- American Curl Size: Medium-sized, about 45 centimeters head-body length
- Classification: Long-haired and short-haired variants
- Color: All colors and patterns are available
- Body care: Occasional brushing
- Character: Friendly family cat
- Origin: USA
- Weight: 3.2 to 4.5 kilograms (male), 2.3 to 3.6 kilograms (female)
- Eyes: Walnut-shaped, all colors except blue
- Life expectancy: 13 to 15 years
- Nutrition: Species-appropriate food with a high meat content
American Curl Origin and History
The founding mother of the American Curl was the black stray cat Shulamith, who appeared in California in the early 1980s and was adopted by the Ruga couple. When Shulamith gave birth to a litter in which some of the kittens had inherited their mother’s strange ear shape, her owners decided to get to the bottom of the matter. After a genetic test, it was clear that the twisted ears were inherited in a dominant manner.
Ten years later, the American Curl was already recognized as a breed by several American breeding associations. In order to avoid inbreeding, cats with normal ears are continually crossed.
Character
The American Curl is known for its sociable, friendly nature and is usually open to strangers and children. Well-socialized animals are playful and cuddly; in terms of activity, character traits from cross-bred cat breeds are influential. The velvet paws are intelligent and curious, but not very communicative and hardly meow. Instead, they love to climb and are quick to learn.
The American Curl develops amazing skills with its paws. Opening (cupboard) doors or manipulating objects is not difficult for it – things that are taboo should therefore be kept out of the paw reach of your clever furry friend.
Keeping and caring for the American Curl
Since the long-haired version of the American Curl has very little undercoat and the fur is unlikely to mat, it is sufficient to brush the animals once a week – more often during periods of shedding. However, you should take a close look at the ears every day and, if necessary, clean the ears with a cotton ball moistened with warm water.
When it comes to keeping the American Curl, there are no breed-specific requirements. However, since they are very sociable, you should never keep them alone, but with one or more other cats. If you spend a lot of time with these intelligent cats, you will definitely be able to teach them little tricks in a playful way.
Special features
American Curls are late developers and are not considered fully grown until they are two to three years old. Their trademark is their ears that are bent backwards. The angle of this backward inclination can be up to 180 degrees – this can lead to problems with the ear canals. The curvature of the ears only becomes visible when the kittens are a few days old and is complete by the time they are four months old. The breed is also not prone to specific health problems.
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