Colorpoint Shorthair Breed History

The Colorpoint Shorthair was produced in the 1940s, when Siamese breeders wanted to create a new cat that had the same features as a Siamese but with additional point colors. Abyssinians were bred with Siamese cats, as well as red tabby Domestic Shorthair cats. Eventually, the Colorpoint Shorthair was created.

Despite the color variations that resulted from this new breed, though, these cats are still much like the Siamese breed in both looks and personality.

The Colorpoint Shorthair is one of the most talkative of all the cat breeds.

Breed Traits

The Colorpoint Shorthair is one of the most talkative of all the cat breeds. They will follow you around the house like a loyal companion, as well as contentedly sit in your lap as they purr. But to get your attention, they will meow loudly and sometimes incessantly, so these cats are only good for families that can tolerate a vocal pet.

These cats are also highly intelligent, playful with a lot of energy, fun loving, social, outgoing, and quite needy. They demand the attention of their owners, and, again, they will get quite vocal if they do not get what they want.

These cats need environmental enrichment, with plenty of vertical spaces for climbing and a lot of toys. Foraging toys that reward them with treats and encourage their hunting instinct while stimulating the mind are great for Colorpoint Shorthairs.

These busy felines should be allowed to release their energy throughout the day, but they will also really benefit from playtime sessions with their owners because they thrive on the interaction they have with people. This breed can even be described as dog-like because these cats like to play fetch and other games that dogs typically play.

Overall Description

Like the Siamese, the Colorpoint Shorthair are refined and elegant, with fine bones, medium sized wedge-shaped heads, and large pointed ears that are set wide and are also wide at the base. Despite being long and slim, though, the Colorpoint Shorthair is a strong breed, with good muscular tone. Other features include a slender neck, thin and long legs, and a long tail that tapers to a point and isn’t kinked. Overall, their bodies are pretty much identical to the Siamese.

Colors

A distinctive feature of the Colorpoint Shorthair is the fact that it can have 20 color points.

Solid point colors include red and cream, while lynx point colors include seal, chocolate, blue, lilac, red, cream, seal-tortie, chocolate-tortie, blue-cream, and lilac-cream. And parti-color point colors include seal-tortie point, chocolate-tortie point, blue-cream point, and lilac-cream point. Plus, they also come in seal point, chocolate point, lilac point, and blue point.

Grooming Requirements

This breed requires a small amount of grooming just to keep the skin and coat healthy, shiny, and soft. Nutrition also plays a key role in the glossiness and beautiful colors of this breed’s coat, so feed a high quality diet to keep these cats looking great. And because of their short and dense fur, these cats do not shed too much, and they also produce a small amount of dander, making them a good choice for individuals with allergies.

Photo credit: Deann Barrera/Flickr; Cat Fanciers’ Association