The first kitten with such curved ears was born back in 1981, in California. This black kitten was named Shulamith, and two years later she gave birth to her first offspring. It was after this cat reached sexual maturity that active work began to fix this mutated gene for curled ears. Despite all the work of felinologists, American Curls are still a very rare breed, even in the USA, where at the beginning of 2000 only about two hundred representatives of this unusual breed were recorded. What can we say about Europe or Russia, where it is very rare to meet these cats. But nothing is impossible, because even in Russia, if you wish, you can buy an American Curl. DescriptionCareFoodCost
Description of the breed
The American Curl is a unique cat, and it is unique for its unusual ear shape; these cats have curved ears! The curved shape of the ears was the result of a natural mutation of the gene responsible for the shape of the ears, so this breed can be considered naturally occurring and not artificially bred. There is a huge variety of colors and colors, while the cats’ fur is dense, soft, and silky. They are perfectly built, harmonious, with a dense build, cats do not suffer from excess weight, they are slender, not massive. The neck and chest are strong, well developed, the body is flexible, strong legs have rounded pads. The wedge-shaped head has a pleasant, sweet muzzle, soft contours of the profile, a straight nose with smooth transitions to the forehead and chin. Curls look at the world with clear, shiny eyes of a pleasant hazel color, set slightly obliquely, which gives the cats a certain charm and charm. But the most striking feature of the appearance is the ears of Curls, open; at the base, the wide ears of cats bend in a smooth arc back, while the angle of inversion of these soft and flexible tips can vary from 90 to 180 °. It is important that the ears of such an unusual shape are absolutely healthy, unlike the ears of the Scottish Fold, which are susceptible to ear diseases precisely because of their lop ears. Interestingly, Curl kittens are born with normal ears; on the fourth day after birth, the shape of the ears begins to appear, which is finally formed in cats by four months.
American Curl
In 1981, in the state of California (USA), a cat with strange ears was discovered: as a result of a mutation, they turned out to be curled back. A month later she became pregnant, and two of her kittens had ears exactly the same. Selection work began on them, upon completion of which some American felinological organizations recognized the new cats as a breed, later called the American Curl. Currently, the American Curl is most popular in the United States; it is rare in other countries.
The curled ears of American Curls give them a cheerful and funny appearance. The sweet and charming appearance of Curls leaves its mark on their amazing character.
The American Curl is a friendly, playful, undemanding cat that adapts well to new living conditions. She loves to play and needs space and a variety of toys.
More about the American Curl breed
Care
You should be extremely careful when picking up your cat or stroking its head to avoid damaging the cartilage of Curls' unique ears. You need to take care of your ears on a periodic basis, cleaning them with special ear cleaning solutions, however, caring for your ears is the same as for regular cats, which also require ear cleaning on a periodic basis. The coat is easy to care for because... it does not roll down and hardly gets dirty. You can brush it once a week and bathe it once a month using a special shampoo to make the coat shine.
Reviews of American Curl cats
- Alina.
I have an American Curl at home with long, reddish-brown hair. She is almost two years old and her name is Mimosa. Our whole family just loves her! My husband especially loves her, he runs around with the cat all the time, tries to teach her some commands and even goes for walks with her, using a harness. She constantly buys different toys for Mimosa. I must say that the cat is magnificent, there are no problems with her. We visit the veterinarian only when it is necessary to get vaccinations; during the entire time that she has been living with us, the cat has never been sick. We feed him with commercial food recommended by the breeder; it has a good effect on the coat. The cat loves to eat, and it has never happened that she refused it. Below is a photo of my favorite American Curl, Mimosa.
- Alexei.
An American Curl kitten was given to us by friends at our great request. He is incredibly beautiful, he has a silver coat with stripes and a white spot on his chest. The cat is still very small, he is only six months old, funny and gentle. He eats canned food and dry food and is somewhat gluttonous. We are thinking that when he grows up, we will need to start participating in exhibitions, the cat has a good pedigree, his parents were champions. Although initially we wanted a kitten to warm our souls, so we don’t regret having him at all.
- Catherine.
We have an American pet-class curl living with us, because we are not going to participate in exhibition events. He has beautiful ears with regular curls, but very thick fur, which is considered a serious fault for a show animal. However, I adore it, because it is so soft and fluffy, much more beautiful than its expensive and elite “relatives”. The cat was neutered, but this did not affect his character in any way. He is incredibly active, loves to play, runs around the house, and knows how to fetch a ball. Even though the cat is active and energetic, it has never happened that he damaged or broke anything in the house.
Cat breeds
Did you think you knew everything about cat breeds? Test your knowledge on the official website of German natural pet food Bosch. We present an extensive catalog of various cat breeds. The section contains more than 70 reference articles. The names of cat breeds with detailed descriptions and high-quality photos will be of interest to both experienced cat lovers and those who are just thinking about buying an animal.
If you do not want to search alphabetically, write the desired cat breed and use the search bar. Each description of cats with photographs is divided into several parts: a brief information about the breeding of the breed, then a detailed description of the physiological characteristics - for example, the shape of the head, ears and eyes, the size of the body, the nature of the color, the length of the coat, etc.
Egyptian Mau
Let's talk about one of the most ancient and amazing cat breeds. This is the Egyptian Mau . What images flash before our mind's eye when we hear these words? The very name of the breed - Egyptian Mau - awakens the imagination. The narrow streets of eastern cities, pyramids and ancient temples are imagined, along which graceful cats walk solemnly, aware of their involvement in the secrets and mysticism of the East.
Years flew by, centuries turned to dust, thousands of years have passed since those ancient times. But, lo and behold! An Egyptian cat, the earthly embodiment of the goddess Bast, sits in your living room and all the secrets of Ancient Egypt are hidden in her amazing green eyes.
The prototype of the Egyptian Mau is an ancient breed that has undergone natural selection; whose appearance has not undergone significant changes in more than 3,000 years - this is precisely the age of the artwork on which it is depicted.
This breed is very active and sociable and does not tolerate loneliness. On the verge of obsession, requiring constant attention, very talkative, with a melodic voice. Constantly playing and interested in everything the owner does. She is very affectionate and sociable, this cat requires attention and care. It is very interesting to watch how she expresses her joy - she jumps on her hind legs, while her tail trembles and wags often.
Descriptions, photographs and character
For future owners of graceful creatures, the section on the character of various breeds of cats and kittens will be extremely useful. Here you can find out how your pet tends to communicate with people - affectionate and trusting or emphatically independent and even sometimes aggressive? Or perhaps kittens are future excellent hunters, playful and curious, which means it will be impossible to lock the warlike tailed one within four walls. A detailed description of the breed will help you make the right choice. We especially note that the catalog contains expensive and rare cat breeds.
Often the determining factor when choosing a pet is its appearance. Especially if you entrust the choice of a pet to children. But when looking at photos of cat breeds, do not forget that only a careful acquaintance with the description of the character can serve as a guarantee that in the future there will be no disagreements between you and a tailed family member.
Personality of American Curl cats
These animals are very energetic and always cheerful, but at the same time they have amazing obedience, balance and true intelligence.
Due to the fact that the American Curl is a very social pet, it loves to communicate and does not tolerate loneliness or empty rooms at all. Easily establishes contact with large families with children and other pets, as well as with those who often have noisy groups visiting their home. Curl is friendly towards strangers and can even show tenderness and warmth towards them.
Such a cat is not suitable for people who constantly disappear at their work, leaving their home empty. The reason is not even that the animal will begin to feel sad, but that the nature of the American Curl does not allow him to be alone for a long time, because this can greatly affect his psycho-emotional state. This also spoils the animal’s self-esteem; he will feel useless, but will not be able to find a reason for this.
In the life of the American Curl, almost the main component is affection for his owner, so he remains truly faithful. This helps the cat when moving and changing surroundings, because she becomes attached not to the place in which she lives, but to the people who live there with her.
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These optimistic and life-loving kittens rarely lose their temper. Even if you offend a cat, he will not take revenge or ignore the offender, nor will he begin to hide in the corners, trying to hide. Felinologists call these animals true psychotherapists, feeling the slightest changes in the mood of their owner and always trying to console him. Interesting fact: Americans who live alone and are prone to depression often get cats belonging to this breed.
Among the positive traits, one can also highlight the cleanliness of American Curls. They immediately remember where their litter box is and will not poop anywhere else.
Cats are absolutely not intrusive; if they notice that the owner is not in the mood to play with them, then they independently find entertainment to their liking.
American Curls do not have arrogance. They will not steal food from the table, hang from curtains or tear up wallpaper and furniture. A kitten can easily learn rules and norms of behavior from early childhood.
Health and feeding of American Curl cats
This cat breed has not inherited any special defects or propensities for diseases. The only thing that has mutated is the ears, which you need to take care of and not try to deform by turning them in the opposite direction or pulling them out.
The American Curl fed high-quality food that contains a vitamin complex. Experts do not advise giving a cat food that its owners eat, especially if it is quite fatty. The animal should not be given milk.
Price of American Curl kittens. Where to buy an American Curl. American Curl Kennels
In Russia, the price of an American Curl cat starts at three thousand rubles. The highest price American Curl cat is approximately sixty thousand rubles. If you need an American Curl to participate in exhibitions, then be prepared to pay a lot. The fact is that American Curl kittens with an ideal breed standard are born quite rarely and only from breeders with extensive experience in breeding these cats.
In Russian nurseries, active breeding of American curls began only in 2000.
Kennels where you can buy American Curls :
- Russicurl;
- Curland;
If you decide to buy an American Curl kitten, then you need to know how to accurately determine its breed: the kitten must be four months old, and at this age you can clearly see whether its ears are curled or not.