Permissible
- All colour varieties and patterns
1 breeder is on record here.
Medium-sized cat with distinctive backward-curling ears, elegant body, and silky coat. Known for its kitten-like personality that persists into adulthood.
Originated in 1981 in Lakewood, California, when a stray black kitten with unusual curled ears was found. The curl is caused by a dominant gene. Recognized by major cat registries and known for maintaining a kitten-like personality throughout life.
Generally described as affectionate, curious, intelligent, interactive, lively, playful e social.
That is the breed in general, not a promise about one animal. Ask the breeder what their own line is like, and meet the parents before you decide.
Breed reference from The Cat API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: The Cat API; UC Davis VGL — PRA rdAc (CEP290) test; FIFe breed standard. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The American Curl standard is published by the FIFe (Fédération Internationale Féline), the international federation of pedigree-cat clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Minimal undercoat.
Minimal undercoat.
Notes
Permissible
Shortened from FIFe standard ACL/ACS — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source. FIFe lists this standard’s last modification as 2025. Text read on 31 ago 2026.
The colour varieties FIFe recognises for this breed are listed, with their EMS codes, in the table at the end of its standard. FIFe describes each colour group in the General Part of its standards.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health. Quotations from the FIFe are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Known hereditary risks for the American Curl breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
1 condition documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
Breed-level information from The Cat API. It describes the American Curl in general; any individual animal can differ.
The same late-onset inherited blindness documented in Abyssinian and Somali cats has also been found in American Curls; a 2009 survey of the CEP290 mutation across cat breeds names this breed as one where genetic testing is appropriate.
What to ask for
UC Davis VGL PRA rdAc (CEP290) DNA test result, on both parents
The same late-onset inherited blindness documented in Abyssinian and Somali cats has also been found in American Curls; a 2009 survey of the CEP290 mutation across cat breeds names this breed as one where genetic testing is appropriate.
What to ask for
UC Davis VGL PRA rdAc (CEP290) DNA test result, on both parents