Colorpoint ShorthairsThe 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.
Red Point Shorthair
As the Colorpoints gained popularity, “Tabby” versions of the Siamese were introduced to this category. These tabby points are called Lynx Point Shorthairs and have their own class as follows: Lilac Lynx Point Blue Lynx Point Chocolate Lynx Point Seal Lynx Point Cream Lynx Point Red Lynx Point
Lynx Point Shorthair
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 (male calicos are quiet rare). The red gene is sex-linked, this 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 or 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 a 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 Tortoiseshell calico, the Tortie Points are all females.
Tortie Point Shorthair 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
Combining the Red Points and the Lynx Points with these four primary colors results in all 16 of the Colorpoint Shorthairs. Go From Colorpoint Shorthairs to Siamese Cat Breeds
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