The American Curl is a delightful breed with a unique expression and a pleasant disposition. The characteristic curled ears give it the appearance of intent interest or surprise. This breed tends to be even-tempered and kitten-like throughout its life. This is an excellent breed for families, couples, and owners of other pets.
The American Curl is a highly affectionate, even-tempered cat. It is especially playful and loving toward its owner, with whom it becomes firmly attached to. It enjoys being around people, cats, and other animals. The American Curl easily adapts to new situations and new people and animals. This breed tends to retain a kitten-like disposition throughout its life, earning it the nickname "The Peter Pan of felines". This breed has a soft, trill-like voice that it rarely uses. Both the long and short-haired varieties require only weekly grooming.
As their name suggests, American Curls originate from the Unites States of America, more specifically in Lakewood California. Currently they can be seen in America and Europe.
Common Name(s)
American Curl, Peter Pan of felines.
Background
The American Curl is a fairly new breed, originating from a black, long-haired female stray kitten with unique ears. This stray was befriended by John and Grace Ruga in 1981, when they found her on their doorstep. They named her "Shulamith", which means "black but comely". Later, she had a litter of four kittens, and two of them had the same curled ear trait as their mother. In 1983, these unique cats were exhibited at a cat show in Palm Springs, California, and were received favorably. This breed was formally recognized as "The American Curl" in 1985 by the International Cat Association (TICA) and in 1986 by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).
The curled ear trait characteristic of the American Curl is caused by a spontaneous mutation which involves a simple dominant gene. Though no health risks are associated with this mutation, some associations consider it to be a defect, and do no recognize it as an official breed. Only cats that can trace their pedigree back to Shulamith are considered true American Curls.
Description
The defining feature of the American Curl is, of course, its uniquely shaped ears. These cats are born with straight ears, which tightly curl back 3 to 5 days later, and finally relax to their permanent position at approximately 16 weeks. The final position ranges from almost straight, which is indicative of a pet-quality cat, to 90-180 degrees, which is indicative of a show-quality cat. The ears are rigid to the touch, and reveal tufts of hair from the center of the ears, giving it a lynx-like appearance.
The American Curl has a medium-sized, rectangular, moderately muscled body. The head is also medium-sized and moderately longer than it is wide. The nose is straight and the eyes are moderately large, walnut-shaped, and wide set. The legs are medium in length with the forelegs being slightly shorter than the hind legs. The tail is the same length as the body, tapering, and rounded at the tip. This breed weighs approximately 7-11 pounds and it has a long lifespan of 15 or more years.
The American Curl comes in both long and short-haired varieties. In both varieties, the undercoat is minimal. This breed is accepted in all color patterns. The color groups include the following: Solid, Smoke, Tabby, Parti-Color, Bi-Color, Tabby and White, and Shaded, Silver, and Golden.
Care and Feeding
The American Curl has no special dietary needs.
Housing Your Cat
The American Curl is a moderately active breed that does not require a large yard, but would benefit from space to run and play, whether it is indoors or outdoors. This breed is suited for apartments or houses.
Maintenance
Since the American Curl has a minimal undercoat, both the short and long-haired varieties only require a weekly brushing and combing. Due to the unique shape of their ears, they also require occasional ear cleanings.
Social Behaviors
The American Curl is a very social breed. It easily befriends people, dogs, and other cats. It is also affectionate toward and tolerant of children, which makes it a great family cat.
Activities
American Curls are playful cats that should be provided with toys and a scratching post.
Breeding/Reproduction
American Curls fully mature by two or three years of age. Their ears become fully set around 16 months. Unlike Scottish Folds, American Curls can be bred with each other without risk of causing serious deformity. However, they are often crossed with normal eared cats in order to avoid inbreeding, since this is a fairly rare breed.
Common Health Problems
The American Curl is a healthy breed with no particular health risks.
Availability
The American Curl is a rare breed, though breeders can be found on the internet. Prices can be rather high.
Author: Ruth Bratcher
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