Tachajazz's Weblog

Description

Colorpoint Shorthair is the name the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), a United States breed association, uses to refer to pointed cats of Siamese ancestry and type in colors other than the four “traditional” Siamese colors (seal, chocolate, blue, and lilac point). This name is also given to cats of Siamese ancestry in the four recognized colors whose eight generation pedigree show ancestors with other colors. In registries of other countries, however, “Colorpoint (or “Colourpoint”) is the name given to cats of Persian type and pointed coloring, as in Himalayans.^[1]

Two Year Old Red Point Siamese Female

Two year old Red Point Siamese Male

Three month old red point Siamese kitten.

In the CFA, a Colorpoint Shorthair cat may also be any of the four traditional Siamese colors; however, they may only be shown in the red point (also called flame point in Persian Family) or cream point, or any of the above colors in tabby point (also called lynx point) or tortoiseshell point.

In all registries except CFA, the Colorpoint Shorthair is not considered a separate breed but is included in the Siamese breed.

Temperament

The Colorpoint Shorthair (a.k.a. Siamese) is a highly intelligent, playful, and people-friendly breed. They are extremely affectionate and outgoing and enjoy lounging around and playing with people, causing them to also be described as “extroverts”.^[2] They can also be very sensitive with nervous temperaments, which do not adapt well to changes of environment or to strangers. Like Siamese, they can be extremely vocal and attention-demanding, feeling a need for human companionship.

The Burmilla is a breed of domestic cat which originated in the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a cross between the Chinchilla Persian and Burmese breeds.

Standards were produced in 1984, and the breed gained championship status in the United Kingdom in the 1990s.

Burmillas are medium-sized with muscular bodies, round faces, short muzzles and tend to weigh between 8-10 lb. A burmilla’s eye color is usually green, although some cat societies accept blue (and yellow eyes are permitted in kittens). Black cats have eyeliner in black; other colours may have no lining or soft brown. The shape of their eyes are almond-shaped.

Coat length comes in three variants: The most common (standard) coat is the short-hair. This is a short, close-lying coat similar in appearance to the Burmese but with a softer, silkier feel. In addition there is a recessive longhair gene producing the Longhair Burmilla. These cats have a semi-longhair coat lying close to the skin, with a soft, silky feel and a large plumed tail. The Shorthair gene is dominant, and where a cat receives one of each, the appearance will be Shorthair. Two Longhair Burmillas mated together will always produce Longhair kittens, while Shorthair matings depend on whether the Longhair genes are carried by the Shorthair parents.

A third variant has been identified recently, that of the Plush. It is not professionally recognised as being separate from shorthair in judging; however, plush kittens have much denser fur which does not lie closely against the skin. How the plush coat variant is inherited is not known.

The Burmilla can have a variety of coat colours, including black, blue, brown, chocolate and lilac. Although red, cream and tortoishell (calico) varieties have been bred, these colours are not recognised by most judging bodies. In addition the undercoat is either Silver or Golden, depending on the colour in the Persian heritage. The Burmilla’s shading comes in three major coat patterns which relate to the depth of colour. These are Tipped, Shaded and Smoke. Tipped Burmillas have at least 3/4 of their fur in the underlying colour (Silver or Golden) and the remainder is a light dusting of “colour” over the top. In the case of Silvers, these cats appear almost white. Shaded Burmillas have 1/4 – 1/2 as their colour, and Smoke have almost all colour with only a faint pale base to each hair. The cats have nose leather which is red to pink (smoke cats have solid colour corresponding to their coat). In addition their paw pads correspond to the coat colouring: Black cats have black paw pads, Chocolate have brown-black, Brown cats have brown, both Blue and Lilac have pink.

Theoretically, genetic Caramel Burmillas also exist, being black-based with the “caramelising” gene. Although cats have been bred that have a definite Caramel appearance distinct from Lilacs, Caramel is not generally recognised, and there is some argument as to whether the caramelising gene even genetically exists. Since the Burmilla inherits its colour ranges from two different breeds, there is also the possibility of the entire Burmese spectrum of colours (black/bombay, sable/brown, chocolate, champagne, cinnamon, taupe etc). However, since the Burmilla has a shaded coat pattern, it is far more difficult to identify the various subtle shades of Burmese colouring, that also appear to be recessive to the Persian colouring. For this reason only Chocolate (from the Burmese “sable” or “brown”) is recognised by most bodies.

The Burmilla was originally created accidentally in the United Kingdom. Two cats, a Chinchilla Persian named Sanquist, and a lilac Burmese named Faberge, were both awaiting a partner of their own breed in different rooms. Accidentally, one night the cleaner left the door open and the rest is history. The results, four kittens born in 1981, were so adorable that a new breed was born.^[1]

The Burmilla is quite an irreverent and independent cat who adores its owner and displays many kitten-like characteristics even into adulthood. In temperament they are sociable, playful, and affectionate, and get along well with children and other animals.

In GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy), the Burmilla is considered part of the Asian cat breed. It is accepted in FIFe as the Burmilla. Some governing bodies have used the name Australian Tiffanie, however, there is not international acceptance and standardisation for this breed – Tiffany has been used to describe many different breeds having the appearance from Ragdoll to Birman and may contain any of these breeds and more. Many Australian Tiffanies in Australia contain more than three-quarters Persian Chinchilla and retain the appearance and temperament of the Old Fashioned Chincilla. The name’s use is declining in favour due to the lax standards for the breed name, the lack of unique identity and varied genetic makeup.

The Burmilla is also featured in the online text-based game Legend of the Green Dragon – Crazy Audrey’s kittens are all Burmillas.

The British Longhair, is a medium size, long hair domestic cat breed, originating in Great Britain.

This breed are a semi-longhair version of British Shorthair.^[1]. Much like these cats,the British Longhair has a broad square head. It is known as Britannica in European countries, but this breed is not recognized in the UK.

American Shorthair (ASH) is the 8th most popular breed of cat in the United States, according the Cat Fancier’s Association for 2006–2007. The breed is believed to be descended from English cats (the forebears of today’s British Shorthairs) brought to North America by early British settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats.

History

When settlers sailed from Britain to North America they carried cats on board ship as working cats to protect the stores from mice. Most of these cats “settled” in the New World, interbred, and developed special characteristics to help them cope with their new life and climate. Early this century a selective breeding program was established to develop the best qualities of these cats. The American Shorthair is also named the Mouser because they caught mice on ships.

Characteristics

A very athletic cat, American Shorthair has a larger, leaner, and more powerfully built body than its relation, the British Shorthair. It is also known as a “working cat.”

American Shorthairs are a pedigreed cat with strict standards and a distinctive appearance as set by the various Cat Fanciers Associations worldwide.

Originally known as the Domestic Shorthair, the breed was renamed in 1966 to the “American Shorthair” to better represent its “All American” character and to differentiate it from other shorthaired breeds. The name “American Shorthair” also reinforces the notion that the American shorthair is distinct from non-pedigreed, short-haired cats in the United States.^[2]

6 week old Cream Cameo Tabby ASH

A non-pedigreed shorthaired cat (called a Domestic shorthair) might resemble an American Shorthair, just as another non-pedigreed cat might look like a Siamese, Persian or Maine Coon. The difference, however, is that American shorthairs are a pedigreed cat and are recognized as such by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA). ^[2]

According to the CFA, American Shorthairs are low-maintenance cats that are generally healthy, easy-going, affectionate with owners and social with strangers. Males are significantly larger than females, weighing eleven to fifteen pounds when fully grown. Mature females weigh eight to twelve pounds when they achieve full growth at three to four years of age. American Shorthairs can live fifteen to twenty years, like most felines, and often only requiring only annual vaccinations, veterinary checkups, a quality diet and plenty of tender loving care. These cats have long tails and usually slender bodies. ^[2]

The American Shorthair is recognized in more than eighty different colors and patterns ranging from the striking brown patched tabby to the glistening blue-eyed white, the beautiful shaded silvers, smokes and cameos to the flashy calico van, and many colors in between. Some even come in deep tones of black, brown, or other blends and combinations. The most well-known American Shorthair color today is the silver tabby, with dense black markings set on a sterling silver background.

In the American Shorthair and other breeds of cats, heart disease can be inherited. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been confirmed as an autosomal dominant inherited trait.^[3] While there is no cure for HCM, early diagnosis and medication can help significantly prolong an affected cat’s life.

The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat, formed by the cross of a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat (“ALC”).

Bengal cats have “wild-looking” markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis).^[1] The Bengal cat has a desirable “wild” appearance with a gentle domestic cat temperament, provided it is separated by at least three generations from the original crossing between a domestic feline and an ALC.^[1]

The name Bengal cat was derived from the taxonomic name of the Asian Leopard Cat (P. b. bengalensis), and not from the unrelated Bengal tiger.

History

The earliest mention of an ALC/domestic cross was in 1889, when Harrison Weir wrote in “Our Cats and All About Them” ^[2]

There is a rich-coloured brown tabby hybrid to be seen at the Zoological Society Gardens in Regent’s Park, between the wild cat of Bengal and a tabby she-cat. It is handsome, but very wild. These hybrids, I am told, will breed again with tame variety, or with others. However in 1927, Mr Boden-Kloss wrote to the magazine “Cat Gossip” ^[3] regarding hybrids between wild and domestic cats in Malaya: “I have never heard of hybrids between bengalensis (the Leopard Cat) and domestic cats. One of the wild tribes of the Malay Peninsula has domesticated cats, and I have seen the woman suckling bengalensis kittens, but I do not know whether the latter survive and breed with the others!”

The earliest mention of a confirmed ALC/domestic cross was in 1934 in a Belgian scientific journal, and in 1941 a Japanese cat publication printed an article about one that was kept as a pet.Jean Mill (née Sugden), the person who was later a great influence of the development of the modern Bengal breed, submitted a term paper for her genetics class at UC Davis on the subject of cross breeding cats in 1946.^[4]

A Bengal cat displaying spotting and rosetting pattern typical of the breed. Rosetted spots occur only on the back and sides, with stripes elsewhere.

The 1960s was a period when many well known breeders, including Jean Sugden, produced ALC/domestic crosses, but records indicate that none of them took it past the F2 stage. Several zoos in Europe also produced a number of F1 ALC crosses. During this period there was an epidemic of feline leukemia virus and it became known that many wild cats seemed to have a natural immunity to the disease. As a result of this, Loyola University began a research program in the 1970s to investigate if this natural immunity could be bred in or replicated.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s there was a great deal of activity with hybrids, but there was no significant effort to create an actual breed from them. A number of Cat clubs formed that oriented on hybrids and a few oriented specifically on something William Engler, a member of the Long Island Ocelot Club and a breeder, called a Bengal.

Club newsletters were published, detailing the production of Bengals and Safaris (a domestic cat/Geoffroy’s Cat cross), and members of these clubs bred some second and third generation Bengals. These were registered with the American Cat Fanciers Association (A.C.F.A.) in 1977 as experimental and were shown at several A.C.F.A. cat shows throughout the 1970s.

A Bengal cat with greenish turquoise eyes

Around this time, Jean Mill (née Sugden) began to renew her breeding efforts.

“

..I deliberately crossed leopard cats with domestic cats for several important reasons. At that time, wild cats were being exploited for the fur market. Nursing female leopard cats defending their nests were shot for their pelts, and the cubs were shipped off to pet stores worldwide. Unsuspecting cat lovers bought them, unaware of the danger, their unpleasant elimination habits and the unsuitability of keeping wild cats as pets. Most of the wild kittens from this era ended up in zoos or escaped onto city streets. I hoped that by putting a leopard coat on a domestic cat, the pet trade could be safely satisfied. If fashionable women could be dissuaded from wearing furs that look like friends’ pets, the diminished demand would result in less poaching of wild species. Brown Spotted Tabby Description Appearance Bengal cats have “wild-looking” markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Leopard Cat.[1]. The Bengal’s rosetted spots occur only on the back and sides, with stripes elsewhere. The breed typically also features “mascara” (horizontal striping alongside the eyes), and foreleg striping. The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes several Bengal colors (brown, seal lynx point, mink, sepia, silver) and patterns (spotted and marbled) for competition. In the New Traits class, other colors may be shown, as well as longhairs.[7] Temperament After three generations from the original crossing, the breed usually acquires a gentle domestic cat temperament;[1] however, for the typical pet owner, a Bengal cat kept as a pet should be least four generations (F4) removed from the Leopard Cat. The so-called “foundation cats” from the first three filial generations of breeding (F1–F3) are usually reserved for breeding purposes or the specialty pet home environment.[8]