The origins of the Colorpoint Shorthair are the same as those of the Siamese, since it is the same breed.
The breed is said to have descended from the sacred cats of the Siamese temples. It is thought that they were carefully protected and bred by the kings of Siam, and manuscripts dating back to 1350 have been found mentioning these cats with their colored tips.
In 1884, the Siamese left their Asian cradle for the first time, and were soon appreciated the world over.
By 1950, breeders were changing the Siamese's appearance. Although they were already lanky cats, their silhouette became even slimmer, their ears larger, their legs slimmer and their head could appear large in relation to their body. Some breeders, however, have kept what they call “traditional” cats, with a physique closer to that of the original Siamese. These Siamese are hardly ever recognized by associations around the world.
A breed called Thai is also controversial. For some, it's the traditional Siamese, for others it's an artificial breed with the aim of regaining that “old type” physique.
The CFA created the Colorpoint Shorthair standard to group together traditional Siamese and those whose color is not one of the four colors traditionally recognized in the United States (seal, chocolate, blue and lilac). |
| Like many Oriental cats, the Colorpoint Shorthair is very attached to its owner, described as a “cat-dog”. They are also talkative, outgoing, lively and demand attention. It's a cat that doesn't like solitude. However, these character traits are entirely individual and depend on the history of each cat. |
English (United Kingdom)