| Colorpoint Shorthair | |
|---|---|
Chocolate-Tortie Colorpoint Shorthair cat
| |
| Origin | Thailand  & United States  |
| Breed standards | |
| CFA | standard |
| Domestic cat (Felis catus) | |
The Colorpoint Shorthair is a variety of Siamese cat. The only major registries to recognise them are the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) and the World Cat Federation (WCF). This breed was established from breeding American Shorthairs with the Siamese to produce different point colors, beyond the four standard Siamese colors.
Circa 1948 breeders in the US and UK wished to introduce new colorings into the Siamese — specifically red.[1] The first Colorpoint Shorthair was bred from a red (ginger) tabby American Shorthair and a seal point Siamese.[2]
In 1964 the Colorpoint Shorthair achieved championship status with the CFA, with cream and red point being the only recognised colours at the time. By 1969 the CFA would allow lynx and tortoiseshell point colorings.[2] The breed is currently also recognised by the WCF, although without a published standard.[3] It is not recognised as a breed by The International Cat Association, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, and Fédération Internationale Féline.[4][5][6]
The Colorpoint Shorthair should have the appearance of a Siamese in type. It's a medium sized and slender cat with good muscle. The head has a long and tapering wedge and is of medium size in good proportion to the body. The gap between the eyes should be less than the size of the eye. The skull is flat. The neck is long and slender. Nose is long and straight. The ears are large, wide at the base, and pointed. The eyes are blue and almond shaped of medium size. The abdomen should be tight and hips shouldn't be wider than shoulders. The legs are long and slim. The tail is long and thin.[7]
The color may be shaded or clear. The color may darken as the cat ages; however there is a contrast between the body color and the point colour.[7]
