Colorpoint Shorthair vs Oriental Shorthair

Verdict

These two are close, and the one thing that decides it is looks. The Colorpoint Shorthair has blue eyes and red, cream, lynx or tortie points. The Oriental Shorthair has large ears and hundreds of colour combinations. Temperament overlaps heavily: both are clever, very talkative and unhappy alone. The Oriental scores a notch higher for play, and the Colorpoint scores a notch higher for apartment living. Choose by the cat you would like to look at every day.

Choose the Colorpoint Shorthair if

• You want the blue-eyed pointed pattern with red, cream, lynx or tortie colouring.
• You want a CFA championship breed that has been recognised since 1964.
• You live in a smaller home, where the Colorpoint rates slightly better.
• You can accept a rare breed and a watch-list of eye disease and mammary tumours.

Choose the Oriental Shorthair if

• You want the widest choice of coat colours and patterns.
• You want a very playful, athletic cat that you will exercise daily.
• You like a cat with big ears and a long, tubular body.
• You will ask the breeder about amyloidosis, eye disease and flat-chested kitten syndrome.

Where they are alike

Both have fine, close-lying short coats that need almost no grooming and shed lightly. Both score top marks for affection, talkativeness and intelligence, and both do badly when left alone for long hours.