The American Curl cat has unique ears because they curl up in a graceful arc, giving it a unique look and a playful, dynamic expression that anyone will appreciate at first meeting.
Where did the American Curl cat come from, what characteristics, and how to take care of it? Find out more details in this article.
History and origin of the American Curl cat breed
The American Curl is a natural mutant breed of cat originating from Lakewood, California, USA. The story goes that the ancestor of this breed is a lost black cat named Shulamith with bent and curled ears lying in front of Rugas’ house (probably begging for food). The people of Lakewood passing by at that time were also very surprised and excited to see such a strange cat, and they took turns giving this cat food.
After that, Shulamith had a litter of 4 kittens, and 2 had curly ears like her. After that, people here began to adopt these cats, and it was not until 1992 that the American Curl was recognized as an official breed by the CFA.
Appearance characteristics of the American Curl cat
The American Curl cat is a medium-sized cat with a weight that can reach from 2 to 5 kg. They possess short and long coats depending on their parents’ genes and can be any color found in the cat world, but tabby cats are still the most popular.
And, of course, the ears are the standout feature of this American Curl breed. Their ears will be bent at an angle of nearly 90 degrees towards the back. And like the Scottish Fold, these American Curl cats are born with normal straight ears.
However, after only about 2 days, their ears will start to curl; after 4 months, this process will stop, and their ears will become stiffer. Cats with ears bent over 90 to 180 degrees will have a great chance of winning prizes in Cat Show competitions.
Personality characteristics of the American Curl cat
The American Curl’s personality is gentle, calm, and cocky as a domestic cat. They can lie still for you or your kids to play freely and touch their feet, hands, and ears, but avoid touching their bellies.
They also rarely show their affection as clearly as dogs, but only silently sit in one place to watch what you are doing, watching you, sometimes meowing and running out to rub their heads when you only to return home, then run to another place to lie down or wait to beg for food.
How to take care of the American Curl cat
The American Curl cat is inherently a street cat breed and crossed with many other cats, so their health is stable. So you can feed them the usual cat food or the foods you eat daily.
Besides, taking care of their fur is not too difficult. Even with a long-haired American Curl cat, it is not too much of a worry because although the hair is long, the density is not much, so you just need to buy a regular cat and dog comb, and it is enough.
What you need to pay attention to the most is to buy some cotton towels every day in your spare time and clean their ears. Because the ears are twisted, there are folds that make them a home for many types of bacteria that can cause mold and many other diseases.
How much does an American Curl cat cost? Where do you buy it?
Because it is a natural mutation, the number of purebred American Curl cats is not much, so if you want to own such a cat, you should prepare an amount of about $1000 – $3000 in advance to hope to buy it.
