Colorpoint Shorthair kittens are one of the cat breeds that was designed by breeders with a specific goal in mind. In this case, breeders wanted to produce a cat that was similar to Siamese cats but had pointed colors that were not typical to the breed. American and British Siamese breeders began attempting to produce Colorpoint Shorthair cats in the 1940s by crossing Siamese with Domestic Shorthairs of the red tabby variety and with Abyssinians. At first the results of the breeding were mixed but the resulting cats were crossed with Siamese again and produced the cats we have today.
Unlike other kitty breeds, this one took a while to be recognized as distinct from its predecessor, Siamese. It was finally recognized by the CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) in 1974 but both TICA (The International Cat Association) and the AFCA (the American Cat Fanciers Association) recognize Colorpoint Shorthair kittens as a subset of Siamese instead of their own.
Because of their history, These cats are one of the many kitty breeds that look similar to Siamese. In their case, they share the body type with a lean, long appearance and large blue, almond-shaped eyes on a wedge-shaped head. Like other cat breeds related to the Siamese, they have large, flared ears. Despite their similarity to their Siamese cousins, they have different coloring, as this was the main goal in their breeding. You can find kittens of this breed in colors that you cannot find in Siamese, such as different color points and the Himalayan pattern. Some of the colorpoints found in this breed include cream, lynx (tabby), tortoiseshell and red.
Like other kitty breeds related to the Siamese, you do not need to groom Colorpoint Shorthair kittens very often. All that is required is an occasional wetting of their fur which they will then groom dry. You can brush Colorpoint Shorthair cats using a rubber brush to get rid of loose hairs. In order to keep your Colorpoint Shorthair at the same level of health as other muscular kitty breeds, it is recommended that you make sure they keep a balanced diet with large amounts of protein.
One important thing to know before adopting a Colorpoint Shorthair kitten is that this is one of the most vocal cat breeds (taking after their Siamese cousins). They will get your attention by crying and have over 100 different vocal sounds so don't be surprised if you hear an odd sounding meow. They are also very intelligent (once again like their Siamese cousins) so can be trained if you choose. Colorpoint Shorthair cats are very active and playful in addition to being sensitive to the moods of their humans.
Colorpoint Shorthair cats generally do well with both other pets and children although in some cases, a male may become aggressive to other pets if they want to show their dominance or feel the other animal has invaded their territory. Other than this possibility, this is one of the cat breeds that is great with all types of families whether they have children and/or pets or not.
