American Curl

The American Curl is a lively cat. She is very interested in people and gets along well with her parents. 

The American Curl enjoys daily exercise. They relish cat trees in the house with perches for climbing and jumping. If they are provided with enough exercise space, they tend to maintain their weight rather well. They also like interactive play. While not considered a "lap cat," the Curl likes to be next to people.

In 1981 in California, a kitten was found by Joe and Grace Ruga. This kitten had the unique characteristic of having ears that curled backwards. The Rugas brought the kitten into the house, named her Shulamith, and she became the foundation of the American Curl breed. When Shulamith had her kittens, two of them also had the same curled ears. In addition, one of the kittens with the curled ears was a shorthaired cat instead of exhibiting the longer coat of Shulamith.

Shulamith and her remarkable kittens soon came to the attention of the cat fancy and the breed, called American Curl, began to attract people who were interested in breeding and exhibiting them. The breed became recognized for exhibition in the championship class at cat shows.