The Colorpoint Shorthair cat has a Siamese personality and body type.  It is a highly interactive and talkative breed recognized by CFA in 1964.  The place of origin is Britain and North American.

At cat shows you will see only the variety of Colorpoint Shorthair called the Extreme.  Actually, two varieties exist, they are:

• Extreme (variety for cat shows)
• Traditional

The following appearance description of the “Traditional” variety is offered to help you decide if this cat breed is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Traditional Colorpoint Shorthair Appearance

• Medium to large cat
• Rounder, more moderate body and head type
• Body is long, substantial and solid, neither cobby nor svelte
• Well-balanced with all elements in proportion
• Overall impression of the cat should be of one who is robust and muscular, but also lithe and graceful
• Ears are alert, not overly large, medium in length, almost as wide at the base as they are high and rounded at the tip
• Ears are set as much to the side as to the top of the head

According to those who prefer the traditional variety, the Traditional Colorpoint is generally healthier than the Extreme Colorpoint Shorthair and has fewer health problems.

The following appearance description of the “Extreme” variety is offered to help you decide if this cat breed is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Extreme Colorpoint Shorthair Appearance Description

• The neck is long and slender
• Nose is long and straight, a continuation of the forehead with no break
• Muzzle is fine, wedge-shaped
• Ears are strikingly large, pointed, wide at base, continuing the lines of the wedge
• Eyes are vivid blue, no other shades or colors allowed
• The eyes are almond-shaped and medium size, neither protruding nor recessed, slanted toward the nose in harmony with lines of wedge and ears, uncrossed
• Chin and jaw are medium in size
• Body is medium size, graceful, long, and svelte, abdomen is tight
• Legs are long and slim, hind legs higher than front and in good proportion to body
• Paws are dainty, small and oval
• There are five toes in front and four behind
• Tail is long, thin, tapering to a fine point
• Coat is short, fine textured, glossy, lying close to the body
• Muscular, strong, and lithe
• A variety of colors in solid and lynx points

The following personality description is offered to help you decide if this cat breed is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Personality Description

• Active and busy
• Exceptionally athletic and agile
• Not for those who want a docile couch potato
• Toys are always good, for a short period of time
• An empty open box of toys on the floor for the colorpoint to explore
• Some colorpoints have been trained to shake paws
• Graceful and playful
• Will expect to have the run of your house or apartment
• Likes to hang out with its humans
• A floor to ceiling cat tree is recommended
• Devoted cat

Grooming Tips

·         Baths are needed occasionally

·         Use a gentle shampoo

·         An occasional brushing with a rubber brush to remove dead hair and a nice pedicure is required

Follow the link in the resource box of this article to find pictures and more information about many different breeds of cats.

Written by:  Connie Limon.  Visit “Adopting Kittens” at http://smalldogs2.com/AdoptingKittens to find a complete online reference for choosing and caring for the perfect kitten, which matches you and your lifestyle.  Learn about litter box training at http://smalldogs2.com/LitterBoxTraining

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.

Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved Connie Limon