The American Curl cat can make
people do a double take. The
Curl
describes the ears, which curl back giving a very
different look to the
head. A stylish cat that is people orientated to the point of following
to not miss anything, this is not your typical feline. It's entirely
different seeing them on picture than seeing them live. You'll be
unexpectedly delighted with their dynamic personality.
These
cats are available in
both short hair and long hair. Personally I like
the long hair version. You can't help but smile looking at their
feather boa-like tail swishing around when they tranced around the
house. A medium sized cat that is fairly quiet with expressive eyes
they have a low grooming requirement with no undercoat.
Some
owners reported that these cats have a dog-like personality. I couldn't
agree more. They'll follow you around, they're faithful, tolerant of
other pets, and very respectful towards other cats of the household.
Playful
well into adulthood, the American Curl cat start life with normal ears
that curl backwards at a few days old. They will sometimes change
slightly until they ‘set’ at about 16 days which is when most breeders
do their pet/show cut. Of course this is a cat that is more than just
ears!
Breed History
The Curls today are all descendants of Shulamith,
a black, long
haired stray kitten adopted by Grace and Joe Ruga in Lakeland,
California back in 1981.
Fortunately The unusual ears
are due to a gene that is “autosomal dominant” – meaning a cat needs
only one copy of the gene to show the unusual ears. It
means if you
breed any curled eared cat to any other cat, you're bound to get at
least one curled eared kitten. This allows for a healthy breed with
selection for temperament and health as well as the ears.
Another
advantage is a large gene pool whenever appropriate out cross were to
be bred into this breed. Having a large gene pool will deviate American
Curl cat from forming serious congenital diseases.
Breed Standard
From the standard of perfection 30 points are dedicated to the ears
that define the breed. The body counts for 25 points, head for 20
points while coat and color is 15 points and eyes are 10 points. They
should be elegant cats that are balanced and moderately muscled with a
slender build. Males are 7-10 pounds with queens slightly smaller. They
are alert, active and good tempered.
A
wide variety of colors in solid, smoke, tabby and lynx point are
available. To insure a solid genetic base the American curl allows
outcrosses to domestic longhair or shorthairs. The stud book will
eventually be closed which then allows only curl to curl breeding.
This
is a genetically healthy breed because of the open book.
This is a new
and developing breed with ears that are judged on the degree of curl.
The tighter the curl the better. The curl to curl breeding produces all
curled ear kittens. Breeding a curl to a regular eared cat produces
50-50 curled that sometimes are more dominant.
The active
nature of the American Curl and unusual loyalty to their chosen people
is sometimes as unique as their appearance. The ears do require
occasional cleaning particularly for show. They can be sensitive about
picking up on stress levels so remain calm.
Keep in mind that
this breed is less than 20 years old, beginning with a stray in
California that displayed the unusual ears as well as the ability to
pass them on genetically. As they gain popularity the health and
temperament needed for pets is kept in mind by breeders. Selection is
needed to insure that the ears are simply part of the package, not the
whole package.
If you are looking for a gentle, unusual looking
cat that is people orientated the American Curl cat might be just the
cat that fits your needs!
