The origin of the breed, the standard of appearance, the character of the animal and a description of the health of the cat. Tips for caring for animals, especially selection and kittens. The American Curl is an animal bred on the American continent, it could be safely attributed to the most average cat breeds, which have everything average - size, proportions, coat length, size of ears and eyes, if not for one "but". The curl, in contrast to these "middle peasants", has one characteristic "zest" only for him - the bizarre shape of the ears, stylishly wrapped in the opposite direction by a strange whim of nature. Probably to hear better and not to miss anything. There are so many important things in this world.
The origin of the American Curl breed
These animals owe their origin to Mother Nature with her unpredictable mutations and His Majesty Chance. And the history of American cats with unusually inverted ears began quite recently - in 1981 in California (USA).
As is often the case in cat breeding, the breeders discovered "a rare animal - curled ears" quite by accident, were very surprised and decided to conduct an experiment. The very first kittens obtained by scientists from this cat were also born with "curled" ears, which made their experimenters very happy. The selection continued. The future breed was named - American Curl (from English, "curl" - "curl").
Further selection work made it possible to obtain curls of various colors and with different hair lengths, everywhere successfully preserving the main advantage of these handsome people - their stylish curls-ears.
External standard of American Curls
The American Curl are beautifully built animals of medium size, well proportioned and strong build. At the same time, they do not look like powerful big guys, but rather look like slender and fit athletes. The maximum weight of adult cats of this breed of all varieties reaches 7 kg, and for cats - 5 kg.
The head of a Curl cat has a rounded wedge-shaped shape with a strong chin, a moderately straight nose and a rounded vibrissae zone. The neck is strong, sufficiently muscular, of medium length.
The ears of American Curls are simply wonderful, small in size, wide open at the base, with a smooth backward bend from the second third of the ear length (the bend angle ranges from 90 to 180 degrees). The tips of the ears are flexible, soft, rounded. The auricle inside is richly covered with light wool. In adult representatives of the breed, ears are sometimes found devoid of "curling", but this is a deviation from the standard.
The eyes of the Curls are beautiful, rather large, set somewhat obliquely, they resemble an oval in shape. The distance between the eyes is almost equal to the length of the eye itself. The combination of the shape and set of the eyes with curled ears gives the beast a somewhat comical, or eternally surprised, or, on the contrary, a sophisticated look of an all-knowing owl. Eye color is not limited by standards and does not depend on coat color. The exception is blue eyes. It should be in American color point Curls.
The constitution of these animals should be rectangular and strong, but light, slender, with moderately developed muscles. A well-developed rectangular chest. The back line is straight. Curl's legs are of medium length, slender, moderately muscular, with neatly oval legs. The tail is long, medium in thickness, richly pubescent with fur.
The length of the fur depends on the species to which the cat belongs. If you do not go into the intricacies of species options, then in fact there are three variations of the American Curl, depending on the length of its wool:
- long-haired American curl - rich, long fur, with a double undercoat, silky to the touch, not adjacent to the animal's body;
- semi-long-haired American curl - medium-length wool, silky, soft, with an undercoat, half adhering to the body;
- short-haired American curl - the fur is short, silky, soft-elastic, with shine, without undercoat, tightly fitting to the body of the cat.
The color of the cat's coat is very different, and is not limited by the standard.
Disadvantages leading to a downgrade:
- low or high set ears with a sharp bend or tilt to the side, too much bend of the ears (as well as its absence) leads to disqualification;
- pointed tips of the ears;
- the edge of the auricles is corrugated;
- the body of the cat is heavy, too squat, devoid of harmony;
- in cats of the short-haired group - too long and hard guard hair, coarse structure of fur, too dense undercoat;
- in cats of the semi-long-haired group - too thick and coarse hair with an overly dense undercoat.
The character of the American Curl
The American Curl is a wonderful cat, inquisitive and nimble, intelligent like a cat, very clean, loving and devoted to his home and owners.
This cat breed is very friendly and sociable. He gets along well with the household and with other animals living in the house. Not aggressive and not too keen on the game of hunting, so even rodents and birds living in your house are not in danger.
Moreover, cats of this breed are distinguished by their energy, activity and jumping ability. Therefore, places for their outdoor games require a lot. Get along well with children. Although he does not particularly like to be unnecessarily squeezed, swaddled and put to bed against his will, and even more so dragged by his paws or tail. Therefore, American Curls try to avoid close contact with such active children.
Representatives of the breed are very cheerful, companionable, playful and kind animals, who adore watching the behavior of the owner and, if possible, participate in all his affairs. Water the flowers - he will immediately come to see if everything has been watered and is it time to taste some of the plants (they are suddenly ripe). Whether you're washing the dishes or washing your clothes, the American Curl will also be spinning around, checking the quality of your work.
And also - these are very gentle pets with a "weasel-addictive" trusting character. He is completely devoid of any rancor and vindictiveness. He is not inclined to take offense and "sulk" at the owner, even if he believes that he was not shouted at him deservedly (unfortunately, this happens to people).
He is very curious, because of which he sometimes suffers. He can jump onto the dining table to study the menu served, taste a couple of dishes he likes, or accidentally get into a salad with his paws. It happens to everyone!? At the same time, interestingly, they never steal from the table. Here is such a strange creature. The favorite place of the American Curl is where your whole family and all your pets gather, where you can play and communicate with everyone at once, and at the same time show yourself. Well, listen to family news, or maybe tell something myself. By the way, these cats are not very talkative. They love to listen more than to tell. And even more annoying and loudly yelling (as some breeds do, like the Siamese). Their voice is pleasant and looks more like cooing. The most important word for a cat is "meow", these cats do not pronounce it so often.
Curls are very intelligent and intelligent animals, easy to learn and have certain abilities. Therefore, in order to accustom the curl to walk in the tray or eat only in the designated place, it is not difficult. You don't need to be a trainer to do this. But sometimes you really want to! Moreover, you can endlessly exercise the mind and intelligence of the "little animal with curls". These funny cats are quick to play with simple puzzle toys and are able to master a variety of tricks. Naturally, for a treat.
And the appetite for these Americans will not be denied. They love to eat, what can we say. Therefore, there is a real need to monitor their diet and serving size. The breed of American Curls is distinguished by a calm intelligence of behavior. In unfamiliar surroundings, they behave very quietly and modestly, in need of a period of adaptation. But having got used to it, they are able to show all their playing skills in all their glory. Moreover, regardless of age, these funny "little animals with curls" are ready to play, play and play.
But in general, a representative of this breed needs a lot of attention and love, without which he simply cannot do. Therefore, never forget about it when getting yourself a fluffy (or not so) kitten with funny curled ears and a surprised look.
And remember, your furry friend has a reputation as those domestic cats that never grow up, remaining playful and agile after 10 and 15 years. They require your attention, care and affection, and they really rely on you.
American Curl health
Representatives of this unique breed are very healthy by nature. They do not have any genetically determined diseases or problems associated with selection flaws. The gene of natural mutation, which gave these animals stylish ears, did not bring with it any negative consequences for their health.
The strong immune system of American Curls allows them to easily cope with infections and common feline ailments (which may not exist at all, with normal care and timely vaccination of the animal).
Therefore, the life expectancy of these furry friends is quite long. They easily and without any special sores live up to the standard feline age (15-16 years) and continue to live on - up to 18-20 years.
American Curl Care Tips
Hair care for American Curls depends on the group your favorite animal belongs to: short-haired, semi-long-haired or long-haired.
The most attention is undoubtedly the coat of the long-haired American Curl, which has a thick undercoat. The fur of this cat must be combed out at least once a week, if you do not want to then collect wool from all rooms, carpets and sofas. Although, it is even better to comb the long-haired cat every other day. Well, during the moulting periods … You understand.
The situation is much simpler with the semi-long-haired representative of the breed, and even more so with the short-haired American. However, the frequency of combing remains the same. Only it will take much less time.
It is necessary to bathe American Curls, on average, once every two months. But there are no hard and fast rules. Some owners are firmly convinced that the cat should be bathed as little as possible, regardless of the length and density of its coat. And bathing is necessary only in case of severe contamination of the animal, before mating or an exhibition (there is no way to go anywhere), otherwise, it is done with the usual combing. It is difficult to disagree with this. Moreover, for cats (except for breeds that adore water) the bathing process is always a great stress. However, American Curls are quite calm about going to the bath and do not make scenes. So what to bathe or not bathe is up to you.
The famous ears require special attention. Not only that, they must be handled with care during the period of their formation (up to four months of age of the kitten). So they must also be regularly examined throughout life, and if necessary, cleaned with cotton swabs, trying to very carefully penetrate into the auricle (to avoid injury).
It is also necessary to periodically trim your pet's nails. It's nice to have a permanently equipped place - a scratching post, where the cat can calmly, and without harming furniture and wallpaper, sharpen its claws on its own. Usually, small logs of dense wood, placed upright and securely fastened in a corner or against a wall, are perfect for this purpose. Once, having understood the purpose of this simple device, the American Curl will never sharpen its claws on the upholstery of a sofa or carpet.
Veterinarians and breeders of this breed recommend feeding the fluffy representative with ready-made food, preferably at least a premium class from a reliable manufacturer. This will not only save you time, but also save you from many troubles with the health of your pet - such food is always well balanced in composition, has all the necessary vitamins, trace elements and minerals. It is also a good idea to include lean raw meat (rabbit, turkey, veal), low-fat marine fish, and a little low-fat cottage cheese in the diet of the American curl from time to time. But it is undesirable to give food from your table, it contains a lot of salt, hot spices, and sometimes sugar, which is not only not useful, but also harmful for your curly handsome man.
American Curl kittens
Sexual maturity in cats of this breed occurs by the age of 2 years and by 3 years in cats. There were no peculiarities in mating or bearing pregnancy in “mothers” -Kerls. Everything is standard, like most cat breeds.
Pregnancy (up to 72 days) is easily tolerated by American cats due to the general good health of the breed. Symptoms of toxicosis or refusal to eat, found in other breeds, are extremely rare.
As a rule, from 3 to 5 kittens are born in a litter with ears that slightly resemble the characteristic ears of adult cats of the American Curl. The ears of newborn kittens, as experts say, are still "wet" - that is, straight and soft. The hardening of the ear cartilage occurs gradually, starting only from the second week of existence and finally completing only by the age of four months. Until this moment, it is impossible to determine exactly what shape the ears of an adult will be. Sometimes, they remain straight, like in the most ordinary cat, which completely deprives such an animal of the opportunity to participate in the exhibition championship, but absolutely does not deprive it of our love.
American Curl females are wonderful, giving all their time to newborn babies. Lick, feed, lick again, and feed again. All that is required from the owner is attention to the mother-cat herself and love for her squeaking command.
Price when buying a kitten
American Curls are well distributed in the United States and other American states. They have mastered Europe quite well and only recently began to develop the territory of Russia. So far in Russia there are only about a dozen nurseries worthy of attention.
Accordingly, the price for an American Curl kitten is quite high - from 15 to 20 thousand rubles, although on the Internet you can see a lot of advertisements for the sale of curls with a price much lower. But whether these are the curls, and how good they are, you cannot understand from the picture. Therefore, it is more correct to deal not with random sellers, but with nurseries with a reliable reputation. Even if their kittens are a little more expensive.
For a description of the American Curl breed, see this video:
[media =
