History of the American Curl
All modern American curl have a common ancestor – the cat Shulamith, picked up on the street in 1981 by a couple named Ruga. The spouses were pleasantly amused by the arched, as if turned inside out, ears of a mongrel kitty. But since the newly-made owners were far from technological subtleties, they were in no hurry to show the animal to specialists. In the same 1981, Shulamith acquired offspring. The father of a whole brood of purring fluffies was a purebred and unknown cat. Nevertheless, almost all kittens born from him inherited the curled ears of their mother.
Joe and Grace Ruga were not ambitious, so at first they simply handed out the Shulamith babies to friends. However, in 1983, the couple nevertheless turned their wards to a geneticist, who established that the elegant “curly” ears of a cat are the result of a genetic mutation. Moreover, the gene responsible for this feature turned out to be dominant. This allowed Shulamith to enter into relationships with cats of any breed, producing babies with the same ear shape as her own. In the same year, Rug’s wards appeared at one of the cat shows held in California, which was a good PR for them.
American Curl breed standard American Curl
If in the story with the cat Matroskin, whiskers, paws, and a tail acted as identity documents, then in the case of curls, ears alone are enough. Large, though not devoid of elegance, “locators” of cats from the New World form a noble curve, thanks to which it seems that the animal is constantly listening to something.
Eyes
An exception to the rule is individuals with color-pointed “fur coats”, in which the shade of the iris should be bright blue.
Ears
The wide and large ears of the American Curl are curved back and have a thin, rounded tip. According to the requirements of the standard, the angle of inversion of the ear cartilage must be at least 90°, but not more than 180°.
Wool
The representatives of the long-haired variety of the breed have an airy, semi-adjacent type of hair, with a minimum amount of undercoat and protective hair. The area of the neck and tail of the cats are especially richly pubescent. The “outfit” of shorthaired curls is less voluminous. They, like long-haired individuals, have practically no undercoat, but the coat itself is more elastic, and smooth.
