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Category: Breed of the Week

Published: April 13, 2020

Hits: 173070

LaPerm at a Glance

Known as the curly-coated cuddlers, LaPerms are a friendly and loving breed. They can be found with longhair or shorthair, curly hair and even straight hair. LaPerms are easy to care for and bond well with people, making them the ideal choice for many families. Find out more about this breed and if the LaPerm is right for you and your family.

• Temperament: Intelligent, Active, Sweet

• Size: A small-to-medium breed, with males being larger than females.
  Females tend to be somewhat smaller in stature and finer boned.
  Adult females: 6-9 pounds
  Adult males: 7-12 pounds

• Colors: Any color and pattern, including the new Karpati (salt & pepper) pattern from Eastern Europe.

• Life Expectancy: The LaPerm is a very healthy breed and can be expected to live a good, long life of 12-15 years. However, some LaPerms have been known to live as long as 20 years..

About the LaPerm

LaPerms are known for their soft, curly, low-maintenance coats. They are extremely affectionate and are known to sit on the laps of their families to seek out kisses or look deeply into their eyes. They are not generally vocal, but seem to understand human moods and react accordingly.

Easygoing and playful, the strong-bond they create with their families make them great companions for children, the disabled and those who live alone. They love companionship and should not be left alone often without a companion such as a cat with a similar activity level or a cat-friendly dog.

Activity Level:
The LaPerm is not a couch potato! They are an alert, intelligent, and active cat with a high degree of curiosity and independence. They love to be involved in everything their families are doing and can often be found following their people around the house and tapping their legs as they pass by to get their attention.

Toy mice and ping pong balls are recommended as well as a tall cat tree so they can climb and be up high to supervise the area.

LaPerms remain active and playful throughout their life, but will never miss an opportunity to cuddle up on their owners lap or around their neck.

Care

Grooming: 
LaPerms come in Shorthair (SH), Longhair (LH) varieties.

Their coats are light, low shedding, and rarely matt since they are without a heavy undercoat. A wide toothed comb can be used to brush them, however bathing and brushing is not necessary as they are meant to look a little untidy.

Kittens are born with short fur and do not look like mini-adults. Longhairs in particular may go through some changes before getting gradually longer and curlier, with their full coat not coming in until three-years-old.

In summer, their coats are lighter with some loss of undercoat and on the neck for coolness. In winter a mature LH LaPerm will have a full ruff and plumed tail. Shorthairs are not as impacted seasonally and have a springy feel to their coat and a bottle brush tail.

Nails should be trimmed every two weeks. Begin brushing their teeth regularly at an early age with a vet-approved pet toothpaste. 

Nutrition:
All cats need a quality food to keep their systems healthy and immunity high. The TICA LaPerm Breed Committee recommends asking your breeder what they are currently feeding and continue with that regime to avoid stomach upsets. While metabolism slows after neutering, it is rare for a LaPerm to overeat as they have so many other interests.

Fresh water should be available at all times. Water bowls should be washed and refilled with fresh water daily. As with all cats, it is important to give your cat fresh, clean water daily so they don’t hesitate to drink. If you worry about your cat drinking enough water each day, here's a tip from some cat behaviorists: place the water bowl at least three feet away from any food. Cats’ noses are sensitive and an overwhelming smell of food may cause them to drink less. Filtered drinking fountains can also be used in place of a water bowl.   

Health 
As a relatively new breed, there are no breed-specific diseases associated with the LaPerm. The TICA LaPerm Breed Committee recommends all breeders conduct DNA tests on all allowed domestic outcrosses before being introduced into the breed pool.

History

On March 1st, 1982 Linda Koehl watched a brown tabby cat named Speedy have a litter of six kittens in a barn in her cherry orchard and witnessed the birth of a new “Rex” breed mutation: a long, skinny, hairless kitten with large wide-spaced ears, and a tabby pattern apparent in the skin like a tattoo. At six weeks, the kitten developed a sparse curly shorthaired coat with a brown classic tabby pattern and was named Curly. As she matured, Curly developed a soft wavy coat. Over time, more curly-coated cats appeared and fascinated visitors to the farm who told Linda she had something special. She entered six cats in a cat show to see what people thought. She started a breeding program and established her unique cats as the LaPerm breed.

LaPerms were accepted by TICA for championship competition in 2003.

Similiar Breeds

Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Selkirk Rex, Somali, and Abyssinian.

Opposite Breeds

Persian, Ragdoll, and British Shorthair.

Did You Know?

• While known for their curly coats. the first LaPerm was born completely bald. Occasionally a kitten will be born bald (BB), but will always grow into a curly coat.
• LaPerm cats are the only “Rex” breed with whiskers that are long and flexible, while the Devon Rex, Cornish Rex, and Selkirk Rex are all born with brittle whiskers that often break off short.

From the Breed Standard

The LaPerm is a naturally occurring mutation producing both long and shorthaired cats. It is medium-sized and curly-coated, with a semi-foreign type body. All colors are acceptable. All parts of the body are in harmony with the size of the cat. There is evidence of surprising weight for size. The cat is alert and seems to be walking high on his legs. Coat texture will be distinctly different than that of any other Rex mutation and will vary within the breed. Whiskers will be very long and curly, ear furnishings and eyebrow hairs may also curl and may grow long enough to curl into eye. The perfect cat will have a moderately soft, but textured coat that will be loose and bouncy, standing away from the body, resembling a "Gypsy Shag". A coat you can run your fingers through to the skin but will appear very curly. The cat will have ringlet type curls at the base of the ears and on the underside of the neck running into the ruff on the longhaired version. The coat should be free of matting, so it should not be too thick and heavy. 

Click here to read the full TICA Breed Standard.

Additional information and an introduction to the breed can be found in the links below:

Accepted For Championship in TICA in 2016

• Minuet Breed At a Glance
• Breed Introduction
• Minuet Breeders
• Breed Standards 
• Breed Committee

Photos used courtesy of © Helmi Flick Cat Photography. 

Details

Category: Breed of the Week

Published: April 13, 2020

Hits: 131428

American Bobtail at a Glance

American Bobtails resemble a wild cat, yet are a loving and affectionate breed. They do not like to be alone and like to attach themselves to their entire family, not just one person. Easy to get along with, they do well with children and other pets, including dogs. They can be either longhair or shorthair, with both being easy to groom. Find out more about this breed and if the American Bobtail is right for you and your family.

• Temperament: Easygoing, Affectionate, Adaptable

• Size: Medium-sized cat. The weight should come from the cat being well-muscled and having substantial, large boning, rather than being overweight. Bobtails mature slowly, taking up to three years to reach his full size.
  Adult females: 7-11 pounds
  Adult males: 12-16 pounds

• Colors: The American Bobtail comes in any color and pattern. This means that they can be any pattern in black, brown, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, fawn, red, and cream, with or without white. This variety of colors and patterns comes in two hair lengths: short and medium-long. The short hair is plush and reminds people of a rabbit pelt. The longer one is easy to keep with minimal combing.

• Life Expectancy: 11-15+ years, with proper care.

About the American Bobtail

Confident and friendly, the American Bobtail is a highly intelligent breed with a clown-like personality. Despite their wild expression similar to that of a bobtailed wildcat, this rare and athletic breed is friendly and affectionate. Their subtle personality that is warm and loving rather than demanding or in your face. They are good travelers and make wonderful therapy cats.

One of the breed’s most unusual traits is their shortened tail. No two tails are identical so they are truly the hallmark of the individual and are proudly held above the back when the cat is alert, often wagging to express the cat's mood.

Bobtails aren’t as vocal as some breeds and tend to communicate their pleasure with chirps, clicks and trills, as well as the standard purr and meow.

A devoted family companion, American Bobtails make great family pets. They get along well with older children as well as other pets, including the family dog.

Activity Level:
The American Bobtail is a highly intelligent breed. Most are moderately active without being either a couch potato or constantly in motion. They can easily be taught to walk on a leash and play fetch. Challenge their brain by teaching them tricks and providing puzzle toys that reward with kibble or treats when they learn how to manipulate them.

Care

Grooming
The American Bobtail’s coat doesn’t usually mat or tangle as long as it is combed or brushed a couple of times a week to remove dead hair and keep his coat healthy and shiny. Bobtails tend to shed more in the spring and fall, so it can be a good idea to groom them more frequently during those times. However, a bath is rarely necessary unless they’ve gotten into something messy.

As with all cats, keep their nails trimmed every couple of weeks and teeth brushed regularly with a vet-approved toothpaste.

Be sure to wipe the corners of the eyes with a soft, damp cloth to remove any discharge. Use a separate area of the cloth for each eye so you don’t run the risk of spreading any infection.

Check their ears weekly. If they look dirty, wipe them out with a cotton ball or soft damp cloth moistened with a 50-50 mixture of cider vinegar and warm water. Avoid using cotton swabs, which can damage the interior of the ear.

Nutrition:

As with all cats, it is important to give your cat fresh, clean water daily, so cats don’t hesitate to drink. If you worry about your cat drinking enough water each day, here's a tip from some cat behaviorists: place the water bowl at least three feet away from any food. Cats’ noses are sensitive, and an overwhelming smell of food may cause them to drink less. Filtered drinking fountains can also be used in place of a water bowl.

Health

American Bobtails are generally healthy. All cats have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit diseases.

History

Although the Bobtail has been in America for many generations, the true development of the breed began in the late 1960's.

Every breeder of the American Bobtail has heard the story of Yodi, the patriarch of the breed. John and Brenda Sanders, a young couple, were vacationing in the southwest. They were driving through an Indian Reservation in Arizona when they discovered a brown tabby kitten with a short tail and decided to take their new pet home to Iowa. When Yodi became of age, he romanced the couple's female cat, Mishi, a non-pedigreed domestic color point. The resulting kittens inherited Yodi's unusual short tail. The kittens soon caught the eye of family friends, Mindy Shultz and Charlotte Bentley, who saw the possibility of a new breed of felines. Using several of these bobtailed kittens and outcrossing to a longhaired color point, they produced the first true American Bobtails.

The foundation stock of this breed comes from feral cats possessing a natural short tail from different regions of the United States and Canada. Most breeders no longer use feral bobtailed cats in their breeding programs.

TICA accepted the American Bobtail breed into championship status in 1989.

Did You Know?

• The American Bobtail has a naturally short bob tail that can be seen clearly above the back when the cat is alert. No tail is exactly the same, but the average length is 1 to 4 inches.
• Some psychotherapists have included American Bobtails in their treatment programs as a result of the cats’ sensitivity to human emotions.

The Breed Standard

The American Bobtail, native to North America, is a medium to large, naturally occurring short-tailed cat which is a product of natural selection. It is a hearty breed that has all the intelligence and skill that nature demands of her creatures. The American Bobtail displays the look of an athletic animal, well- muscled and solid, with the appearance of power. The breed should also be noted for an exceptional disposition and adaptability. Breed is slow to mature, taking 2-3 years.

Click here to read the full TICA American Bobtail Breed Standard.

Accepted For Championship in TICA in 2002

• American Bobtail at a Glance
• Breed Introduction
• Printable Breed Introduction
• American Bobtail Breeders
• Breed Standards 
• Breed Committee
• Breed Seminar

Details

Category: Breed of the Week

Published: April 13, 2020

Hits: 174374

Minuet at a Glance

An endearing baby-doll face set upon a low-slung body ensures that the Minuet will quickly capture your heart. Originating from the ‘doll faced’ Persian and the short legged Munchkin, the Minuet shares the gentleness of a Persian and the energy and curiosity of the Munchkin. They are medium-sized, but don’t let their short legs fool you, they can navigate the curves of their self-defined race-track through the house at breakneck speed. They make great family pets and require regular brushing. Find out more about this breed and if a Minuet is right for you and your family.

• Temperament:Laid-back, playful, curious.

• Size: Medium-sized with short legs. Adults weighing on average 7-to-8 pounds.

• Colors: The Minuet comes in every color and pattern of cat and can be found in both the long or short hair varieties.

• Life Expectancy: 15 + years depending on many factors including environment and nutrition.

About the Minuet

Derived from the combination of its two parent breeds, Persian and Munchkin, the Minuet has the Munchkin to thank for its short legs but claims the majority of its traits from the Persian Group (Persians, Exotic and Himalayan). In addition to its small size, this breed is recognized by its roundness, from its face and its large, round eyes, to its body and strong muscles.

Known for their charm, the Minuet is an extremely affectionate and people-oriented cat. Their big eyes and sweet faces give them a look of complete innocence, while their inquisitiveness can land them in all kinds of trouble!

Minuets make very good companions for families and older people. Aside from chasing a ball or swatting at a wand, their next favorite activity most certainly is lap warming.

Activity Level

The Minuet is very Persian-like in its level of activity, but not a total couch potato. If you feel more activity is a good idea, make it a playful time and you will find the Minuet to be very cooperative. Many also love to chase a ball down the entire length of a long hallway.

Care

Grooming: 
The coat of the Minuet, both in its long- and short-hair varieties, is a plush coat consisting of an undercoat as well. The coat should not be as thick or heavy as what you would see on a Persian, but again, this will vary among individual cats.

The TICA Minuet Breed Committee recommends a steel comb (with close and more distant teeth) as the best grooming since it easily reaches down to the skin. Daily, or even every other day, combing will keep the coat from tangling or matting, and will provide an enjoyable experience for you and your Minuet. Make sure and get to the hard to reach areas such as behind the ears, tummy, and between the front and rear legs.

Bathing, depending on environment, may be optional. With a heavier coated long-haired Minuet, you may want to get your kitten used to bathing and blow-drying early on. Done slowly and gently, many do seem to totally enjoy the whole process.

As with all cats, regularly trim their nails and brush their teeth with a vet-approved pet toothpaste for good overall health and fresh breath. Schedule regular veterinary check ups and dental cleanings.

Nutrition:
Cats, as with people, may vary in how they metabolize their caloric intake. Being at the lower end of the activity scale, Minuets should be watched to make sure there is a minimum of excess body fat.  The Minuet should feel firm and solid, not excessively flabby.  Many do well on self-feed dry.  With the food constantly there, the tendency to gorge or eat too much at once is eliminated.  The cat will ingest small amounts throughout the day. It really is a matter of observing and getting to know your own cat's requirements and habits. Choose your foods (wet and dry) wisely.  Treats should be just that, occasional goodies, not taking up a significant part of the total diet. 

As with all cats, it is important to give your cat fresh, clean water daily so cats don’t hesitate to drink. If you worry about your cat drinking enough water each day, here's a tip from some cat behaviorists: place the water bowl at least three feet away from any food. Cats’ noses are sensitive, and an overwhelming smell of food may cause them to drink less. Filtered drinking fountains can also be used in place of a water bowl.   

Health
The Minuet is considered an overall healthy breed. With their heavy Persian background, all Minuets should come with a certificate stating that their parents have been checked and cleared for PKD.  Also, when shopping for your kitten, make sure the parents do not have teary eyes or excessively narrowed nasal passages.

History

The Minuet "journey" began on June 12, 1995 with an article in the Wall Street Journal about the Munchkin.

Breed founder Joe Smith saw this article and was immediately enamored with this short-legged cat. Having been a Basset Hound breeder for many years, he was delighted that the short-legged (dwarf) gene had finally appeared in the cat world. Read the history of the Minuet and the road the breed took to be accepted as a TICA championship breed in 2016.

Did You Know?

• Known for being distinctively short, the breed earned its name from emperor Napoleon ‘Minuet’ Bonaparte. The Minuet was originally known as the Napoleon Cat, but in 2015 was renamed the Minuet by TICA.
• To achieve the classic Minuet doll-faced look, breed founder Joe Smith used a doll-faced Persian, known for their sweet expression and longer nose than the current Persian.
• Despite her short legs, Minuets are fast-moving cats that like to “zoom” around the house.

Similiar Breeds

Persian, British Longhair/Shorthair, Exotic Shorthair.

Opposite Breeds

Oriental Longhair/Shorthair, Sphynx, Devon Rex.

From the Breed Standard

The Minuet is a hybrid of the Persian Breed Group and the Munchkin Breed Group. The desired result is a cat that should be medium in size and strong, with noticeable boning and musculature. This cat should have a very open and round face with a sweet expression and large eyes that do not tear. The ideal Minuet is an active yet laid-back cat with a playful attitude.

Read the full TICA Minuet Breed Standard.

Additional information and an introduction to the breed can be found in the links below:

Accepted For Championship in TICA in 2016

• Minuet Breed At a Glance
• Breed Introduction
• Minuet Breeders
• Breed Standards 
• Breed Committee

Photos used courtesy of © Helmi Flick Cat Photography. 

Details

Category: Breed of the Week

Published: April 13, 2020

Hits: 164033

American Bobtail Shorthair at a Glance

American Bobtails resemble a wild cat, yet are a loving and affectionate breed. They do not like to be alone and like to attach themselves to their entire family, not just one person. Easy to get along with, they do well with children and other pets, including dogs. They can be either longhair or shorthair, with both being easy to groom. Find out more about this breed and if the American Bobtail is right for you and your family.

• Temperament: Easygoing, Affectionate, Adaptable

• Size: Medium-sized cat. The weight should come from the cat being well-muscled and having substantial, large boning, rather than being overweight. Bobtails mature slowly, taking up to three years to reach his full size.
  Adult females: 7-11 pounds
  Adult males: 12-16 pounds

• Colors: The American Bobtail comes in any color and pattern. This means that they can be any pattern in black, brown, chocolate, cinnamon, blue, lilac, fawn, red, and cream, with or without white. This variety of colors and patterns comes in two hair lengths: short and medium-long. The short hair is plush and reminds people of a rabbit pelt. The longer one is easy to keep with minimal combing.

• Life Expectancy: 11-15+ years, with proper care.

About the American Bobtail

Confident and friendly, the American Bobtail is a highly intelligent breed with a clown-like personality. Despite their wild expression similar to that of a bobtailed wildcat, this rare and athletic breed is friendly and affectionate. Their subtle personality that is warm and loving rather than demanding or in your face. They are good travelers and make wonderful therapy cats.

One of the breed’s most unusual traits is their shortened tail. No two tails are identical so they are truly the hallmark of the individual and are proudly held above the back when the cat is alert, often wagging to express the cat's mood.

Bobtails aren’t as vocal as some breeds and tend to communicate their pleasure with chirps, clicks and trills, as well as the standard purr and meow.

A devoted family companion, American Bobtails make great family pets. They get along well with older children as well as other pets, including the family dog.

Activity Level:
The American Bobtail is a highly intelligent breed. Most are moderately active without being either a couch potato or constantly in motion. They can easily be taught to walk on a leash and play fetch. Challenge their brain by teaching them tricks and providing puzzle toys that reward with kibble or treats when they learn how to manipulate them.

Care

Grooming
The American Bobtail’s coat doesn’t usually mat or tangle as long as it is combed or brushed a couple of times a week to remove dead hair and keep his coat healthy and shiny. Bobtails tend to shed more in the spring and fall, so it can be a good idea to groom them more frequently during those times. However, a bath is rarely necessary unless they’ve gotten into something messy.

As with all cats, keep their nails trimmed every couple of weeks and teeth brushed regularly with a vet-approved toothpaste.

Be sure to wipe the corners of the eyes with a soft, damp cloth to remove any discharge. Use a separate area of the cloth for each eye so you don’t run the risk of spreading any infection.

Check their ears weekly. If they look dirty, wipe them out with a cotton ball or soft damp cloth moistened with a 50-50 mixture of cider vinegar and warm water. Avoid using cotton swabs, which can damage the interior of the ear.

Nutrition:

As with all cats, it is important to give your cat fresh, clean water daily, so cats don’t hesitate to drink. If you worry about your cat drinking enough water each day, here's a tip from some cat behaviorists: place the water bowl at least three feet away from any food. Cats’ noses are sensitive, and an overwhelming smell of food may cause them to drink less. Filtered drinking fountains can also be used in place of a water bowl.

Health

American Bobtails are generally healthy. All cats have the potential to develop genetic health problems, just as all people have the potential to inherit diseases.

History

Although the Bobtail has been in America for many generations, the true development of the breed began in the late 1960's.

Every breeder of the American Bobtail has heard the story of Yodi, the patriarch of the breed. John and Brenda Sanders, a young couple, were vacationing in the southwest. They were driving through an Indian Reservation in Arizona when they discovered a brown tabby kitten with a short tail and decided to take their new pet home to Iowa. When Yodi became of age, he romanced the couple's female cat, Mishi, a non-pedigreed domestic color point. The resulting kittens inherited Yodi's unusual short tail. The kittens soon caught the eye of family friends, Mindy Shultz and Charlotte Bentley, who saw the possibility of a new breed of felines. Using several of these bobtailed kittens and outcrossing to a longhaired color point, they produced the first true American Bobtails.

The foundation stock of this breed comes from feral cats possessing a natural short tail from different regions of the United States and Canada. Most breeders no longer use feral bobtailed cats in their breeding programs.

TICA accepted the American Bobtail breed into championship status in 1989.

Did You Know?

• The American Bobtail has a naturally short bob tail that can be seen clearly above the back when the cat is alert. No tail is exactly the same, but the average length is 1 to 4 inches.
• Some psychotherapists have included American Bobtails in their treatment programs as a result of the cats’ sensitivity to human emotions.

The Breed Standard

The American Bobtail, native to North America, is a medium to large, naturally occurring short-tailed cat which is a product of natural selection. It is a hearty breed that has all the intelligence and skill that nature demands of her creatures. The American Bobtail displays the look of an athletic animal, well-muscled and solid, with the appearance of power. The breed should also be noted for an exceptional disposition and adaptability. Breed is slow to mature, taking 2-3 years.

Click here to read the full TICA American Bobtail Breed Standard.

Accepted For Championship in TICA in 2002

• American Bobtail Shorthair at a Glance
• Breed Introduction
• Printable Breed Introduction
• American Bobtail SH Breeders
• Breed Standards 
• Breed Committee
• Breed Seminar

Photos used courtesy of © Helmi Flick Cat Photography.