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American Curl Breed Introduction
American curl is a cat breed derived in Lakewood, California, USA, and is distinguished by its exceptional ears. Their ears curl bark to the center of the back of the skull. These cats are commonly referred to as the Peter Pan of felines since they keep their kitten-like personality their whole life. They are very affectionate cats that make good companions. American Curls also adjust to various living conditions, as well as homes with other pets and children.
These cats can either be long-haired or short-haired and can live up to 20 years due to their big gene pool. American Curls’ curved ears give them an alert and cheerful expression. This cat breed is generally healthy, however, they are quite prone to ear infections. American Curls are recognized by various clubs including ACFA, CCA, CFA, and TICA. These cats can maintain their weight with enough exercise every day. Their colors vary between white, cream, lilac, brown, golden, etc, and have several patterns and shadings. These cat breeds take 2 to 3 years to reach maturity and males are a bit bigger than females.
Origin
The very first cat of this breed appeared on the doorstep of Grace and Joe Rugas as a wonder kitten in June 1981 in Lakewood, California, USA. The kitten was black in color, longhaired, and had distinctive curled ears. The couple decided to keep the cat and named her Shulamith. She got pregnant and gave birth after six months to a litter of cats that had the same curled ears and one was shorthaired. Shulamith and her litter became the first ancestors of the American Curls of today.
These cats began catching the attention of people who were intent on breeding and showing them. As a result, a selective breeding program began to form a show breed. A well-known cat geneticist called Roy Robinson examined data from 81 litters, that is 383 kittens, and discovered that the ear-curling gene was autosomal dominant. This meant that even a cat with a single copy of the gene would have curled ears.
A cat of this breed was exhibited for the first time in 1986 at a cat show and the longhaired American Curls were granted championship status by the TICA. Moreover, the American Curls became the first breed permitted to the Cat Fanciers’ Association Championship Class in 1999 with both shorthair and longhair divisions.
American Curl Lifespan
These cats have a big gene pool and can live between 10 to 17 years or even up to 20 years.
Grooming
Brush your shorthaired American Curls once a week and longhaired ones twice or thrice a week using a suitable brush or comb to remove loss and dead hair and to prevent matting and tangles for longhaired cats. Gently and carefully clean your cat’s ears once a week using a wet cloth, half-warm water, and half vinegar, to remove wax. Also check their ears once every week for any pests like ear mites, dirt, debris, infections, and whether your cat has a narrow ear canal.
You should visit the vet urgently if your cats’ ears smell funny, are extremely dirty, inflamed, or red since they may be a sign of an injury or infection. Brush your American Curls’ teeth frequently to protect them from periodontal disease at least twice a week. Use a feline toothpaste and toothbrush or occasionally use brushing supplements with plaque-removing treats. Bath your cat once or twice every two to three months since cats do clean themselves.
Use a feline-friendly shampoo and warm water to bathe your cat. Lather them properly avoiding the face and rinse off the shampoo thoroughly. Use a wet cloth and warm water to clean their face, especially the eye areas. Dry them using a towel or a dryer on low heat to ensure they are completely dry. Trim their nails every two to three weeks depending on their growth to prevent scratching and overgrowth that might cause pain to your cat. Use nail clippers to cut their nails and styptic powder in case your cat is bleeding.
Shedding
American Curls are low shedders, although shorthaired cats of this breed tend to shed more than longhaired cats throughout the year. These cat breeds shed even more during spring when they loose their winter coat in preparation for summer and in the fall when they shed their summer coat in preparation for winter.
Shedding Problem
Both shorthaired and longhaired American Curls shed less although shorthaired ones shed a little more than the longhaired ones.
Shedding Level
These cat breeds are generally low shedders.
Shedding Season
They shed moderately throughout the year and shed more in the fall and spring during their twice-a-year shedding season in preparation for winter and summer.
Coat
They have a silky flat coat that is either longhaired or shorthaired.
American Curl Hypoallergenic
American Curls are allergy friendly to people who suffer from mild allergies since they are known to produce less allergens than other cat breeds. These cats produce less Fel d 4 and Fel d 7 found in their saliva and dander.
Allergies
These cats produce some proteins found in their saliva and dander that cause allergic reactions like crusty eyes, itchiness, coughing, sneezing, nasal congestion, and even asthma especially to people who suffer from severe cat allergies.
Training
American Curls are intelligent cats that can easily learn any tricks and games you teach them. As a parent of this cat breed, you can train them in games like fetch and play since they love challenging games as well as solving cat puzzles for mental stimulation. Train your cats when they are still kittens on how to properly use a litter box and ensure it stays clean by cleaning it twice every day.
Also, have fixed feeding schedules and feed your cat the same amount every day. You can also use positive reinforcement like the use of treats, rewards, and praise to teach them command words. Start with simple and easy-to-understand commands like sit, lay, off, put, no, yes, go, and stop. Use moderate treats to reward them and alternate with rewards like toys and praise when they get a command right.
American Curl Personality
– Friendly.
– People-oriented.
– Lively.
– Adaptable.
– Curious.
– Even-tempered.
– Intelligent.
– Companionable.
– Affectionate.
– Active.
– Playful.
– Happy.
– Alert.
– Easy going.
– Delightful.
Exercise
American Curls are smart cats that require enough exercise every day. They love cat trees with branches in the house where they can climb and jump. American Curls need enough room to exercise since they tend to maintain their body weight. They also look forward to interactive play with their parents. Select games like hide and seek and puzzles designed precisely for cats to challenge their physical and mental abilities. American Curls can also play games like fetch with rolled-up pieces of paper or small toys. Providing them with various scratching zones in the house is essential since they will prevent them from damaging furniture.
Meow
They are quiet cats that express themselves and communicate through soft cooing and trilling sounds instead of meows.
Size
Male American Curls are a little bigger and weigh 6 – 10 lbs ( Approx. 3 – 5 kg ) while females weigh 4 – 8 lbs ( Approx. 1.8 – 4 kg ). They have a height of 8 – 12 in ( Approx. 20.3 – 30.5 cm ).
Apart from American Curls, other cat breeds include:
Height
These cats have a height of 8 – 12 in ( Approx. 20.3 – 30.5 cm ).
Weight
Female American Curls are a little smaller and weigh between 4 – 8 lbs ( Approx. 1.8 – 4 kg ) while males weigh 6 – 10 lbs ( Approx. 3 – 5 kg ).
Health Issues
American Curls are normally healthy and are not vulnerable cats. However, they may suffer from health conditions like narrow ear canals which can trap wax leading to ear infections. Chronic ear infections can also cause these cats to have swollen, narrow ear canals. They can also suffer from health conditions like:
– Rabies.
– Calicivirus.
– Panleukopenia.
– Rhinotracheitis.
Ear Problems
American Curls have sensitive ears that must be handled with care to prevent cartilage damage. Their ears also need to be cleaned and checked regularly as they are prone to infections due to their curved nature. American Curls are also susceptible to narrowed or deformed ear canals. Those born with narrow ear canals can trap wax, eventually leading to ear infections.
Names
American Curls can have various names like:
– Butter.
– Anna.
– Boomer.
– Nugget.
– Coco.
– Tippy.
– Gavin.
– Cherokee.
– Cleo.
– Dexter.
– Dakota.
– Flo.
– Felix.
– Iris.
– Fred.
– George.
Food
American Curls may be prone to heart disease or obesity if they are not properly fed a high-quality, high-protein diet in good amounts and exercised. The quantity of food your cat eats mostly varies with their level of activity and their age. You can also consult your cat’s vet if you don’t know the right amount to feed your cat. Give your American Curls moderate treats and choose a diet that is suitable for their age and activity level.
Your cat should always have a balanced diet for longevity. Proteins should be from poultry, real meat, or fish, to provide your cat with important fatty and amino acids. Kittens need to feed on kitten food for their first year of life. This will help in their development and growth as it has all the essential nutrients they need. Feed your adult cats, high-quality adult cut food. Give your cat a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dry food divided into two meals every day and clean fresh water at all times.
American Curl Color
This cat breed can have any coat pattern and color that happens naturally in cats. They can have a solid black, tortoiseshell, calico, red tabby, solid gray, “tuxedo”, chocolate, white, golden, blue, lilac, or any other patterns and combination of colors.
Black
There are American Curls with solid black while there are those that are black and have some parts of gray on their neck and body. Their ears appear to be gray inside.
Black And White
Some black and white American Curls have black on their backs and white on their neck, chin, face, tail tip, legs, or underside. Others appear to have a tabby coat with black points.
White
Pure or snow-white American Curls have ears that look pink inside and others have another color on their face and the tip of their tail. They also have different eye colors like blue, yellow, gold, etc.
Shorthair
Shorthaired American Curls also have the same qualities as the longhaired ones and both qualify to be exhibited at cat shows. However, shorthaired ones tend to shed a little more than the longhaired ones.
Long Hair
Longhaired American Curls shed less throughout the year than the shorthaired ones. Longhaired cats of this breed have a feather-like tail.
Munchkin American Curl
These cats are developed by crossbreeding American Curls with Munchkin Cats. These cats have curled years and short legs inherited from both their parents. Munchkin American Curls weigh 2 to 8 lbs ( Approx. 1.4 – 4 kg ).
American Curl Maine Coon Mix
This mix is attained by breeding Maine Coon cats with American Curls. They also have curled ears and longhaired coats with no heavy and shaggy frontal ruff.
Eyes
American Curls’ have big eyes that are walnut-shaped with varying eye colors. They can have eye colors that occur naturally in cats like aqua, copper, amber, odd-eyed, orange, green, yellow, hazel, or gold. All these eye colors are accepted in this cat breed.
Ear
They are initially born with straight ears that later curl after around four days of life. Their curled ears give them a cheerful and alert expression. American Curl’s ears are quite sensitive and prone to ear infections. Show cats of this breed are expected to have ears that curl in an arc of 90 to 180 degrees. However, American Curls with ears that touch the back of their skulls are considered faulty and will not be permitted to exhibit in cat shows. Moreover, they go their name from their curled ears.
Tail
These cats have a long tail that is the same length as their body. American Curls’ tails are wide at the base and narrow to a round tip. Their tail is very hairy and appears like a feather.
American Curl Bengal Mix
These cats are developed by selectively crossbreeding American Curls with Bengal Cats. They also have curved ears and long tails.
Kitten
They can litter between 3 to 5 kittens at a go.
American Curl Price
American Curls’ cost depend on the tightness of their curled ears. Their prices range between $1,100 to $3,000.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How Much Do American Curl Cats Cost
American Curls’ price ranges with how tight their ears curl. Their prices vary between $1,100 to $3,000.
Are American Curl Cats Hypoallergenic
They are not hypoallergenic since they produce some allergens such as Fel d 4 and Fel d 7 that are found in their saliva and dander although they are friendly cats to people who suffer from mild allergies.
American Curl Quick Facts
- They are born with straight ears that later curl 90 to 180 degrees after around four days of life.
- American Curls can either be shorthaired or longhaired.
- They have long tails that are the same length as their bodies and wide at the base.
