Fun Laperm Facts For Kids

Laperm cats primarily occurred as a result of genetic mutation in Rex cat breeds. It first occurred in a family farm of the breeders Linda and Richard Koehl located in Oregon. Following this incident, a large number of people became interested in this LaPerm cat breed and took an active part in the initial phases of the development of the species. In 1997, the LaPerm Society of America (LPSA) was formed under the affiliation of the Cat Fanciers' Association which helped in popularizing this new breed among people. At present, this species is not only restricted to America but they are available in almost all the countries of the world. The most unusual and unique trait of the cat is its beautiful and soft curly coat or wavy coat. They are more or less a healthy breed without any particular hereditary disease but their eating choices may vary as they are picky eaters. A well-groomed cat with maintained health can live a longer life. These cats cost around $800-1500. To know more about this cat keep on reading these wonderful LaPerm facts.  

For similar content check out korat and Pallas' cat facts too.

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What type of animal is a Laperm?

A LaPerm is a beautiful cat breed that originated in the 1980s, taking birth accidentally as one of the members of the litter of a normal tabby cat. This new breed gets its name from the graceful curls of its coat that resemble a perm (a curly or wavy hairstyle created by using chemicals).  

What class of animal does a Laperm belong to?

A LaPerm is a warm-blooded and four-legged feline that belongs to the class mammals or Mammalia.

How many Laperms are there in the world?

Laperms are a newly bred cat species. Despite that, due to their beautiful coat texture, they have spread in various countries of the world as pet cats, covering a large range within these few years of their production. For this wide distribution, scientists face difficulty in determining their total population.

Where does a Laperm live?

Originally, LaPerm cats were bred for the first time in a domestic household of the United States in the 1980s. Many feline geneticists and breeders of the United States began to produce different types of Laperm cat breeds by experimenting with their genetic mutation. A pregnant Laperm was brought to the Netherlands in 2002 for the first time and that cat along with its kittens acted as the first breeding stock for the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom also imported these cats from other European countries, the United States, and New Zealand. The United Kingdom at present forms one of the most important breed centers of the cat. This curly-coated cat species has become a popular choice as a pet cat and currently, their distribution has spread all over the world. Laperm cats are found widely in countries like Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Africa, Netherlands, and Sweden.

What is a Laperm's habitat?

A LaPerm cat is not commonly seen in the wild. They are domestic breeds so their natural habitat depends solely on the home environment of the cat. However, due to the thick fur coat, they might face difficulty surviving in very hot and humid areas.  

Who do Laperms live with?

The LaPerm cat is a newly discovered cat breed that was born in an Oregon barn under the supervision of its breeders. However, it is unlikely to see a LaPerm in the wild or as a stray cat. They only live in domestic households as pet cats along with their owner. Their loving nature encourages more people to adopt this breed and make them their companions.

How long does a Laperm live?

A Laperm is generally found in captivity for research purposes or as domestic pets and like other domestic species of cat, the Laperm can live up to 12 years. Their lifespan can increase up to 15 years if they are provided with a healthy and caring environment.

How do they reproduce?

Like canines, felines also go through multiple estrous cycles known as heat cycles. They are induced ovulators which means that they ovulate during the time of breeding. After going through a gestation period of two months they produce multiple kittens. In Laperms, cross-breeding between the short-haired and the long-haired species has become a very famous choice.

What is their conservation status?

Laperms are comparatively a newly bred species of cat. The LaPerm conservation status, as a result, is not yet evaluated by IUCN and they remain as Not Listed in the IUCN Red List. However, their population trend has just started to grow and it is assumed that their population will increase a lot in the future. The only way this is possible is by taking good care of these soft curly-coat cats.

What do Laperms look like?

The general Laperm features are more or less similar to those of modern-day rex breeds of America. They have a medium-sized body with a longer neck and legs. The head has a modified wedge shape with a broad muzzle and rounded contours. The cat breed has an almond-shaped pair of medium-sized eyes and flaring ears. As a result of the breed's genetic mutation, a LaPerm's coat can be of any color that is normally seen in a cat-like black, white, red, lilac, color prints, and chocolate. The coat can also show a variety of patterns. Some commonly found texture patterns in this breed are tabby pattern, reds, and tortoiseshell. Their curly coats give a slightly springy texture to the fur. New and darker varieties of Laperms are also being bred. There is only a single layer of fur coat present in these cats. The curly hair cannot be described as silky but this loose coat is very soft. Based on the hair length, the cats can be classified as long-haired and short-haired. The long-haired LaPerm breed has a curly plumed tail while the short-haired cats have shorter tails resembling bottle brushes. The whiskers of this cat breed are also curly like its fur. The hair type of these cats ranges from soft waves on the back to tight ringlets or curls around the neck region, the base of the ears, and at the ear tips or earmuffs. The intensity of the curls depends on the age and maturity of the cat. For example, as kittens, Laperms have straight hair. The hair begins to curl up after six months to one year after their birth. The newborn kittens can also be born bald or have short hair.

How cute are they?

A LaPerm's curly coat makes the cat look fluffy and cute. Their friendly nature too will attract human beings to adopt this cute and fluffy cat.

How do they communicate?

Cats like LaPerm use different kinds of vocalizations to communicate with other cats as well as with humans. Some famous LaPerm vocalizations include purring, hissing, and meowing. Meowing is believed to be a manipulation call for cats to get what they want.

How big is a Laperm?

A LaPerm has a body of medium built with respect to other cats and is nearly the same size as the American Shorthair cat. Their height varies between 10-14 in (25.4-40.6 cm).

How fast can a Laperm run?

Laperms are active cats that will not lay around all day. They might want to run around and play with its owner. However, their exact speed is not yet determined.

How much does a Laperm weigh?

Adult cats of the breed weigh around 5-10 lb (2.3-4.5 kg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

A male and a female cat are referred to as tomcat and queen respectively. Likewise, a male Laperm will be known as a tomcat whereas a female Laperm will be called a queen.

What would you call a baby Laperm?

The babies of cats are called kittens. Similarly, a Lapaem's babies will also be referred to as kittens.

What do they eat?

Laperms are carnivorous in nature. They will prefer a meat-based diet over fruits and vegetables at any time. They are slightly picky eaters and must be fed high-quality cat food as recommended by the vet. If this cat breed does not get proper meals, they might not eat anything. The diet must be controlled as overeating can cause obesity in this breed.

Are they hypoallergenic?

Many people believe these cats to be hypoallergenic because of the curly nature of the LaPerm's coat. However, there is no proof of their being hypoallergenic as yet. Allergies caused by cats can be controlled by proper grooming and maintenance of their coat.  

Would they make a good pet?

The Laperm is a very friendly cat breed that can adapt easily to humans. They are clever and have a loving nature towards kids. Their coat sheds very little and the breed does not have any such related genetic health issues. Laperms are active cats but equally up for cuddling with you, making them great pets and companions.

Did you know...

The hairless sphynx, the skookum, is formed by a munchkin and a LaPerm's breeding.

Who was Speedy the Laperm?

Richard and Linda Koehl were cherry farm owners of Dalles, Oregon. In 1982 they brought some cats to the farm to work as pest control. One such barn cat named Speedy gave birth to four kittens. Speedy was an ordinary brown and shorthaired tabby. In its litter of four kittens, one kitten was found to be born with very little body hair but the skin had tabby markings on it. Over the next few years, as the cat grew older, its fur began to grow into a curly texture and it was also very friendly with its owner. Its owner did not pay much attention to this different feline until more curly-haired cats began to show up in the Oregon neighborhood. After that, initiatives were taken by Linda and Richard Koehl to segregate all the curly cats and breed them under supervision. In 1995, Laperms were granted breed status by The International Cat Association (TICA) followed by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).

What different types of fur can Laperms have?

The LaPerm cat breeds flaunt very uniquely looking curly coats but their coats do not have any specific type. Due to genetic mutation, their breed shows a different type of fur alignment. For example, you can find Laperm cats with short hair as well as Laperms with longer hair. Sometimes a Laperm's kittens can also be born bald while some kittens might have straight hair at the time of birth that transforms into defined curls after a year. In some cases, the curling of the kitten fur starts to appear even after two or three years. The Laperm coats display a variety of colors and patterns. However, the most common pattern found in LaPerm cats is the tabby pattern.  

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other mammals including the Balinese cat, or Devon Rex.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our cat coloring pages.