With an affectionate, yet not overly demanding personality, the LaPerm cat is a great family cat. They are equally happy in your lap or exploring their surroundings.
Appearance
The LaPerm is a medium sized cat with a wedged shaped head that is slightly rounded. The coat is where the LaPerm derives its name as it resembles a soft and curly perm. The coat can be wavy or curly, medium or long, and comes in an almost infinite variety of colours ranging from shaded to solid, tortoiseshell, chinchilla, tabby, pointed, bicolor, smoky and calico. Beautifully expressive almond shaped eyes also come in variety of colours including: green, blue, gold, yellow, and copper. The colour of the eyes are not linked in any way to the colour of the coat. Ears are average sized, slightly flared, and wedged shape.
LaPerms with curly coats will have tighter curls on the throat, belly, and at the base of the ears. Shorthairs sport a tail which looks amazingly similar to a bottle brush while the longhaired varieties display a plumed curly tail, and also have a curly ruff on the neck.
History
The LaPerm was first discovered in a litter of kittens in a barn in Oregon in 1982. One of the litter, a female named Curly was born without a shred of hair but her skin had a tabby pattern. As the kitten grew so did her coat and by the time she was 3 months of age she had soft curly fur. As more and more kittens with curly hair showed up in future litters the owner began a selective breeding program.
The LaPerm is now a recognised breed by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), The International Cat Association (TICA), and United Feline Organization (UFO), with the CFA and TICA currently allowing cross breeding with domestic shorthairs and longhairs.
LaPerm Cat Personality
Even dog owners who have no love for cats will find something to like in the LaPerm breed as they are incredibly friendly and sociable. They will often greet family members enthusiastically at the door as they arrive home. LaPerms love nothing more than to perch on a shoulder as a way to stay involved in the day to day activities of the house. You can also expect to be the recipient of a few loving nuzzles if your LaPerm has decided to keep you company in this way.
If there is no comfortable lap available to recline on the LaPerm will be off investigating and exploring other parts of the household to make sure that it isn’t missing out on anything important. Despite its loving and inquisitive nature the LaPerm is a relatively quiet cat who will speak up only when they find it absolutely necessary. They are great with children and other pets.
Did You Know?
- As LaPerm kittens grow they may lose their coat but it eventually grows back, with full curls as the kitten reaches maturity.
- The LaPerm coat ranges from wavy to curled and from tight ringlets to long corkscrew curls.
Caring for Your LaPerm Cat
LaPerms are a fairly robust and healthy breed due to their origins in the domestic shorthair. They do require regular grooming though, but once or twice a week is usually sufficient.
Have you ever met a LaPerm cat? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
