American Curl Cat Facts
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The American Curl originates from the standard domestic household pet in North America, with the exception of a striking mutation of ears that curl back from the top of the head, pointing towards the back, which gives the cat an expression of utter amazement.
Although fully recognised in the USA, it is rarely seen in the UK as it is not recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) and therefore cannot be shown here at GCCF shows. However, it is found in many other countries including Spain, France, Japan and Russia.
The Ameican Curl cat breed is recognised in the UK however by both TICA and FIFe, so if you visit a cat show run by one of these organisations, it would be possible to see one of these cats in the UK. At the time of writing, there are currently only 2 breeders of American Curl cats in the UK, so the chances of seeing one of these breeds is quite rare.
The extent of the curl determines whether or not a cat the cat be bred from or shown in the USA – cats with ears just turned back become pets, those with slightly more curl can be used for breeding, and those with full crescent curls can be shown. The original variety is a semi-longhaired cat, but out-crossing has subsequently produced a shorthaired variety, and as the shorthaired gene is dominant many shorthaired Curls carry the longhair gene and produce semi-longhaired kittens. The gene producing the Curl effect is a dominant one, and breeding with any non-Curl cat as part of a programme to increase the gene pool will produce at 50% of kittens with the Curl appearance – both Curl and non-Curl kittens are useful to improving the programme for the future of the breed.