The LaPerm is a unique combination of curly hair and an affectionate personality. One cannot deny the love and affection a LaPerm will shower upon its owner nor the curly or wavy hair that also makes the breed so interesting.

Native Country

United States

Breed Description

Head: With or without hair! In 1982 in an orchard in The Dalles, Oregon, a cat owned by Linda Koehl had a litter of six kittens, including a female named Curly. Curly was born hairless; two months later she had a curly, silky coat. For five years, Koehl raised many other curly-coated cats who are the ancestors of the Dalles La Perm breed, the result of a spontaneous mutation by a dominant gene. T.I.C.A. recognized the breed and published a standard in 1996.
Eyes: Large, almond-shaped, moderately spaced. No relationship between eye color and coat color.
Neck: Moderately long; carried high.
Body: Semi-foreign type, medium-sized. Surprisingly heavy for its size. Medium bone structure, fairly muscular.
Paw: Moderately long. Forelegs shorter than hind legs. Medium-boned. Fairly muscular. Round paws.
Tail: Long and slender. Wavy fur.
Coat: Two varieties: - shorthaired coat: soft, silky texture, wavy on the back and belly. Moderate undercoat. - semilonghaired or longhaired coat: soft and curly texture. Heavy undercoat. Ruff accepted in adults. Whiskers and hair inside the ears may be curly. These cats are hairless at least once in their life, often when they are very young. The coat often grows back curly. Colors: all are allowed.

History

With or without hair! In 1982 in an orchard in The Dalles, Oregon, a cat owned by Linda Koehl had a litter of six kittens. The litter included one completely hairless kitten with large, wide-spaced ears and a blueprint classic-tabby pattern on her skin. Within eight weeks, the kitten began to grow very soft, curly hair and by 3 to 4 months of age had a full, curly coat. Koehl merely accepted Curly as unique and thought nothing more of the matter. Curly later gave birth to five male kittens, all bald at birth as their mother had been, suggesting this was a genetic mutation. Curly eventually left behind a number of kittens that all inherited her soft, curly coat and marvelous disposition. When Koehl became aware of how special her cats were, she educated herself about breeding and started her own breeding program. It appeared that the curly gene was dominant and carried by both males and females. Koehl christened her new breed with the name "LaPerm". T.I.C.A. recognized the breed and published a standard in 1996.

Behavior

This extraverted, curious farm cat is a good companion. He has a soft voice.