American Curl History
HISTORY The American Curl breed traces its origin to a single longhaired domestic cat known as Shulamith, a petite, dainty solid black cat with curled back ears, who was abandoned in southern California in 1981. Joe and Grace Ruga took Shulamith in and gave her a home, and when half of the kittens in her first litter also had curled ears, the suspicions of a genetic difference were confirmed. The Rugas placed curl-eared kittens with friends, who continued to work with them in a "test breeding" program. In 1983, after reviewing the available litter data and observing what curl-eared cats had been produced up to that time, it was confirmed by a CFA judge that the curl-eared cats did not exist as a known breed, and the journey to have the American Curl accepted as a new breed by the different cat associations was begun.
LONGHAIR/SHORTHAIR The first American Curls were longhairs; the longhair coat should lie close to the body, with minimal undercoat, no ruff, and a full plumed tail. Shulamith produced the first shorthair curl-eared kitten in her third litter. At that time, although used in breeding programs, shorthair Curls were considered a "byproduct" of the breed, used only to improve conformation. As interest in Curls as a breed grew, there were more requests specifically for the shorthaired Curl. The Rugas, liking the clean look of the shorhairs, set up a breeding program specifically to develop the Shorthair American Curl in its own right. The conformation of the Shorthair American Curl is identical to the Longhair, the only difference is the length of the coat, which should be short and fairly close-lying, with minimal undercoat.
CURLED EARS The unique curled ear is a natural genetic mutation, produced by a single dominant gene pattern. This means that only one parent needs to have curled ears in order to produce kittens with curled ears. "Straight-eared" Curls do exist, and have a useful place in breeding programs to help maintain correct body conformation and proper ear size and height. Curled ears have firm cartilage from the base of the ear to at least 1/3 of the height; should curve back in a smooth arc when viewed from front and rear; have rounded, flexible tips; and should be wide at the base and open, not narrow. When Curls are alert with their ears swiveled toward the front, imaginary lines following the curve of the ear through the tips should point to the center of the base of the skull.
At birth, most Curl kittens appear to have "ordinary" ears, though the very tips of the ears may show a slight backward sweep. At four to seven days of age, curling of the ears becomes most noticeable and usually continues to "tighten." At about six weeks of age, the kittens enter a "transitional" phase which lasts until 16 weeks of age or even longer. In this stage, the ears begin the change: they may unfurl, curl more tightly, become uneven, with undesirable ear types becoming more noticeable. For this reason, Curl kittens being placed as show or breeder prospects should be at least 16 weeks old, to guarantee their quality as well as the stability of their ears.
The degree of curl varies from cat to cat, falling into three basic categories. First degree curl is a slight curl at the very tips of the ears; these cats are considered pet quality and should be altered. Second degree curl is an arc ranging from 45 degrees to less than 90 degrees; cats with second degree curl may be considered for breeding purposes, but are not considered show quality. Third degree ears are the curliest, having a curl from 90 to 180 degrees (tips not touching the back of the ear or the head, but pointing toward the center of the base of the skull). Cats with third degree ears as well the correct conformation would be considered show quality.
The rule of thumb for correct ear size is that, when viewed from the front, the cat's face can be divided into thirds: one-third of the distance is from nose to outer corner of the eye, one-third is from the outer corner of the eye to the base of the ear, and one-third is the ear itself.
The ideal American Curl is an intermediate cat with no extremes. The lines of the head, which is a "modified wedge" shape, lead up to the ears, which are moderately large, curving back in a smooth arc without touching the back of the ear or the head. The interior ear furnishings fan outward accentuating the curve of the ear. The eyes are centered in the face, and are large and walnut-shaped. The muzzle is gently contoured, not blocky. In profile, the nose is straight with a slight rise to the forehead. The body structure of the American Curl is considered "semi-foreign," the length should be 1-1/2 times the height at the shoulder and intermediate boning. American Curls are elegant, graceful cats, and should never be massive or "heavy."
Characterized by a structural distinction, Curls have no limitations on color and come in all possible colors and patterns.
Curls are intelligent, playful cats with a reputation for never growing up; they have the same trusting nature and playful attitude of a human toddler, with similar energy levels. Curls are "people cats," very affectionate and demonstrative, and make excellent companions. They can be trained to do such things as walk on a leash, fetch, sit or beg on request.
One might say of American Curls that this unique, natural mutation is a "designer" cat, a signed masterpiece of a humor-loving Creator.
