Emma Jones
Her curled back ears are an eye-catcher that makes the American Curl so special and adds a leprechaun touch to her pretty face. But of course, the velvet paws from the USA have much more to offer than just an exotic appearance. American Curl is an intelligent and cuddly family cat that inspires by its lovable nature. The house tiger with twisted ears has long since found its fans in Europe.
American Curl: 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 affectionate; in terms of activity, character traits of crossed cat breeds find their influence. The velvet paws are clever and curious, but not very communicative and hardly meow. But they prefer to climb and are docile.
The American Curl develops amazing dexterity with its paws. Opening (closet) doors or manipulating objects is not difficult for her – things that are taboo should therefore be kept out of the reach of your clever furry friend’s paws.
Keeping and Maintaining the American Curl
Since the long-haired variant of the American Curl also has only a little undercoat and the fur can hardly become matted, it is sufficient to brush the animals once a week – more frequently when the coat is changing. However, you should take a close look at your ears every day and, if necessary, clean them with a cotton ball moistened with warm water.
In terms of attitude, the American Curl does not make any breed-specific claims. Since she is very sociable, you should never keep her alone, but with one or more conspecifics. If you deal extensively with intelligent cats, you will surely succeed in teaching them little tricks in a playful way.
Colors of the American Curl
The American Curl breed standard focuses on conformation, with no regulations on coat color or markings. That’s why American Curls are widespread in all conceivable color variants and fur markings: solid colors from white to black and all intermediate tones, mackerel, piebald, as tabby cats, or in tortoiseshell.
The History of the American Curl
The ancestor of the American Curl was the black found cat Shulamith, who appeared in California in the early 1980s and was adopted by the Ruga couple. When Shulamith gave birth to a litter where some kittens inherited their mother’s odd ear shape, her humans decided to investigate. After a genetic test, it was clear that the rotated ears were inherited dominantly.
Ten years later, the American Curl was already recognized as a breed by several American breed associations. To avoid inbreeding, cats with normal ears are crossed again and again.
Peculiarities of the American Curl
American curls are among the late developers who are only considered fully grown at the age of two to three years. Their trademark is their ears, which are bent backward. The angle of this backward tilt can be as much as 180 degrees, which can cause problems with the ear canals. Ear curvature does not become apparent until the kittens are a few days old and are complete by four months. In addition, the breed is not prone to any specific health problems.
Overall, the velvet paws grow less undercoat. However, it has not been generally proven whether this predestines the breed as a pet for people who are allergic to animal hair. If you want to be on the safe side, ask the breeder for a hair and saliva sample and clarify the allergy potential before purchasing the animal.