American Curl Cat Breed Information - Everything You Want To Know

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The American Curl is a unique cat most famously known for its curled ears. These ears are folded inward towards the skull.

This breed was initially bred in Lakewood, California. The American Curl is known for its affectionate, friendly, and playful nature, making them fun.

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American Curl History

The American Curl is a fairly new breed that developed curled ears because of a genetic mutation. The first American Curl was first seen in Shulamith; It was a stray cat with long silky hair.

Luckily this Cat was adopted by joe and Grace. The Cat produced four offspring, two of which had the same ears as their mother.

Joe and Grace consulted a geneticist who found that the ears were curled because of the presence of a dominant gene.

With this knowledge, Cat fanciers worldwide started breeding the American Curl in 1983. The Cat Fancier Association officially recognized this breed in 1986, and then one year later, they were recognized by ICFA (International Cat Association).

American Curl Key Facts

The American Curl is usually born with normal ears. Then, as they grow up, their ears begin to curl slowly until four months.

After this time, their ear should be stiff and sturdy. Most the pet quality American Curls have fairly straight ears, but the show quality American Curl must have curled ears with a 90 or 180-degree arc.

The American Curl is a new breed which is not very popular. But it has made its way in many popular countries, including Japan, Russia, the United States, Spain etc. Their popularity is growing by the day, but they are more popular as show cats rather than pets.

How does Big Do American Curl get?

The American Curl is a medium to large-sized Cat with an average weight of around 5 – 10 pounds. The males can weigh between 7 – 10 pounds, while the females weigh 5 – 8 pounds. This is the healthy range. However, some cats might weigh a little more or less and still be healthy. But if your Cat is significantly larger or smaller, it might be time to visit the vet.

American Curl Lifespan

The American Curl is a healthy breed that lives between 11 – 15 years. Some American Curl is known to live up to 20 years of age. This is possible by taking proper care of their needs and wants. Most cat owners ignore the stress levels of their Cats, which can be high. So, it is good to keep something like Catnip or Toys around to help them relax.

How Much Does A American Curl Cost?

The American Curl is not a common breed so it can cost a lot. The average price ranges from $1,000 to $2,000. This price can go even higher if you buy from a reputable breeder that sells show quality cats. You can also adopt this Cat from a shelter, but you might not find many of them due to their uncommon nature.

American Curl Personality

The American Curl is sweet, gentle, and loving. They like to become close with their owner by spending time with them and interacting with them. They are also good with children and infants, which is not something you see in most cats. But ensure that whenever there are kids around, keep an escape route open for them, just in case things get too intense.

The American Curl is active and intelligent, so they like playing games and learning new ones, which they use to impress their owner and win their affection. They are also adaptive and alert, which means they will also be attentive to your moods and adapt their behavior accordingly.

Caring for A American Curl

The American Curl is almost similar to most other breeds, as it requires the same care and protection as all the other cats. But as they are highly intelligent and active, you might want to keep them engaged, and it’s usually not as easy as it may sound.

Additionally, you want to care for their nutrition and activity needs. We will discuss these in the next section.

American Curl Nutrition

The American Curl is a fairly active breed that requires good nutrition to keep up with the amount of energy. It is generally best to feed them according to weight.

The kittens will be happy with kitten food, while the adults require good quality and nutritious adult cat food.

It is easy for you to overfeed them, especially if you have had large-sized cats as pets before. So be aware and feed them according to their weight only.

If you have questions and confusion regarding the amount and frequency of feeding, then it would be best to visit your nearest vet for assistance.

How To Groom A American Curl?

The American curl can have either a short coat or a long one. This coat can come in various colors, but almost all the long-haired coats are smooth, silky, and almost straight. So, if your American Curl has short hair, then brushing them once or twice a week would be sufficient.

But having a long-haired variety means you’ll have to brush them 2 – 3 times per week. This will make their coats free from loose hair or dirt, prevent matting, and reduce shedding. Clipping their nails and brushing their teeth at least once a week is also important and should be included in their grooming routine.

American Curl Activity Levels

The American Curl is a fairly active breed that likes to jump from place to place, run across the hallways, and get under sofas and beds. In addition to being active, they are smart and curious, which means that they will often go to places they are not supposed to go and do things that you won’t expect them to do.

This keeps them active and moving.

American Curl Health Concerns

The American Curl is a healthy breed but may develop certain health concerns. These concerns are usually genetic and may include things like narrow ear canals, ear infections, and wax buildup.

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