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Reproduced with permission of Author,
A.D. Lawrence from the book:
"The LaPerm Cat: The New Wave in Cats for the Millennium" ©
All Rights Reserved ®: No part of the following can be
copied or used in any manner without consent of the author.
"The curly, or wavy, fur is a major trait, which sets the LaPerm apart from other breeds.
It may sport anything from a wavy coat to ringlet-type curls that are anywhere from tight
ringlets to long corkscrew curls. The tightest curls occur on the underside of the cat on
the throat and at the base of the ears. The longhair LaPerm is generally blessed with a
curly plumed tail and oftentimes a full curly ruff. The coat is moderately soft in texture, yet each cat's coat is distinctly unique. The shorthair LaPerm has more texture to the coat
than does the longhair. It does not have the ruff, has a "bottle-brush" type tail and the
coat generally stands away from the body, parting down the middle. Regardless of coat
length, they even boast a splendid set of long, curly whiskers. They have a semi-foreign
body type with a modified wedge-shaped head.
Some kittens are born hairless, or bald, but most have short wavy hair at birth. Often they
will go almost totally bald beginning with a spot at the top of their head. This process
generally starts when the kittens are about two weeks old and they can be in varying stages
of baldness the first four months or so. The coat will generally come back in but the cat
may lose it again and again. Although not common, they may also be born with straight hair
and then lose that with the new coat coming back in curly. For the first six months it can
be a guessing game as to what you have, however, if a kitten is born bald or with curly hair
they will be curly. Kittens born with straight hair will generally stay straight-haired. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule whereby some born straight have actually
turned curly at about 1 year of age.
The breed is "low maintenance" requiring a minimum of grooming; the coat does not
easily mat and has a tendency to shed less than other breeds as the curls hold the hair much
like that of a poodle. Bathing and towel drying are all that is required to maintain the
curl as blow drying tends to make the hair "frizz". After the coat is totally dry,
spritzing with a fine mist of plain water works well to achieve more curl.
The coat on both varieties (long and short hair) may vary in length and fullness depending
upon the season and maturity of the cat. Both male and female of the longhair variety may
have a full ruff on the neck at maturity. Both varieties will have a "saddle" of shorter
hair over their shoulders although this is much more apparent on the longhair. The males
tend to weigh between nine and twelve pounds while the females range between six and eight
pounds. They have a semi-foreign body type with a modified wedge-shaped head.
Although the look of each kitten may vary, one thing always remains the same: the great
personality of this new breed. Even the straight-hairs are blessed with it, which makes
finding good homes for them very easy.
LaPerms are very gentle and affectionate; they seek human contact and purr as soon as they
are aware of your presence. These cats are face lovers; they will reach for your face with
their paws and rub their faces against your head, neck and face. They love being kissed
and will kiss back. They beg to be held, draped over a shoulder or cradled in your arms
while resting on their backs.
They are inquisitive by nature always wanting to know what is going on around them.
Kittens have been known to stop nursing and seek out the source of a human voice before
their eyes open.
They are generally quiet voiced but may be vocal when wanting attention. Being a working
cat on the farm, they are excellent hunters, as well as gentle companions. They adapt
well to apartment living because of their strong bonding instincts.
We believe that LaPerms are truly different from any other breed of cat because of their
unique combination of appearance and people oriented personalities. they adapt quite
readily to life on the farm, house or apartment; as long as there are humans to love the
LaPerm will be quite content in almost any setting. They readily adapt to other pets and children and their loving personality makes them a welcome addition to any home. The
breed has captivated nearly everyone who has the opportunity of seeing it.
The LaPerm is a very gentle, people-oriented cat that has curly whiskers and either long or short curly/wavy hair. The hair is extremely soft, but textured, and has
no undercoat. Poodle like, it sheds minimally and does not matt. The LaPerm is also
dog-like in affection and is quite curious. The combination of these coat and personality
traits makes a cat of this Breed a very desirable pet.
The LaPerm is enjoying increased visibility and popularity amongst cat lovers
everywhere. It is recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) and the Cat
Fancier's Association (CFA) and other worldwide cat organizations.
Any color is acceptable in this breed and they can be bred to anything at this point in time. The standard states "open registry until sufficient gene pool has been established". The
preferable out-cross desired by The LaPerm Society of America is, however, the domestic cat.
As long as one parent is straight haired, there is the chance of straight haired kittens. This also occurs breeding curly to curly, but fewer in a resulting litter will have the
straight hair. There is the possibility of a homozygous cat when breeding curly to curly.
The LaPerm is noted for its affectionate, cuddly personality. They love people and love to
be lap kitties. Don't let this make you think they are lazy. On the contrary, they readily
learn to fetch as well as many other tricks."
-A.D. Lawrence
All Rights Reserved ®: No part of the
above can be
copied or used in any manner without consent of the author.
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