How to Understand the American Curl

Origin

The American Curl is a very new American breed only discovered in 1981. A longhaired silky black stray kitten with unusual ears appeared on the doorstep of Joe and Grace Ruga’s home. Of course, you know the rest, the kitten just had to be fed and then she decided this was home. Finally, Grace gave her a name, Shulamith. In December of 1981, Shulamith, gave birth to her first litter of kittens. Two of your four babies had curled ears.

This was the beginning of the American Curl. The genetic trait was caused by a dominant gene and was inherited. This very strong gene would appear in every kitten if only one parent had curled ears.

Height and Weight

The American Curl is a medium sized cat that normally weighs between 5 and 10 pounds. This sweet kitty does not reach adulthood until around 2 to 3 years of age.

Colors and Coat

The American Curl has two types of coats, longhaired and shorthaired. The tails on both have longer flowing hair. The coat colors can be bi-color, calico, tortoiseshell, smoke, shaded, tabby, bi-color, calico, pointed colorings, and solid. The solid colors can be white, black, blue, red, cream, chocolate, and lilac. All color pointed have blue eyes.

Temperament and Living Environment

The American Curl is a loving and friendly cat breed that accepts children, all kinds of other pets, and does not mind if he is in a large or small family. He can be just as happy in an apartment as he can in a large mansion. This is a people cat. He would rather be around people that his own kind. If at all possible, he will be with you 24 hours per day. He will give you gentle kisses in the morning to rise, help you fix breakfast, do all your chores, and then follow you to bed at night.

One unusual factor about the American Curl is with their intelligence and well-mannered conduct they still enjoy kitten like behavior even as adults.

Grooming

The American Curl’s coat has non-matting hair, therefore grooming is very easy. You can give them a bath every once in a while and brush their coat to keep it in good condition.

Diet and Care

A well balanced diet will work perfectly. The ears should not be handled often. The cartilage is very fragile and can be damaged when handled. If your cat needs his eared cleaned, you should visit a vet to ensure the ears are handled properly.

Health issues and Life expectancy

The American Curl is one of the healthiest cat breeds will no known health problems. The live expectancy is 15 to 20 years.