The LaPerm Cat Breed
History
The LaPerm cat breed’s history starts in March 1982 on a cherry orchard owned by Linda Koehl where a brown tabby cat gave birth to a litter of 6 kittens. One of these kittens was long, skinny and hairless with a tabby pattern on its skin. At 6 weeks old this kitten started to grow a sparse curly coat with a classic brown tabby pattern. As this kitten matured, she developed a soft and wavy coat.
Black tortie and white LaPerm cat photo by wiki user Bebopsrx
More curly coated cats appeared on Linda’s farm and she decided to enter 6 of these cats into a cat show. Due to the reaction from the judges, she decided to start a breeding program and so established the foundation for the LaPerm breed.
At first, 90% of the kittens that were born were bald and at 3-4 months of age developed the curly coat. Kittens born with a straight coat retained straight hair. Then a male kitten called Snow Fire came along – he was born with a straight coat but soon shed this coat and in its place, started to grow a curly coat and even curly whiskers. This was the first time this happened.
In February 2003, TICA granted the LaPerm championship status.
Description
Red tabby LaPerm cat photo by wiki user Bebopsrx
This is a medium sized muscular cat with a semi-foreign body type. The males weigh between 8-10 pounds and the females weigh between 6-8 pounds. The ears are large and cupped and the eyes are almond-shaped.
The LaPerm cat breed’s coat has loose curls and ringlets that feel like mohair. Guard hair, awn hair and down hair are present and the texture of the coat comes from the shape of the curls. The coat stands away from the body with the longest curls in the ruff and on the neck. The hairs inside the ear are also curly.
The long haired variety has a plumed tail while the short hair variety’s tail is like a bottlebrush. Both varieties have curled whiskers and eyebrows. The season and the age of the cat dictate the length and fullness of the coat. A wide range of colors, patterns and eye color are found.
The coat does not shed or tangle much which makes grooming easy. A light combing will remove any loose hair and will keep the coat in excellent condition.
Personality & Temperament
The LaPerm cat breed is a gentle, intelligent and curious cat. They love to be in your company and will often jump up onto your shoulder for a ride. They are ideal family cats as they are gentle and good with children and get along well with other pets. Often called clowns, they will entertain you with their antics whilst playing a game.
Black tortie and white LaPerm cat photo by wiki user Bebopsrx
