LaPerms
The LaPerm breed was developed from a colony of curly coated farm cats which patrolled the cherry orchards of Dick and Linda Koehl from The Dalles in Oregon. This colony can be traced back to one cat who was appropriately called Curly and who was the founding mother of the entire breed.Although Curly was born in 1982 it was not until the early 1990s that steps were taken to establish the unique cats as a pedigree breed. Interest grew quickly and wherever the cats were seen they receieved a hugely positive response. Very soon a group of breeders and judges were working together.
The breed is still rare and although the majority of breeders are in the USA and Canada there are now breeders in New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Russia and the UK.The LaPerm has been making good progress in the major American cat organisations with full championship status in TICA and breeders preparing to apply for championship status in CFA. In the UK the LaPerm has preliminary status with the GCCF and it is hoped that the breed will go on to achieve full championship status and take its rightful place as a new and enriching presence in the cat fancy.The LaPerm looks and feels like no other cat. They have delicate looking but strong and muscular foreign type bodies. Their heads are shaped like a modified wedge with rounded contours and length and width in the muzzle. Their amazing coats feel soft and textured and often fall in ringlets especially round their necks and on their plumed tails. Shorthaired LaPerms with wavy coats and bottle-brush tails also exist within the breed. As with other rex breeds all colours are accepted and some beautiful coats have been bred.As the breed develops outcrossing is being used to increase and strengthen the genepool. The LaPerm's dominant rex gene means that F1 kittens have curly coats.We are very proud to have imported the first LaPerm to the UK and will be working to promote the breed here. We would like to hear from other people interested in contributing to the development of the breed, particularly those who already work with rex breeds or with breeds on the GCCF approved outcross list, which includes Somalis, Asian group, Tonkinese and Ocicats.Please also have a look at the UK LaPerms website at www.laperm.co.uk
Quincunx Cats
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