Cats breed American Curl: features, rules of feeding and maintenance

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

In 1981, in California, a married couple had a good-natured cat with a strange ear shape. Wide at the base of the ears rounded at the ends slightly turned back. This mutation would have remained a fleeting phenomenon if two kittens, born in this cat, did not get exactly the same ears. A new form of ears was transmitted to the next generation of kittens. People liked the new interesting form and it was decided to fix the mutation.

A few years later, felinologists became interested in the new breed. As a result of various tests, a unique gene was identified that is responsible for the unusual shape of the ears. Since the mutation does not affect the health of the cat, it was decided to continue the development of Curls and adopted breed standards. In order to reduce the time required for the new cat to be recognized by the international community, Curls were not crossed with other pedigree species, using species to pin down common cats.

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

• long-haired (FIFe) or semi-longhair (WCF);

• short-haired.

When you see a curl for the first time, you will not confuse him with any other breed of cats. The slightly elongated wedge of the rounded head smoothly passes from the tip of the straight nose to the nose and forehead. One-third of the wide, high and vertical ears consist of dense cartilage, similar in structure to the cartilage of human ears. The tips of round-shaped lugs smoothly, without wrinkles, twist back, bending at an angle of 90-180 °.

Due to this scatter variation of curls, it is impossible to find two identical cats. At the base, the auricles are decorated with fluffy tufts of guard hairs. Soft tips of ears decorate tassels like a lynx. American Curl kittens are born with straight ears. Characteristic signs of the breed appear in them after a few days, and the auricle takes the final shape by four months.

The wide-set eyes of the shape of a slightly elongated circle are slightly sloping towards the nose. The color of the cornea of ​​bright and clear eyes can be any, not related to coat color. The exception is colorpoint cats, their eyes should be blue. A strong proportional body with developed muscles rests on straight parallel legs, creating the impression of strength, grace and health.

The sturdy tail, thick at the base, tapering gently towards the end, is equal in length to the torso of the cat. Curls that have 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 seals can boast a smooth hair, which one wants to stroke. The color of the cat can be anything: monophonic, spotted, striped, as there are no specific standards.

Cat breed American Curl has the best character, suitable for living next to a man. Affectionate, friendly purr is very attached to the people around him, and at the same time knows how to be unobtrusive. Like many cats, curl loves to be petted, responding to caress with a low purr. His voice is pleasant to the ear, but the cat itself is not very talkative and will not annoy the owners with a constant meow. To make the owners aware of their desires, the cat will purr or quietly “roar”.

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

Curl's friendliness extends not only to people, but also to other pets.whether it be a dog, cat, rodent or bird. Curls retain children's playfulness for almost the entire life span, and they actively involve in the game those pets with whom they have friendly relations. Compliant nature and ingenuity make the cat suitable for keeping in families with children. But it is better to limit contact with very small children, since such babies can easily harm the fragile tips of cat ears.

Curls are very smart and easy to train. And they like to perform 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 realizes that it is possible and impossible, easily perceives prohibitions and does not repeat prohibited actions. Letting the cat go outside alone is not recommended, even if you live in your home. But they easily get used to the harness and calmly walk on a leash.

Curls do not have any particular species, since for both species of breed, any colors of silky hair are acceptable, be it black, red, striped or speckled, but The following colors are the most common.

• Tortie or tortie. It is characterized by a white breast and solid colored spots throughout the body.

• Tabby. It is rather a type of pattern (tiger stripes; classical rings on the tail and legs, spiral stains on the sides, ridge stripes and spots on the abdomen; simple specks forming stripes or randomly scattered; monochromatic coloring of the body, but on the muzzle there are stripes).

• Bicolorwhen a dark cat has some white or light spots: “socks” on the paws, spots on the head or several spots on the body, light chest. All this in different combinations or one thing.

• Colourpoint means that a light cat has dark legs, ears and a muzzle. Of the colors are characteristic: gray, brown, red-red, coffee with milk, blue or striped.

• A la Siamese cats. One of the types of colorpoint, divided into a separate group.

• Monochrome.

From an early age, the kitten should be taught cosmetic procedures so that later there are no problems. It is important to take care of the hair: combing and bathing, clipping claws; brushing your teeth and ears. It is very easy to care for the fur of cats of this breed, as they have a very rare undercoat. Combing curl should be a metal brush with teeth, ending with a rounded top. Long-haired cats are combed twice a week, and for shorthair, this procedure can only be done once every 7 days.

Bathe purr need monthly, but not more often than once, so that the sebaceous glands do not disrupt their work. The claws are sheared every week, as they grow very quickly, removing up to 3 mm of the claw with the help of a claw cutter. To clean the teeth, you can use a special toothbrush, worn on the finger. Toothpaste is best picked with a veterinarian and it should be soft to the taste.

Cat ears are cleaned as needed, using special wipes, cotton pads and a wiper for this purpose. During the procedure, you can not delay and straighten curls, as the cat will have painful sensations. Active curls take a lot of time to spend in the fresh air in order to fulfill their need for outdoor games. At the same time, this walk helps the cat to satisfy the desire for closer communication with their favorite owners.

An active and healthy cat breed American Curl is not prone to obesity and overeating, so you can not be afraid that she will eat more than expected. For proper feeding, breeders advise to use ready-made premium-class feed, appropriate for age, lifestyle and breed. Feed can be dry and wet. They contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals that your cat lived a full life.

But if you do not want to give the cat ready-made food, then you can use boiled lean meat, offal, fish and vegetable products to feed 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 salt, sugar, spices, fats and milk from the cat's diet is better to exclude, so it is not recommended to feed the curl from your table. To improve the taste and improve the usefulness of food prepared by yourself, various vitamin and mineral supplements are added to food.

A healthy cat has a lifespan of about 14 years. Since the American Curl breed was descended from ordinary mongrels, they inherited the good health of their ancestors and resistance to diseases characteristic of other pedigreed 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 to be examined by a veterinarian. Also, a doctor should be contacted to monitor the female during pregnancy, especially if it is your first pet or, on the contrary, the cat is already in old age. If the owners do not plan breeding cats, then experts recommend to conduct the castration or sterilization of the animal upon reaching 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 consequences for the health of the pet. It is also necessary to constantly examine the condition of the ear apertures, especially if the cat has a too narrow ear canal. This abnormality leads to inflammation inside the ear, so regular visits to the vet will help prevent the development of the disease. Of injuries most often in Curls there is damage to the fine ear cartilage due to improper handling.

For those who want to breed a purring with unique ears, getting offspring is not difficult, since there is no need to look for a partner to mate the same breed. A distinctive feature of curls is that pedigreed kittens can be obtained by mating cats of the same breed or one of the partners belongs to the usual mongrel cats. In the first case, all the offspring will have characteristic curl ears, in the second one half of all born kittens will be pedigreed.

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

The first time the animal is tied up not earlier than the cat will be one year old, even if it is not her first estrus, selecting an experienced partner, since the same newcomer may get lost and there will be no result. Mating should always be carried out on the cat's territory, so that the male is not distracted by examining a new place. Preparing animals for mating, it is necessary to carry out all preventive measures:

• make the necessary vaccinations on time;
• proglytognit 2 weeks before mating;
• to groom the animals, but in no case wash them, so that the smell characteristic of a flowing cat will be 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 after 9-10 weeks, Murka will bring healthy offspring. Curl breeders begin to evaluate kittens when they reach the age of 3-4 months. By this time, the auricle is completely formed in the babies; 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. Minimum age for show kittens is 4 months.

3 degrees of a curl of ears differ.

• Weak or curl first degree. Cats with this form of ears are suitable only for content in the family.
• The second, stronger, curl degree translates its owners into the category of producers and is characteristic of most Curls.
• The deepest curl of the third degree allows cat owners to participate in various exhibitions, showing off their pet and earning rewards.

Most Curl breeders live in the United States of America. At home, Curl breeds are quite popular, while other countries have not fully appreciated the beauty of the breed and the gentle nature of cats. Russia also has its own connoisseurs of curls. Therefore, there is no need to look for a kitten across the ocean when you can contact one of the nurseries 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 parents of the kitten and the opportunity to participate in exhibitions. A healthy, playful kitten with an unusual shape of ears will grow into a beautiful cute cat that will become your loyal friend and favorite pet.

All about American Curl breed see in the video below.