Shorthairs sometimes like to be the boss with other animals. They might try to show their dominance to other cats.
Colors You Can Find
Colorpoint Shorthairs come in many different point colors. Some of these include:
- Red Point (also called Flame Point)
- Cream Point
- Cinnamon Point
- Fawn Point
- Seal Point
- Chocolate Point
- Blue Point
- Lilac Point
- Lynx Point (which means tabby patterns in any of the above colors)
- Tortie Point (tortoiseshell patterns in any of the colors)
- Torbie Point (a mix of tabby and tortoiseshell patterns in any of the colors)
If a solid-colored kitten is born from Colorpoint Shorthair parents, it is still considered a Colorpoint Shorthair. This is because its genes are still from Colorpoint parents.
The CFA and CCA do not accept cinnamon points or fawn points as Colorpoint Shorthairs for shows. However, these colors can be used in breeding programs. The CCA does allow cinnamon and fawn points to be shown as Oriental Shorthairs.
Images for kids
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Three-month-old red point Siamese kitten
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A Mekong Bobtail cat with blue-cream-torty-point coloring.
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See also
In Spanish: Gato color point para niños
