by M Dee Dubroff

Created on: October 14, 2006   Last Updated: September 23, 2010

Also known as the Alpaca Cat, this breed comes in all colors and patterns. A fairly new breed, what makes them stand apart from other is its unique and distinctive short-long curly coat. It can vary in texture from very wavy to corkscrew curls and even to long ringlets. The coat does not mat, making these animals easy to groom and care for. They usually weigh between 7 to 9 pounds. Their eye color can be anything and has no relation to the coat color. Although not completely hyper-allergenic, many people who are ordinarily allergic to cats can live with these.

The original LaPerm was a barn cat from Oregon named Speedy who lived in a cherry orchard belonging to Linda and Richard Koehl. Speedy had a litter with one kitten that was bald at birth. When that kitten reached the age of about 8 weeks, a soft, curly growth of fur appeared and it was thus named Curly. This spontaneous mutation followed through generations of litters and all of Curly's kittens resembled her. Although the Koehls made no attempt to develop a new breed, over the course of a few years, their farm became overrun with curly-coated cats!

These cats are known for their mellow, laid-back personalities. They are very affectionate and fiercely loyal to their owners. They are lap cats and love people, and they are even known to ride on the shoulders of their owners to stay close. This breed is a form of the Rex although a rare breed into itself. It is not currently shown for full championship status at any cat association, but it is exhibited in the "new breed" class.

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