Fun American Curl Cat Facts For Kids

The American Curl is an average-sized cat breed that is widely known for its curyd ears. These cats are well-built and are loving and friendly in nature, especially with children. These cats make excellent companions and will get along with humans easily, as well as with other pets in the household.

These cats, even as adults, maintain their playful and loving, docile nature and are loving towards their owners. Even though these cats have short bodies, they are well-built and have muscular bodies that are durable. These cats can adapt to their surroundings easily, making them excellent pets that can thrive in any given living condition.

Do remember not to leave your Curl alone for too long as these cats can develop separation anxiety since they like to be around their owners most of the time. Curls need to get their ears cleaned regularly since the position of their ears leaves them exposed to dust, so remember to clean your Curls' ears as often as possible.

For more relatable content, check out these American bobtail facts and Maine Coon facts for kids.

What type of animal is an American Curl? 

The American Curl cat breed is a medium-sized common housecat found throughout North America. These cats with round ears are known for the ear curling gene that they have in them as a result of mutation which leads to the cat developing curled ears as they grow even though American Curl kittens are born with straight ears.

The American Curl's history is recorded back to 1981 when an American couple found a unique cat with curled ears and adopted it. Shulamith, the name which was given to the black female cat, passed on her ear curling gene to her litter and thus a new breed of cat was born.

In present times, the American Curl cat breed has become quite a popular pet breed due to its loving personality, curled ears, and silky coat.

What class of animal do American Curls belong to? 

The American Curl cat belongs to the Mammalia class of animals.

How many American Curls are there in the world?

The population of the American Curl cat breeds cannot be estimated as these pets have made their way as pets into households all across the world due to their unique genetic trait, loving personality, and various colors and patterns. American Curls are great family pets that can get along well with children and senior members.

Where do American Curls live? 

The American Curl, like most other cat breeds, is curious and adventurous and can often stay outdoors for a long period as they go on their adventures and roam around the neighborhood in search of the company of other pets like cats and dogs. However, it is advised to keep your cats mostly indoors as they might come in contact with stray animals and get infected or in the worse case, get hit by a car. You will need to keep your cats indoors as much as possible to avoid any health issues.

What is an American Curl's habitat? 

The American Curl's habitat is whatever region they are living in with their owners, as they are not found in the wild. These longhaired cats have a dense silky coat that helps them in living in harsh weather conditions, be it extremely cold or warm.

Who does an American Curl live with?

The American Curl has a friendly personality and is suited to life as a pet as it loves living among family members. These cats are family-friendly as can gel with all family members including kids, adults, and old folks. They are playful around children but can be a bit resistant towards strangers until they acquire their confidence. American Curl is also pet-friendly and will easily co-exist in a household with other pet breeds like dogs or cats.

Even though these characteristics are found in lap cats, the American Curl is not a lap cat and will prefer to stay around people.

How long does an American Curl live?

The American Curl lifespan is estimated to range between 12-16 years, which can be further extended by taking proper care of your cat by grooming it frequently and keeping a check on its health to avoid any genetic disease or illness that can be passed through to the kitten via the gene of the parent.

How do they reproduce?

Just like many dog breeds, cats too go through an estrous cycle. However, unlike dog breeds, cats will not ovulate unless they go through the breeding process. This is the reason why cats have a history of breeding kittens throughout the year.

Female cats sexually mature around the age of four months and during this period is receptive to males and will try to get their attention by meowing loudly and rubbing their bodies against objects among other various signs. If the female cats are not bred, this behavior will be repeated for a while and if they are bred, this behavior stops instantly.

After the male has successfully copulated with the female and impregnated her, the female cat will go through a gestation period of 60-63 days and give birth to an average litter size of four kittens. To keep a check on the pregnancy of your cat you will need to look out for signs like a larger abdomen, increased appetite, and swollen mammary glands. Many cat breeds can also go through something known as false pregnancy. A visit to the veterinarian will help you figure out if your cat is pregnant or not.

What is their conservation status?

There is no conservation status specific to this cat breed. The population is seen as stable as parents pass off their genetic traits to their kittens.

What do American Curls look like?

Among various American cat breeds, the American Curls are seen as well-balanced cats that are neither too big nor too small. They have a long body and are not really delicate.

The head of this cat is wedge-shaped and they have walnut-shaped eyes, which are often overlooked due to this cats' unique curled ears which are large and are placed at a 90-degree angle. This well-muscled cat, while not large, has a long body compared to the overall size. The American Curl has medium-sized bones so it is not a delicate cat despite the length of the body. The ears have natural fur in them and are flexible in nature.

The fur coat of this cat has helped in it being recognized as both a longhaired and a shorthaired cat breed.

How cute are they?

The American Curl is an adorable little pet that you can bring home! Kittens are especially cute and watching their straight ears develop in the trademark curled ears is a treat to watch.

How do they communicate?

Cats communicate with each other or humans through vocal and visual methods. They will meow, purr and hiss, and often rub their bodies against objects as a mode of communication.

How big is an American Curl? 

An average adult American Curl grows between 18-20 in (45.7-50.8 cm) in length and 9-12 in (22.8-30.5 cm) at the shoulder and is a bit larger than the Singapura, which reaches an average height of 6-8 in (15.2-20.3 cm).

How fast can an American Curl run?

The running speed of the American Curl is unknown.

How much does an American Curl weigh?

These cats are lightweight and adults weigh between 5-10 lb (2.3-4.5 kg).

What are the male and female names of the species?

A male American Curl, like other males of the cat breed, is called a tom or a tomcat, and an unspayed female is called a queen.

What would you call a baby American Curl?

A baby American Curl is called a kitten. Kittens are born blind and deaf and open their eyes when they are one to two weeks of age. An American Curl kitten will gradually develop and will be able to see with its walnut-shaped eyes and hear with its ears over the next couple of weeks.

What do they eat? 

The American Curl likes to hunt and will often prey on mice, frogs, or insects like a garden spider.

These cats should be fed a high-quality diet that should consist of a high protein-based cat-food mix. Overfeeding should be avoided as these cats are susceptible to obesity.

Are they slobbery?

Cats often drool when they are in a state of bliss, or when they are relaxed to the state of no regard for their surroundings. The drool is often minimal in the cat breed compared to the dog breed, so if you are someone who likes to keep yourself neat and clean while playing with your pets, then American Curl can be a great addition to your house.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes! An American Curl would make an excellent pet. Cats can be a great addition to households that have children or old people who like to keep their activities to a minimum. They do not require as much attention as a dog and will not bother you unless it wants food or just wants to cuddle with you.

Did you know...

Russia, Japan, France, and Spain are some of the countries that have a huge demand for American Curls.

They are known by the nickname 'Peter Pan' of cats because of their mischievous nature.

These cats can be trained to play games like fetch.

Characteristics and health issues

The American Curl is often bred with other cat breeds to produce kittens that come from a mixed gene pool. Kittens can take on the trait of either parent, for example, if bred with the Persian cat breed, the kitten will either acquire the curled ears of the parent American Curl or the fur coat of the longhaired Persian cat parent.

Since the American Curls have exposed ears, they are prone to issues in their ears. To avoid such issues, you will need to clean your cat's ears with a dampened cloth weekly.

These cats also require dental hygiene to stay at their best health, so it is advised to brush your cat's teeth various times a week.

Getting your own American Curl

The American Curl's temperament of a timid and loving cat breed makes it a great pet for small or large households. If you are looking to buy one, you can get kittens easily with breeders and they will cost you around $1000-2000 USD based on the health and grooming they have been provided with until they are sold. If you do not want to buy an American Curl, you should visit your local animal shelter.

If your American Curl is a long-haired breed, grooming should be increased to twice weekly, in order to remove any tangles, mats, or debris from the coat. Proper grooming and day-to-day care if necessary to provide your cat with the best lifestyle.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals from our Nebelung interesting facts and Margay surprising facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable cute cat coloring pages.