The Colorpoint Shorthair Cats



Posted: Tuesday, June 16, 2009

by Lynn Miller
The Siamese Cat

Depending on the source there are additional types of Siamese Cats besides the four standard coat colors which are: Seal Point Siamese, Blue Point Siamese, Chocolate Point Siamese, and Lilac Point Siamese. Many individuals consider these additional beautiful cats as Siamese. These exotic felines, not only have the beauty of the Siamese cats, but also have the colorful personalities, and intelligence of the Siamese. These beauties are known as the "Colorpoint Shorthairs"

The American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) accepts additional colors of Siamese. The CFA ( The Cat Fancy Association in America) also recognizes these breeds but they are placed in a separate category called " Colorpoint Shorthairs." The Colorpoint Shorthairs are considered a hybrid breed of the Siamese. These additional points are very exotic and beautiful. There are sixteen additional breeds of the Colorpoints.

Early breeding introduced the Siamese with a cross of the "red gene". This red gene came from crosses between Seal Point Siamese with red tabby shorthairs. The offspring was again breed with a Siamese. This produced the first hybrid crosses and created two additional solid points. These solid point cats were the first to be recognized and are called Cream Point and Red Point. In 1964 the first Colorpoint Shorthairs were recognized as a breed.

As the Colorpoints gained popularity, "Tabby" versions of the Siamese were introduced to this category. These tabby points are called Lynx Points and have their own class as follows:

Lynx Points Siamese

Lilac Lynx Point

Blue Lynx Point

Chocolate Lynx Point

Seal Lynx Point

Cream Lynx Point

Red Lynx Point

The Tortie Points

Sex-link hybridization of the red gene resulted in an interesting phenomenon called the Tortie Points. The word Tortie is short for "Tortoiseshell". You might recognize this name in relation to the "Calico Cat."

Calico cats are only female cats (or rather male calicos are quiet rare). The red gene is sex-linked, which means that the gene is carried on the sex chromosomes, specifically the X- chromosome. Females are XX, and Males are XY. A male cat with only one X chromosome can only carry the gene for black and red but not both. Females are considered mosaics because the XX can produce red and black together.

The Tortie Point has a very striking appearance. The combination of the red gene and the four Siamese colors creates and random mottling or blotching of colors. They often have a symmetrical split of red and/or cream on one side of the face and the Siamese color on the other half. Just like the calico cats, the Tortie Points are all females.

The color descriptions start with the four primary Siamese colors and are:

Lilac Tortie Point

Blue Tortie Point

Chocolate Tortie Point

Seal Tortie Point

When bred to a lynx parent, the last four of the sixteen colors are the lynx versions of the Tortie Points.

They are:

Lilac Tortie Lynx Point

Blue Tortie Lynx Point

Chocolate Tortie Lynx Point

Seal Tortie Lynx Point

About the author

The author lives in west TN, where she resides in a blissful multi-cat home. She has done extensive research for almost twenty years on cat behavior especially that of the Siamese cat.

Website: http://www.we-are-siamese.com/index.html

Copyright 2009 by Lynn Miller

Links to go with article

http://www.we-are-siamese.com/siamese-cat-breeds

http://www.we-are-siamese.com/colorpoint-shorthairs.html

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