"In the beginning there was baldness. About 90% of all LaPerm kittens were born hairless in the early years. Three to four months after birth we would see a short curly coat. After the introduction of Prancer, a longhaired red classic tabby, we continued to get bald kittens whose hair would grow out curly whether long or short. Some kittens were born with straight hair and showed no evidence of curl as they would mature.
For about the first 10 years of the breed I knew that a kitten born bald would show a curly coat and a kitten born with straight hair would stay straight haired. And then along came Snow Fire, a red point male born with straight hair. About the time his hairless littermates started to grow their curly coats Snow Fire began shedding his straight coat until his hair became very sparse. I became very concerned about his hair loss since this had never happened before to one of my straight haired kittens. After a short time I noticed that his hair was beginning to re-grow but it was coming in curly. Even his once straight whiskers curled like his littermates. We have also had straight haired LaPerms that when bred to domestic cats produced curly kittens. These phenomenon are apparently rare but I have heard from other people with breeding cats they have gotten from me who have had the same experience. How or why this occurs is a complete mystery to me. In the early years, as I was unaware of proper breeding practices and being new to this sort of thing, I allowed all of my cats to run free and breed indiscriminately. Once I became aware that I needed to control the breedings to make certain I knew who the sires of the litters were we began having kittens born who had curly hair at birth. After the proper control of the cats we continued to see the bald kittens although this was now occurring less and less often. About the only time we will see a bald kitten born now is out of a LaPerm to LaPerm breeding. Most of our curly kittens are now born curly. It is to be noted though that many kittens born with the curly hair will loose the coat and go almost totally bald within about 2 months of birth and then the coat will grow back in curly. It should be noted that this process could happen several times during the life of the cat although once the cat is altered the coat is generally stable.
There is possibility that both genetics and hormones play a major part in the strange saga of the LaPerm coat. Most breeding males will lose much of their coats in hot weather, particularly on their underside and around their testicles. The hair always returns curly. A female if not bred by about her third season like many queens of other breeds will lose condition and in this case will also drop most of her coat but it will return, usually curlier than before. A regularly bred female will most often lose the hair around the neck thereby sporting a bald neck. During pregnancy the hair will normally return only to be lost again during the next heat cycle if she is not bred. A spayed female coat will be retained and is often softer in texture than that of a whole female. A neutered male will sometimes blow his coat in hot weather.
Because of blood testing by our own animal doc, Diana Scollard, DVM, we know that it is not a thyroid problem. To date all cats tested have been well within normal ranges in their thyroid functions although Dr. Scollard would still like more of us to participate in this study. Both males and females can exhibit sensitivity to fleas that may cause them to loose their coats. I personally maintain a regular regime of treatment with Front Line, which I have found to be the most successful method of control for me. Oddly it almost seems as if this treatment stimulates the coat and improves its condition. I have no scientific explanation as to why so many unusual things happen with the coats of our breed. The one thing I am certain of is that having them around is never boring as you try to out-guess what weird thing will happen to the coat next.
Someday as the breed progresses and more out-crossing is done some of the abnormalities may disappear completely or, conversely more may appear. As breeders we all need to have an ongoing educational program. We each need to document everything that happens to the coats on our individual cats and share that information. In so doing perhaps in future years we can say "Yes, I saw that happen in the early days of the breed". The mysterious LaPerm coat. Is it genetic? Is it hormones? Is it diet? Some breeders are participating in Dr. Leslie Lyons genetic DNA studies on the coat. Our aim is to determine where the gene for the curl lies and if it is a gene totally different from the other Rex mutations or if it is possibly the same gene manifesting in a different manner.
One final thing to remember is that one-quarter of the time you are privileged to have one of the ugliest cats on earth and three-quarters of the time you have a unique curly coated companion who is like no other in the world."
-A.D. Lawrence All Rights Reserved ®: No part of the above can be copied or used in any manner without consent of the author. AD Lawrence.
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.
