American Curl cats: features, rules of feeding and maintenance

For several millennia, a cute fluffy animal with a freedom-loving character has lived next to a person - a cat. A sacred animal, keeper of the hearth and protector from evil forces, the cat is valued by many nations for its mysterious disposition. For many centuries, mankind has been working on breeding new breeds of pets. Among them is the American Curl.

In 1981, in California, a couple had a good-natured cat with strangely shaped ears. The ears, wide at the base, were rounded at the ends, slightly curled back. This mutation would have remained a fleeting phenomenon if the two kittens born to this cat had not acquired the exact same ears. The new shape of the ears was passed on to the next generation of kittens. People liked the new interesting shape and it was decided to fix the mutation.

Several years later, felinologists became interested in the new breed. As a result of various tests, a unique gene has been isolated that is responsible for the unusual shape of the ears. Since the mutation does not affect the cat's health, it was decided to continue the development of Curls and the breed standards were adopted. In order to reduce the time required for the recognition of a new cat by the international community, Curls were not crossed with other purebred species, using ordinary cats to fix the species characteristics.

The uniqueness of this cat breed lies not only in the unusual shape of the ears, but also in the fact that this is the first species recognized in two varieties. To date, the International Organization for Breeding and Breeding of New Cat Breeds FIFe and the World Cat Federation WCF have registered two varieties of the breed:

• longhaired (FIFe) or semi-longhaired (WCF);

• shorthaired.

Having seen the Curl for the first time, it can no longer be confused with any other breed of cats. A slightly elongated wedge of a rounded head smoothly passes from the tip of a straight nose to the bridge of the nose and forehead. Wide, high and upright set ears by one third consist of dense cartilage, similar in structure to the cartilaginous tissue of human ears. The tips of the ears are rounded smoothly, without creases, twist back, bending at an angle of 90-180 °.

With such a range of curl options, it is impossible to find two identical cats. At the base, the auricles are decorated with fluffy tufts of guard hairs. The soft tips of the ears adorn the tassels like a lynx. American Curl kittens are born with straight ears. The characteristic features of the breed appear after a few days, and the auricle takes its final shape by four months.

The wide-set eyes are in the form of a slightly elongated circle, slightly slanted towards the bridge of the nose. The corneal color of bright and clear eyes can be anything other than coat color. The exception is colorpoint cats, their eyes must be blue. A strong, proportional body with developed muscles rests on straight parallel legs, giving the impression of strength, grace and health.

A strong, thick tail at the base, smoothly tapering towards the end, is equal in length to the body of a cat. Curls with long hair are distinguished by the presence of a fluffy "collar", "pants" and a shaggy tail. Their coat has almost no undercoat and is loose in structure. Short-haired cats boast a smooth coat that you just want to stroke. The color of the cat can be any: monochromatic, spotted, striped, as there are no specific standards.

The American Curl cat has the best temperament, suitable for life next to a person. Affectionate, friendly purr is very attached to the people around him, and at the same time knows how to be unobtrusive. Like many cats, the curl loves to be stroked, responding to the caress with a low purr. His voice is pleasant to the ear, but the cat itself is not very talkative and will not bother the owners with constant meows. To inform the owners of their desires, the cat will purr or quietly "purr".

Cats of this breed easily adapt to a new place, without showing aggressiveness and anxiety. They like to choose unexpected places for rest, which are high enough above the floor. Curl owners should be prepared for the loving purr to sleep on your bed, sit next to you when you work, and can sit on your desktop. None of your activities will be left without feline attention and all possible help. Curls need attention and communication, so they try to be close to a person.

The friendliness of Curls extends not only to humans, but also to other pets.whether it be a dog, cat, rodent or bird. Curls retain their childish playfulness for almost the entire life span, and they actively involve those pets with whom they have developed friendly relations in the game. Docile nature and quick-wittedness make the cat suitable for keeping in families with children.But it is better to limit contact with very young children, since such babies can easily harm the fragile tips of cat ears.

Curls are very intelligent and easy to train. They also enjoy performing in public, so you can learn a few tricks with them, and the Curls will be happy to show what they have learned in front of your guests. Also, a smart cat quickly understands what can and cannot, easily perceives prohibitions and does not repeat prohibited actions. It is not recommended to let your cat outside alone, even if you live in your own home. But they easily get used to the harness and calmly walk on a leash.

Curls do not have specific species, since any color of silky coat is acceptable for both varieties of the breed, be it black, red, striped or speckled, but the most common colors are the following.

• Cake or tortoiseshell. It is characterized by a white breast and solid colored spots all over the body.

• Tabby. It is rather a type of pattern (tiger stripes; classic rings on the tail and legs, spiral markings on the sides, stripes along the ridge and spots on the abdomen; simple spots forming stripes or chaotically scattered; solid color of the body, but there are stripes on the muzzle).

• Bicolorwhen a dark cat has a few white or light spots: "socks" on the legs, spots on the head or several spots on the body, light chest. All this in different combinations or one thing.

• Colorpoint means that a light-colored cat has dark legs, ears and a muzzle. Typical colors are: gray, brown, red-red, coffee with milk, blue or striped.

• A la Siamese cats. One of the varieties of colorpoint, separated into a separate group.

• Monochrome.

From a young age, the kitten needs to be taught to cosmetic procedures so that later there will be no problems. It is important to take care of the coat: combing and bathing, claw trimming; brushing teeth and ears. It is very easy to take care of the coat of cats of this breed, since their undercoat is very rare. You need to comb the curl with a metal brush with teeth ending in a rounded top. Long-haired cats are brushed twice a week, while for short-haired cats this procedure can be done only once every 7 days.

You need to bathe the purr monthly, but not more often than once, so that the sebaceous glands do not interfere with their work. Claws are clipped every week, as they grow back very quickly, removing up to 3 mm of the claw with a nail clipper. You can use a special finger toothbrush to brush your teeth. The toothpaste is best picked up with the help of a veterinarian and should taste soft.

Cat ears are cleaned as needed, using special napkins, cotton pads and a cleaner. During the procedure, do not pull back and straighten the curls, as the cat will experience painful sensations. Active curls need to spend a lot of time outdoors in order to fulfill their need for outdoor games. At the same time, such a walk helps the cat satisfy the desire for closer communication with its beloved owners.

An active and healthy American Curl cat is not prone to obesity and overeating, so you can not be afraid that she will eat more than she should. For proper feeding, breeders advise using premium ready-to-eat foods that are age, lifestyle and breed appropriate. Feed can be dry or wet. They contain all the vitamins and minerals you need for your cat to live a fulfilling life.

But if you do not want to give your cat ready-made food, then you can use boiled lean meat, offal, fish and plant products to feed the curls. These can be vegetables, grains and fruits. You can give egg yolk and add vegetable oil. All products must be of high quality. But it is better to exclude salt, sugar, spices, fats and milk from the cat's diet, therefore it is not recommended to feed the curl from your table. To improve the palatability and increase the usefulness of self-prepared food, various vitamin and mineral supplements are added to the food.

The life span of a healthy cat is about 14 years. Since the breed of American Curls descended from ordinary outbreds, they inherited the strong health of their ancestors and resistance to diseases characteristic of other pedigree cats. But this does not negate visits to specialists and preventive measures.

Once a month, the cat must be treated with anthelmintic drugs and once a year, it must be examined by a veterinarian. It is also worth contacting a doctor to monitor the female during pregnancy, especially if this is your first pet or, conversely, a cat is already in old age. If the owners do not plan to breed cats, then experts recommend neutering or neutering the animal when it reaches its age:

• 7-9 months for cats;
• 5-7 months for a cat.

The later such an operation is performed, the greater the likelihood of severe health consequences for the pet. It is also necessary to constantly examine the condition of the ear openings, especially if the cat has a too narrow ear canal. Such an anomaly leads to inflammation inside the ear, so regular visits to the veterinarian will help prevent the development of the disease. The most common injury among Curls is damage to the thin ear cartilage due to improper handling.

For those who want to start breeding a purr with unique ears, obtaining offspring will not be difficult, since there is no need to look for a mating partner for the same breed. A distinctive feature of Curls is that purebred kittens can be obtained by mating cats of the same breed, or one of the partners belongs to ordinary mongrel cats. In the first case, all offspring will have ears characteristic of Curls, in the second half of all born kittens will be purebred.

When choosing a mating partner from ordinary cats, you need to pay attention to the exterior of the animal. It should be as close to breed standards as possible, with the exception of the shape of the auricle. Interestingly, the shape of the curl does not depend on the parents. It so happens that a pair of curls - prize winners give birth to kittens with weak curls, suitable only for home keeping.

The first time the mating of an animal is carried out no earlier than the cat is one year old, even if this is not her first estrus, choosing an experienced partner, since the same newcomer may get confused and there will be no result. Mating should always be carried out on the territory of the cat so that the male is not distracted by the examination of a new place. When preparing animals for mating, it is necessary to carry out all preventive measures:

• get the necessary vaccinations on time;
• proglistat 2 weeks before mating;
• to groom the animals, but in no case wash them, so that the smell characteristic of a running cat is preserved.

The cat is brought to the cat for a couple - three days before estrus and left for up to 5 days. If everything goes well, then in 9-10 weeks the murka will bring healthy offspring. Curl breeders start evaluating kittens when they reach 3-4 months of age. By this time, babies have already fully formed the auricle, they become quite independent, have all the necessary vaccinations and are trained in the necessary skills.After that, the kittens are ready to move to a new place of residence and participate in shows. The minimum age for show kittens is 4 months.

There are 3 degrees of ear curl.

• Faint or first degree curl. Cats with this shape of ears are only suitable for keeping in a family.
• The second, stronger degree of curl translates its owners into the category of producers and is typical for most curls.
• The deepest curl of the third degree allows cat owners to participate in various shows, showing off their pet and earning awards.

Most Curl breeders live in the United States of America. At home, the Curl breed is quite popular, while other countries have not yet fully appreciated the beauty of the breed and the affectionate nature of cats. Russia also has its own Curl connoisseurs. Therefore, there is no need to look for a kitten overseas when you can contact one of the catteries located in the country. The most popular ones are:

• in Moscow: Charmingcurl and Primecurl;
• in Sochi - Americancurl;
• in Yekaterinburg - Scarlet;
• in St. Petersburg - Vinnimur.

The price of one kitten varies from 3 thousand to 60 thousand rubles. The price is influenced by the degree of curl, the quality and color of the coat, the kitten's parents and the opportunity to participate in exhibitions. A healthy, playful kitten with an unusual shape of ears will grow into a beautiful cute cat, which will become your loyal friend and beloved pet.

All about the American Curl breed, see the video below.