Colorpoint longhair cat

Himalayan Cat or Javanese Cat

Like the dog, the Domestic cat can take on many different appearances, especially in terms of coat color. There is something for everyone: black, white, redhead, grey, smooth, bicolor, tricolor, with drawings and effects… Of all possible coats, the Colourpoint is probably one of the most surprising, for some of its amazing features.

Colorpoint Longhair or Colourpoint Longhair (among other spellings) is a term in disuse for one of the many varieties of domestic cat, and can refer to:

Javanese cat, the long-haired variant of the widely accepted Colorpoint shorthair cat (which is essentially a Siamese cat with non-Siamese coloring); notice, However, that the World Cat Federation uses confusingly “Javanese” to refer to him Oriental Longhair cat, related but different.

Colourpoint, the name of the World Cat Federation for the long-haired version of its definition of Colorpoint shorthair (including both standard and non-standard Siamese coloring); it is a classification of the breed that encompasses what other registries call:

• The Himalayan cat (essentially, the Javanese cat but with colors limited to those of the Siamese cat); and
• The Javanese cat (see above), that is to say, a long-haired cat with any of the colorations that are not standard for the Siamese cat and the Himalayan cat, but that are in the Colorpoint shorthair cat, no WCF.
• Any long-haired, colored mongrel domestic cat (without capital letters and with several spellings, for example, “long hair colourpoint”, etc.)

The term Colourpoint refers to a coat pattern in cats in which the limbs (face, ears, underside of legs and tip of tail) are darker than the rest of the body. But, not limited to felines, as it is also found in some other mammals, like gerbils and rabbits.

The cats Colourpoint have several notable features:

• are born with a smooth or very light coat;
• they are cats with blue eyes, even as adults;
• tend to darken over the years;
• may temporarily change color in certain situations.

A cat Colourpoint limbs are darker than the rest of the body. In particular, This translates into :

• the face, with a mask that covers at least the forehead, nose and cheeks. Some also have lighter eye contours and, Therefore, they seem to wear some kind of glasses;
• the back and the contour of the ears, that are dark;
• legs and tail, that can be colored only at the tips or throughout their length.

The cats Colourpoint they rarely have a uniform mark, since the pattern fades in some parts to form a kind of gradient from the darkest to the lightest areas of the body. This color gradation is most noticeable on the legs and tail., especially in individuals with brown or even black tips. But, it is not systematic.

There are different types of Colourpoint, depending on the color of the ends (or points):

It also, the boss Colourpoint can also be used with a pattern: instead of smooth, ends can be brindle (this is called tabby point) or tortie / carey, that is to say, black and Red (this is called tortie point).

Whether the limbs are stamped or not, the rest of the body can be any color, which increases the number of possible combinations. But, the most sought after colors are usually those that offer a good contrast between the two shades and, Therefore, make the drawing stand out Colourpoint: are the bright or dark ends on a rather light body.

The boss Colourpoint can be quite distinctive, but it is by no means rare among cats. This is not surprising, since some very popular cat breeds, as the Siamese cat, have it as a standard feature.

The boss Colourpoint in cats it is caused by a genetic alteration in the C gene, responsible for the production of an enzyme called tyrosinase. This enzyme is involved in the production of melanin, the pigment that gives skin its color, hair and eyes. You need a temperature of about 38-39°C, what is the normal body temperature of a cat.

But, certain genetic mutations in gene C cause the tyrosinase be more sensitive to heat. So it is unable to work at normal temperature, which reduces the production of melanin in the hair and eyes, thus limiting its coloration. The fur is not as colorful as it would be if the tyrosinase it could have worked, and the iris is still blue instead of darkening to a more classic shade (that is to say, yellow, green or orange).

Then, the only places where the tyrosinase can act correctly and in which, Therefore, the hair acquires its color “normal” are those in which the body temperature is lower, that is to say, the extremities: face, ears, underside of legs and tip of tail.

This genetic mutation explains why cats Colourpoint they have such a special fur and beautiful blue eyes.

Like the particular coat of cats Colourpoint is linked to the sensitivity of the enzyme tyrosinase heat, its coloration can change over time depending on various factors, including body temperature.

When a cat has an abnormally high body temperature (for example, if you have a fever or hyperthermia), the tyrosinase does not work properly and there is not as much melanin: your body becomes clearer. This explains why a kitten comes into the world smooth or very little marked.: has stayed warm in his mother's womb and, Therefore, has a higher temperature than normal.

On the other hand, lower body temperature (for example, as a result of hypothermia or hair clipping) makes body hair darker. This is why cats Colourpoint tend to darken as they age: as they age, your metabolism slows down and your body temperature drops, which causes an increase in melanin production.

But, these color changes do not occur in a matter of hours or minutes, since melanin synthesis and hair growth are not immediate. They only occur if the change in body temperature lasts for at least several days, and very gradually. These may include, a cat colourpoint sleeping next to a radiator doesn't suddenly become lighter.

Regardless of the type of coat, the synthesis process melanin is influenced by the production of certain hormones. But, in colourpoint cats, this influence is multiplied by ten, giving rise to color variations that are easily appreciated in some particular cases.

These may include, it is not uncommon to find that the fur of a cat Colourpoint that has just given birth gets progressively darker as the days go by, due to hormonal changes that occur. Next, will return to its normal color in a few days or weeks, once hormone levels have normalized.

The genetic mutation responsible for the coat Colourpoint in cats it is transmitted recessively. This means that both parents have to pass the mutation on to the kitten.. If one of the parents does not pass the mutation, but the standard version of the normal gene, the kitten will have a non-colored coat.

So, the only way to get a kitten Colourpoint is to cross two individuals that are carriers of this genetic characteristic. If you both have two copies, Both are Colourpoint, and the 100% of their kittens will be Colourpoint.

More concretely, different combinations are possible:

• of the cats Colourpoint give kittens 100% Colourpoint;
• a cat Colourpoint and a cat no Colourpoint with the mutation they give an average of 50% Colourpoint kittens;
• two cats without Colourpoint with the mutation they give an average of 25% of Colourpoint;
• the marriage between a cat Colourpoint and a cat no Colorpoint does not give rise to offspring Colourpoint. On the other hand, the 100% the offspring inherits the genetic mutation and can in turn pass it on to their offspring;
• a marriage between a cat no colorpoint with the mutation and a non-carrier cat does not give rise to any offspring Colourpoint. On the other hand, the 50% of the offspring (on average) inherits the genetic mutation and can pass it on to their offspring;
• a marriage between two cats no Colourpoint who are not carriers of the mutation have no chance of producing a puppy Colourpoint or even a carrier of the mutation.