LaPerm, A Curly-haired Kitten
A cat with soft, curly fur who wants to be the most pampered in the family: this is LaPerm. It is a breed born from a natural mutation, and that owes its name to the hair care (permanent) that many perform to have curly hair for a while.
A race born of a natural mutation
The origin of this beautiful kitten dates back to 1982, in the United States. There, in an Oregon barn, a member of a group of mixed breed cats – whose job it was to keep rats at bay – was born bald.
However, after a few months, the animal began to develop a layer of curly hair. These ‘unusual’ kittens were repeated in later litters. This led their owners, Linda and Richard Koehl, to start selectively breeding them.
Currently, the LaPerm breed is recognized by the main feline associations. However, outside his home country, he is not well known. Although there are breeding sites in countries like Canada, England, New Zealand and Japan.
Physical Characteristics of the LaPerm Cat
A LaPerm can have short, medium, or long fur. However, what can’t be missing – more or less curled – are her curls, which are more noticeable in the abdomen, throat and base of the ears.
In addition, it has the following features:
- Muscular and strong body, medium size
- Long legs
- Wedge-shaped and slightly rounded head
- Erect ears, medium to large in size
- Expressive, almond-shaped eyes. Colors can be: yellow, gold, blue or gray
- stylized neck
- Tail with broad base and medium length, with abundant hair.
A cute and playful kitten
The LaPerm cat is happy in its owner’s lap. It is an ideal companion for the elderly, although it also gets along well with children and other pets. Most likely, he will follow his human throughout the house.
In addition to being affectionate, he is also curious, like all cats. He likes to explore his surroundings. And more than once it will climb onto the shoulders of its owners to safely scan the landscape.
Calm, intelligent and affectionate, it is an animal that will appreciate the existence of a backyard or a garden. Don’t forget to take steps to prevent it from escaping. Also, if you give him toys, he will then be more than happy to expend his energy and exercise his skills as a rodent hunter.
LaPerm, a healthy feline
It’s usually a healthy kitten, because it’s a breed that hasn’t been manipulated much by humans. LaPerm has a life expectancy of between 15 and 20 years.
On the other hand, it doesn’t require much care. However, the long-haired specimens require a little more care in brushing than their shorter-haired counterparts. Anyway, contrary to what you might believe, their hair does not get too matted and, also, does not fall much.
Like every kitten, it requires quality food to be healthy and strong. And veterinarian visits are imposed regularly, not just to control your health, but to keep up with vaccinations and deworming.
