American Curl Cats: Spontaneous Mutation in a Stray Leads to Feline Stardom in Six Years

On a hot summer's day in June, 1981, feline history experienced an enigmatic pounce as two strays sought shelter at the home of Joe and Grace Ruga in the instant city of Lakewood, newly developed in the 1950s in California's creative mecca, Los Angeles County.

• The black-themed long-haired female kittens both evinced the startling feature of ears that curled strangely backward.
• The Rugas gave the name of Panda to the black-and-white kitten.
• For the all-black kitten, they chose the name of Shulamith (Hebrew: שולמית, derivative of שָׁלוֹם, shalom, "peace"), inspired by Shulamit, the "black and comely" female in "Song of Songs."
• Two weeks later, Panda disappeared, but "Shu" remained.
• In December 1981, Shulamith gave birth to four kittens, two of whom had curled ears.

Cat specialists attributed Shulamith's signature feature of curled-back ears to a spontaneous mutation. The ear-curling gene was deemed to be autosomal dominant, that is, inheritable even with only one gene.

• Selective breeding programs were quickly put in place in order to preserve the fascinating physical trait of this new breed that would be named for its hallmark, American Curl.
• Breeding with domestic cats has ushered in a wide gene pool, which, in turn, promotes the breed's well-being.
• January 1984 marked the first Curl-to-Curl breeding, from which the program's first litter was birthed in March.

Acceptance of the new breed occurred swiftly.

• The first public presentation of the American Curl occurred on October 23, 1983, in Palm Springs, in southern California's Riverside County, 
• In 1987, only six years after Shulamith wandered so unassumingly onto the world stage, the breed of American Curl received recognition from The International Cat Association (TICA), the world's largest genetic cat registry. 
• Five years later, in 1993, the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats, honored the breed with Championship status.

In addition to their adorable faces, which are framed so enchantingly by their unusual ears, American Curls abound in attributes.

• Their amiability extends to children as well to other pets, both canines and felines.
• Their bodies tend toward a rectangular shape.
• Their attractive, silky coat lies flat as either long-haired or short-haired lengths.
• Their minimal undercoat results in scant shedding and minimizes grooming.
• Coloration and patterning exhibit great variation.
• Their expressive eyes tend toward a walnut shape.
• Lifespan averages at 13+ years.
• Their mews resemble little trill-like cooings.
• Playful personality endures throughout their lifespan.
• Weight of this medium-size breed ranges from five to 10 pounds (2.2 to 4.5 kilos).

Attention always ends up focusing on the breed's smile-inducing ears.

• At birth, their ears appear straight, but in less than a week a tight, rosebud curling appears that then slowly unfurls, for the duration of about four months.
• American Curl cats are classified as pet or show, according to curling angle.
• Some ears exhibit little or no curling.
• The degree of curling must trace a graceful arc of 90 to 180 degrees to qualify as a show feline.
• Long-haired varieties sport long tufts that fan outward across their ears in a styling reminiscent of those of the lynx.

Thanks to a wide gene pool, the breed evinces no inherited defects, although care must be taken in cleaning American Curls' ears, for the cartilage may be damaged if force is applied or if folding is attempted.

Pricing of new kittens, generally made available at ages of 12 to 16 weeks by breeders,  is determined by such factors as:

• bloodlines;
• body type;
• coloration;
• ear degree.

Parentage for preferred pedigrees comprises:

• Grand Champions;
• National and/or Regional winners;
• Distinguished Merit descendants.

The title of Distinguished Merit is achieved via:

• five Grand Champion offspring from the mother (dam), or
• fifteen Grand Champion offspring from the father (sire).

Excellent resources for locating reputable American Curl breeders include:

• The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc., headquartered in Alliance, Ohio ~ website: http://www.cfa.org
• The International Cat Association, Inc., headquartered in Harlingen, Texas ~ website: http://www.tica.org

The foundation breeder in the United Kingdom is Claire Winman, who started Overear Cattery for American Curls in 2007:

• website:  www.americancurls.com

American Curl cats are desirable felines. Perhaps their whimsical ears betoken their exemplary temperaments and outstanding health.

• This is a breed inclined toward amiable, intelligent, loyal camaraderie in family life.
• Their sociability guides them toward problem-free interactions with all ages of humans and with other pets, including dogs.
• When they enter into a full household, they show respect for occupants' seniority in living arrangements.

American Curls make themselves welcome wherever they find themselves.

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Siriuksen CandyCurl: female long-haired American Curl
birthdate: December 13, 2005 (13/12/05)
Hyvinkää, Uusimaa region, southern Finland; June 3, 2007: Heikki Siltala, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siriuksen_CandyCurl_ACL_g_09.JPG

closeup of American Curl's distinctive ear shape: acrobatic arch touching back of ear
CSKA Sports Complex, northwestern Moscow, northwestern Russia; December 6, 2009: Nickolas Titkov, CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/titkov/4194129209/

ears of Primecurl Kleopatra Shone Tsarina, American Curl show cat
birthdate: September 25, 2009 (25/09/2009)
Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh), Ostankinsky District, northeast Moscow, northwest Russia; April 3, 2010: Nickolas Titkov from Moscow, Russian Federation, CC BY SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ACL_Primecurl_Kleopatra_Shone_Tsarina_1.jpg

Siriuksen QuintaCurl: female, short-haired, tortie-spotted bicolor American Curl with straight ears, aged 5-plus months
birthdate: April 4, 2008 (4.4.08); parentage: TICA RW QCG & CFA CH Phantasia Goldnuggetcurl x CH Siriuksen GoGoCurl
Klaukkala, southern Nurmijärvi municipality, southern Finland; September 20, 2008: Heikki Siltala, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Siriuksen_QuintaCurl_ACS_x_f_24_03_71.JPG

ACL Pointocurl Fiorentina: female, aged 6-plus months
birthdate: May 20, 2008 (20/05/2008)
CSKA Sports Complex, northwestern Moscow, northwestern Russia; December 6, 2008: Nickolas Titkov, CC BY SA 2.0, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/titkov/3092236366/

ACL Primecurl Kleopatra Shone Tsarina: female, aged 6-plus months
birthdate: September 25, 2009 (25/09/2009)
Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh), Ostankinsky District, northeast Moscow, northwest Russia; April 3, 2010: Nickolas Titkov from Moscow, Russian Federation, CC BY SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ACL_Primecurl_Kleopatra_Shone_Tsarina_3.jpg

"American Curl Cat 101 : Breed & Personality" (3:23).
Uploaded Oct. 16, 2020, by Kitten Life to YouTube ~ URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrRQoTjnF7c

ACL Jokihelmi Ceri: male long-haired American Curl
Lahti, Päijänne Tavastia region, southern Finland: Heikki Siltala, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jokihelmi_Ceri_ACL_n_24_male_EX1_CAP_NOM.JPG

"American Curl." The Cat Fanciers' Association > Breeds. The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. Web. www.cfa.org

• Available at: http://www.cfa.org/Breeds/BreedsAB/AmericanCurl.aspx

"American Curl." Vetstreet > Cats > Breeds. Vetstreet. Web. www.vetstreet.com

• Available at: http://www.vetstreet.com/cats/american-curl#overview

The Cat Encyclopedia: The Definitive Visual Guide. London, New York, Melbourne, Munich, and Delhi: Dorling Kindersley Limited, 2014.

Robinson, Roy. "The American Curl Cat." Journal of Heredity, Volume 80, No. 6 (1989): 474–475.

Robinson, Roy. Genetics for Cat Breeders. Second edition. Oxford UK: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1991. 

Scott, Caroline. "Getting to Know the American Curl." Cats Center Stage >  Breeds. CatsCenterstage. Web. www.catscenterstage.org

• Available at: http://www.catscenterstage.org/breeds/american-curl2.html

Soffer, Ruth. The Cat Lovers Coloring Book. Dover Pictorial Archive Series. Green edition. Mineola NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 2007.

Vella, Carolyn M., and Lorraine M. Shelton. Robinson’s Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians. Fourth edition. Oxford UK: Elsevier Limited, 2003.