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The American Curl is a breed of
The American Curl is a medium-sized cat , and does not reach maturity until 2–3 years of age. Females should be between and males .
American Curl kittens are born with straight ears, which begin to curl within forty-eight hours. After four months, their ears will not curl any longer, and should be hard and stiff to the touch at the base of the ear with flexible tips. A pet quality American Curl may have almost straight ears, but showcats must have ears that curl in an arc between 90 and 180 degrees. A 90 degrees is preferable, but cats will be disqualified if their ears touch the back of their skulls.
Both longhaired and shorthaired American Curls have soft, silky coats which lie flat against their bodies. They require little grooming and enjoy spending time with their owners.
The American Curl, while still an uncommon breed, is found across the world in the United States, Spain, France, Japan, Russia, and many other countries.
CFA breed articleTICA page of American Curl BreedBrief History and Description of American Curls
{{Cat nav Cat breeds Cat breeds originating in the United States Cat breeds and types with bent ears
cat
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...
characterized by its unusual ears, which curl back from the face toward the center of the back of the skull. The breed originated in Lakewood, California
Lakewood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 80,048 at the 2010 census. It is bordered by Long Beach on the west and south, Bellflower on the north, Cerritos on the northeast, Cypress on the east, ...
, as the result of a spontaneous mutation.
History
The first American Curls appeared as strays on the door step of the Rugas in Lakewood, California in June 1981. The black female, named Shulamith, gave birth to a litter of cats with the same curled ears, and so became the ancestor of all American Curls today. In 1986, an American Curl was exhibited at acat show
A cat show is a judged event where the owners of cats compete to win titles in various cat registering organizations by entering their cats to be judged after a breed standard. Both pedigreed and companion (or moggy) cats are admissible, althoug ...
for the first time, and in 1992, the longhaired American Curl was given championship status by The International Cat Association (TICA). In 1999, the American Curl became the first breed admitted to the Cat Fanciers' Association
The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) was established in the United States in 1906. The CFA is currently the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats. Originally headquartered in Manasquan, New Jersey the CFA moved to Alliance, Ohio in 2010. ...
(CFA) Championship Class with both longhair and shorthair divisions.
The American Curl is a medium-sized cat , and does not reach maturity until 2–3 years of age. Females should be between and males .
American Curl kittens are born with straight ears, which begin to curl within forty-eight hours. After four months, their ears will not curl any longer, and should be hard and stiff to the touch at the base of the ear with flexible tips. A pet quality American Curl may have almost straight ears, but showcats must have ears that curl in an arc between 90 and 180 degrees. A 90 degrees is preferable, but cats will be disqualified if their ears touch the back of their skulls.
Both longhaired and shorthaired American Curls have soft, silky coats which lie flat against their bodies. They require little grooming and enjoy spending time with their owners.
The American Curl, while still an uncommon breed, is found across the world in the United States, Spain, France, Japan, Russia, and many other countries.
Health
Due to its large genetic pool with non-pedigree cats, the American Curl is generally a healthy breed. However, their ears should be handled carefully, as rough handling may damage the cartilage in the ear, and require frequent cleaning to prevent infections. Various matings between cats with curled ears and cats without curled ears revealed a dominant inheritance of the curl gene. Sex-linked distribution was not found. The mutant gene was designated as curl and is symbolized by Cu. Another mutation of the ear pinna was found in Scottish Fold cats. In these cats, anomalies were rarely found when heterozygous, however, in homozygous (FdFd) cats, animals suffer fromdysplasia
Dysplasia is any of various types of abnormal growth or development of cells (microscopic scale) or organs ( macroscopic scale), and the abnormal histology or anatomical structure(s) resulting from such growth. Dysplasias on a mainly microscopi ...
of the lower limbs and tail.Jackson OF . Congenital bone lesions in cats with folded ears . Bull Feline Advisory Bur 1975; 14(4): 2-4. The question arises if homozygous curls (CuCu) could also be affected by cartilage formation defects and bone abnormalities. However, observations of a CuCu cat over two years showed no sign of anomaly.
See also
* Cat body type genetic mutations * Scottish Fold, a breed with ears folding down and forwardReferences
External links
CFA breed article
{{Cat nav Cat breeds Cat breeds originating in the United States Cat breeds and types with bent ears