Did You Know?
LaPerms are named so because of their wavy, curly hair. The name of your kitten’s pedigree may include BB, BC, or BS letters, which indicate whether the kitten was born curly, bald, or straight.
Size
The LaPerm weighs 6-10 pounds, with males weighing between 8 and 10 pounds and females 6-8 pounds.
Coat
The coat may be short or long; it may be wavy or in the form of ringlet-type curls.
Color
They are bred in a range of colors and patterns, particularly tabby, tortoiseshell, or red.
Life Span
They live up to 10-15 years.
A wonderful human companion, the people-friendly LaPerm is known for her shaggy and special looking coat. With a dog-like personality, she has a unique people-oriented charm that will instantly make you fall in love with the LaPerm. Their affectionate, loving nature makes them a favorite with children and family pets. They have a lifespan of 10-15 years.
Physical Characteristics of LaPerm
The LaPerm has beautiful almond-shaped eyes studded on a wedge-shaped head with large cupped ears with ringlets around the base. Their beauty lies in their enchanting, expressive eyes.
The LaPerm boasts a muscular body with gently rounded contours and long legs. She has an active medium to long body that weighs anywhere between 6 and 10 pounds, with males heavier than females.
They have an invitingly soft coat with light, loose, and airy curls, ranging from long corkscrew curls or tight ringlets. The tightest curls can be spotted on their throat and underside. One distinctive feature is that their moderately soft coat does not appear as part of the body. The hair texture depends on the mixture of hair types and shape of the curls, with the longest ringlet-like curls on the neck. The length and fullness of the coat vary from season to season. The maturity of the kitty has a role to play in the coat length.
The curly hair may be spotted inside their ears and at their ear tips. The longhaired La Perm has curly plumed tails while the shorthair has a bottlebrush-like tail. Long curled whiskers are a characteristic of both the longhair and shorthair. Kinked eyebrows can be found in both hair types of the cat breed.
They come in a range of colors and coat patterns, with an array of eye colors.
LaPerm Cat Pictures
Personality and Temperament of LaPerm
An active yet gentle lap cat, the LaPerm is the best companion for families with kids who treat her politely and respect her presence. She is happy to be friends with cat-friendly dogs. Although they are not too vocal, they will not hesitate to “speak” to seek attention. A loving kitty, the LaPerm is highly affectionate and returns affection with enthusiasm. She seeks human contact and responds well to personal attention. Quick to bond with their human families, the LaPerm wants to follow you wherever you go.
True to her roots as a working cat, she is active, clever, playful, and resourceful. You may want to keep objects out of her reach. It is a good idea to supervise young children when they interact with the kitty. Show them how to pet the LaPerm nicely. Introduce any pets slowly in a controlled setting.
They are quick to adjust to any environment.
Health and Care
They are lean, small cats that do not have any specific breed-related health issues.Most kittens of this cat breed are bald at birth. However, they tend to develop curls by the time they are 6-12 weeks old. Some other kittens are born with curls, but may go bald after some time and then re-grow their curls!
Maintenance of their curly coat is easy and quick! Their coat does not mat or tangle easily if combed once or three times a week. However, longer coats may need regular grooming. The coat sheds little, as there is little undercoat and the curl holds the loose coat onto their well-built body. They do not experience much shedding. Use a metal comb with rolling teeth to keep the coat in an excellent condition.
Proper care and grooming of the LaPerm can help keep them disease-free. They live for 10-15 years.
History and Background
The cat breed is quite recent. The first cat of this breed was born to a brown tabby barn cat named Speedy. One of her litter of kittens was distinctive from others and looked like an alien. She was bald with tabby markings, and her big ears were spaced apart. However, her looks changed when her curly coat began to develop. Thus owner Linda Koeh named the cat “Curly.” All of her kittens shared the mother’s unique coat features.
They International Cat Association recognized the cat breed in 2002 and gave them the name “LaPerm.”The cat breed is also recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association.
