American Curl Kitten Breed

American Curls are descended from Shulamith, a female stray from Southern California, which appeared in 1981 with upward-curving ears as a spontaneous mutation. These upstanding ears give a rather quizzical, alert expression to a cat that looks halfway between the short hair and foreign conformation, is of intermediate size and bone and in its musculature should display moderately developed strength and tone. The American Curl may have either a longhaired or a shorthaired coat and is accepted in all colors arid patterns. The CFA allows outcrosses to Domestic long-hair or shorthair for litters born before the end of 2009, allowing plenty of time for the development of this comparatively recent breed. The ears should riot have an extreme curl. Any cat in which the ear curls right back to touch the back of the ear or even the head would be disqualified from competing in any show. The ears should feel rigid and have cartilage for at least one third of their height.

Semi-foreign shape with the length 1.5 times the height at the shoulder, the legs should be straight when viewed from the front or rear and the feet medium size and round; the tail should be wide at the base and tapering.

A gently contoured modified wedge, its straight nose having a slight rise from the bottom of the eyes to the forehead. The moderately large ears are wide at the base, curving back in o smooth arc with rounded tips. Their interior should be well furnished with hair with tufts desirable.

Moderately large and walnut-shaped, set on a slight bias, centered between the base of the ear and the tip of the nose and one eye width apart. Color need bear no relation to coot except that pointed cats must have blue eyes.

Longhaired cats should have semi-long, silky fur with a mini-mal undercoat and a full plumed tail. Shorthairs have soft, short fur with minimal undercoat with tail fur the same length as on the body.

All colors and patterns are acceptable.