Animalia Life

The Breed History
Siamese cats were crossed with other breeds such as the American Shorthair and Abyssinian to develop new non-Siamese colors such as solid red point, solid cream point, red-lynx point and chocolatetortie point. There are other additional point colors and patterns (16 in all). CFA registration occurred in 1974. Only Siamese outcrossing is allowed (book closes in 2019 for CFA).

Physical Characteristics
Weight: Female 6-8 lb (2.5-3.5 kg), male 8-12 (3.5-5.5 kg)
Coat: Glossy coat is very short with fine hair texture and lies close. Body of the coat is off-white in color with subtle shading which tends to darken as the cats age. The pointing and coat type are exactly the same as the Siamese; just the colors differ. Leather and paw pad pigmentation should be in sync with the coat coloring.
Eyes: Almond shaped medium sized eyes are close set, though greater than one eye width apart. Eyes are colored sapphire blue.
Points of Conformation: Siamese in conformation, though a slightly more muscular build is evident due to early outcrossing with American Shorthair. Head is long, a tapered wedge, with no stop and a straight profile. Ears are large and pointed, and their outer margin follows the wedge of the face in a straight continuation. Nose is long and straight. Body and limbs are lithe. Feet are oval and small. Neck is long and slim. Tail is long, fine, and tapers to a point.
Grooming: Coat is low maintenance except for periodic light brush or bath.

Recognized Behavior Issues and Traits
Reported breed characteristics include: High intelligence, high vocalizing tendency, like lots of attention, very affectionate, need playtime-this is an "other colored" Siamese cat. Need perches, cat trees and toys to keep entertained. Love to jump and do not like to be left alone for long periods of time.

Normal Breed Variations
Control calorie intake to counteract tendency to obesity As geriatric cats, tend to lose weight.

Drug Sensitivities
Increased tendency for post-vaccinal reactions (fever, lethargy) via anecdotal evidence only

Inherited Diseases
Corneal Sequestrum: Black body or cornea nigrum is often bilateral in Colorpoint cats. Usually in central cornea; brown to black pigmented lesion; often surrounded by a loose collarette of poorly adherent corneal epithelium. Lesion may extend into shallow or deep stroma, or even to Descemet's Membrane. Sloughing and corneal healing may take 2-6 months; surgical debridement is another option.

Disease Predispositions
Many of Siamese conditions apply (see Siamese Pointed Cat chapter) though due to hybridization, the gene pool is broader and overall, the Colorpoint Shorthair cats are considered healthy and hardy. Anecdotal reports of heart problems in some lines Gingivitis and periodontal disease/periodontitis: anecdotal evidence of increased breed propensity

Genetic Tests
None commercially available

Miscellaneous
- Breed name synonyms: none
- Registries: CFA, CCA (in other registries such as GCCF, they are a color class of Siamese)
- Breed resources: For clubs, contact the CFA at: 1805 Atlantic Avenue, Manasquan NJ 08736-0805