American Curl breed guide

People-oriented to the point of conflict: CFA imagines an American Curl torn between helping with dinner, sorting the mail and chasing shoelaces. The breed keeps a kitten-like personality into adulthood, so it suits children of all ages and looks forward to regular play sessions.

CFA says it has an inherent respect for other pets, which makes it compatible with dogs, other cats and any other type of pet.

Affectionate, easygoing and adaptable, the American Curl makes itself at home in any environment, often in record time. It comments on your activities with little chirps and politely inquires about dinner.

Its energy is high enough to be engaging and never annoying, in CFA's words.

Both coat lengths are silky and lie flat with minimal undercoat, so combing or brushing two or three times a month keeps shedding down. Ears need regular cleaning with a cotton swab and ear cleaner, worked up and away from the canal opening.

The cartilage is delicate, so never pull on the ears.

CFA reports no breed-linked health issues to date, helped by outcrossing to domestic random-bred cats until 2015. Many breeders still test regularly so recessive problems from the wider cat population do not surface.

Shulamith's kittens showed that the curled ear is autosomal dominant, so one copy of the gene is enough. Joe and Grace Ruga, the original breeders, consulted CFA judges about a new breed and then crossed curl-eared cats to domestic shorthairs and longhairs.

Kitten ears are straight at birth, start curling backward in three to five days and set permanently at about 16 weeks.