A Siamese with red, cream, tortie or tabby points, which only America's CFA calls a breed of its own.
Colorpoint Shorthair is the name America's CFA gives to Siamese in 'new' point colours: red, cream, tortie and tabby. In Europe these cats are simply called Siamese, so read our Siamese page too. It has the same slim body and the same bright blue eyes. And just like a Siamese, it talks all day and wants to join in with everything.
Very devoted. It wants to be with you, on you or helping with whatever you do.
Often sits with or on you, but more as a helper than for a long nap.
Plays with anything, even a ball of paper, and makes up its own games.
Athletic and always up to something. It likes to sit up high.
Talks a lot, and loudly when it wants something. You always know what it thinks.
Very clever. It learns tricks and commands, when it is in the mood.
Friendly, but often picks one or two favourite people.
Usually good with children who play gently with it.
Often becomes friends with a dog that is used to cats.
Loves other cats. It likes to curl up with them in one big pile.
Does not like being alone for long. It does best in a busy home.
Can live indoors happily if it has company, play and high places.
A Colorpoint is the same as a Colourpoint or Himalayan.
No. In Europe a 'Colourpoint' or Himalayan is a Persian with points: long-haired and flat-faced. The Colorpoint Shorthair is a short-haired Siamese with a long muzzle.
It is a separate breed everywhere.
Only in America's CFA. FIFe, WCF, TICA and Britain's GCCF simply call all these colours Siamese.
Red points have always been an ordinary Siamese colour.
No. The red gene came in through crosses with red shorthairs and American Shorthairs. Siamese from only seal, blue, chocolate and lilac lines carry no red.
After the Second World War, breeders in America and England wanted Siamese in more colours, above all red. They crossed Siamese with red shorthairs and American Shorthairs, then bred back to the Siamese. That gave cats that look just like a Siamese, but with red, cream, tortie or tabby points. Only the CFA made them a breed of their own.
America's CFA is founded and recognises the Siamese.
Breeders in America and England want to give the Siamese new colours, above all red.
A few breeders cross the red gene into the four classic Siamese colours.
The CFA lets red, cream and tortie points be registered, but they cannot become champions yet.
The Colorpoint Shorthair gets championship status in the CFA, at first only in red and cream point.
The CFA also allows lynx (tabby) points and tortie points.
The Traditional Cat Association is founded. It calls the older, rounder type the Traditional Colorpoint Siamese.
The CFA judges 16 colours in three classes. The Siamese itself has only four colours there.
A Siamese in every way: long, slim and elegant, with fine bones and firm muscles. Its pale coat has points on the face, ears, legs and tail, in red, cream, tortie or tabby.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Red point(d 33)
Cream point(e 33)
Seal tortie point(f 33)
Blue-cream point(g 33)
Seal lynx point(n 21 33)
Blue lynx point(a 21 33)In FIFe, WCF, TICA and Britain's GCCF every colour on this page is simply a Siamese colour.
In America they are called lynx points, in Europe tabby points. It is the same pattern.
Seal, blue, chocolate and lilac point are Siamese in the CFA, though they can turn up in a Colorpoint litter. Cinnamon, fawn, smoke, silver and white are not allowed in the CFA. FIFe does allow cinnamon, fawn and white in the Siamese.
The CFA has 16 point colours for the Colorpoint Shorthair, and only four for the Siamese.
Many lynx points seem to wear eyeliner: the tabby markings around the eyes make them look bigger.
Tortie points are nearly always female, because the red colour sits on the X chromosome.
In England striped points are called tabby points. When they crossed the Atlantic, they became lynx points.
A Colorpoint litter sometimes has plain seal, blue, chocolate or lilac points. They cannot be shown as Colorpoints.
Usually about 12 to 15 years, like the Siamese. There is no large study of this breed on its own yet.
The retina slowly wears out, so the cat loses much of its sight between about three and six years old. The gene has also been found in Colorpoints. In 2009 and 2010 it was common in the Siamese family; testing has probably made it rarer. At home a blind cat usually copes well.
How it is found: DNA test of the parents. A carrier is only mated with a cat without the gene.
The airways become inflamed, so the cat coughs, wheezes or struggles to breathe. About 1 to 5 in 100 cats in general have it; Siamese get it more often. Medicine keeps it under control, but it does not go away.
How it is found: There is no test. Ask whether cats in the line suffer from coughing or asthma.
An abnormal protein builds up, mostly in the liver. The liver can then bleed, and the disease usually cannot be cured. In a Dutch group of Siamese and Oriental cats that were examined, about 1 in 16 had it.
How it is found: There is no DNA test yet. Ask whether the disease has occurred in the line.
A cancer of the lymph glands in the chest that young Siamese get more often than other cats. In an English group of affected cats about 1 in 5 was a Siamese. Chemotherapy often treats it well.
How it is found: There is no test. Ask whether it has occurred in the line.
Very little work. A rubber brush once a week, or stroking it with damp hands, is enough. No bathing needed.
Play together every day and give it high places to climb. It also loves puzzle games and learning tricks.
It does not want to be alone for long. If you are often out, a second cat is a good idea.
Good food for a slim, muscular body. Watch the portions, and see the vet if it suddenly loses weight.
There is no evidence that this breed causes fewer allergies. It sheds about as much as an average cat.
Checked on 23 October 2026
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