LaPerm

The LaPerm is a medium-sized domestic cat recognised by its wavy or curly coat. The curls run from soft waves to tight ringlets, and the texture stays light and airy rather than dense. Both a longhair and a shorthair variety exist, and the same curly characteristic shows up in each.

LaPerms are affectionate and strongly focused on people. They tend to follow household members from room to room, settle onto laps, and stay part of whatever is going on. Curiosity defines the breed: it investigates open drawers, new objects, and any change to its surroundings. Owners often describe a LaPerm as gentle but persistent when it wants attention.

The coat draws the eye first, but the temperament is what keeps owners attached. A LaPerm stays active without needing a great deal of room, so it settles into a wide range of homes.

Who it suits

The LaPerm fits households that want an interactive cat and can offer regular company. It suits families with children, multi-pet homes, and owners who enjoy a cat that stays close. Anyone after an independent, aloof cat may find the breed too attentive. The curly coat sheds modestly, which appeals to owners sensitive to loose hair, though no cat is genuinely non-shedding.

The LaPerm began in The Dalles, Oregon, in 1982. A barn cat gave birth to a litter in which one kitten arrived hairless. As that kitten grew, it developed a soft, curly coat. The owner, Linda Koehl, kept the cat and noticed that the curly trait carried through to later generations of farm cats.

Over the following years the curly cats spread across the working cat population on the property. Koehl saw that the coat turned up in different colours and in both long and short lengths, and that the curls held consistent enough to point to a single inherited characteristic.

The trait was traced to a dominant gene mutation. Breeders set about establishing the LaPerm as a distinct breed while keeping its natural diversity rather than narrowing it to one look. The name pairs a French article with a nod to the permed look of the coat.

From the 1990s onward, cat registries began to accept the LaPerm for recognition and competition. The breed travelled beyond the United States to other countries, including Australia, where breeding programmes developed it further while keeping the original mutation as the foundation. Australian owners register with bodies affiliated to the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia (CCCA), and the breed also appears under TICA.

The LaPerm has a balanced, moderate body of medium size. It is neither stocky nor extremely slender, and its frame feels lighter than it looks because of the airy coat. The head is a modified wedge with a rounded outline, and the ears continue the line of the wedge. The whiskers are often curly, a recognised feature of the breed.

The coat is the defining trait. Curls range from loose waves to tight ringlets, and they usually sit most pronounced at the throat and along the underside. The longhair variety carries a curly ruff, while the shorthair variety shows a slightly more textured, springy coat.

Coat and colours

The LaPerm is accepted in the full range of colours and patterns, including solids, tabbies, tortoiseshells, and pointed varieties. The curl develops over the cat's first months and can shift in density at different life stages. Some kittens arrive with hair, some with a short coat, and some nearly bald before the curly coat grows in. Coat care stays modest because the texture resists matting compared with denser longhair breeds.

The LaPerm is an attentive companion. It seeks out human company and often stays in the same room as its household, climbing into laps or perching nearby. The breed is known for reaching out a paw to touch or gently pat a person when it wants attention.

With family, the LaPerm is warm and interactive. It tolerates children who handle it calmly and tends to fall into step with the rhythm of a busy home. With strangers, most LaPerms are confident rather than shy, and many will walk straight up to visitors. With other animals, the breed is usually sociable and does well alongside other cats or a calm dog.

Curiosity drives much of the breed's behaviour. LaPerms investigate cupboards, bags, and anything new. They are intelligent and stay engaged with toys, puzzles, and games well into adulthood. The breed is active but not hyperactive, balancing play with stretches of close contact.

The curly coat of the LaPerm asks for less upkeep than its appearance suggests. It resists matting and does not need the daily attention of denser longhair breeds.

Grooming

• Comb the longhair variety once or twice a week to lift loose hair and keep curls defined
• Comb the shorthair variety now and then; many need little more than a weekly check
• Go easy on brushing, since heavy work can pull out the curl and leave the coat frizzy
• Trim nails every two to three weeks and check ears for wax build-up
• Brush teeth regularly to support dental health

Exercise

• Provide daily interactive play with wand toys, balls, or puzzle feeders
• Rotate toys to keep a curious cat engaged
• Offer climbing space and perches for vertical movement
• Aim for two or more short play sessions each day

Environment

The LaPerm settles into flats and houses alike, provided it gets company and stimulation. It is an indoor or supervised-outdoor cat that values being near its household. A scratching post, a high perch, and a window view suit the breed's active, watchful nature.

As an obligate carnivore, the LaPerm needs a diet built around animal protein. A complete and balanced commercial cat food, wet or dry, meets its core requirements. Portion size depends on age, weight, and activity level. Because the breed is active, it usually holds condition well, but free feeding can still lead to weight gain in less active cats. Fresh water should always be available.

Treats and supplements

Treats should stay under about 10 percent of daily calories. A healthy LaPerm on a complete diet rarely needs supplements. Talk over any joint, skin, or coat supplement with a veterinarian before adding it, since over-supplementation can cause its own problems.

The LaPerm is considered a robust breed, partly because it descends from a working farm cat population with broad genetic diversity. Most cats live 12 to 15 years with good care. The breed carries no large list of inherited disorders specific to it, but owners should still watch for the common feline health concerns and keep up with preventive care.

Preventive care

• Annual veterinary examinations, moving to twice yearly for seniors
• Core vaccinations kept current
• Parasite prevention for fleas and worms
• Regular dental care at home and professional cleaning as advised
• Weight monitoring at each visit

The LaPerm's intelligence and interest in people make it more trainable than many cats. It can learn to come when called, use a scratching post, walk on a harness, and perform simple tricks. Because the breed enjoys interaction, training sessions double as bonding time. Keep sessions short and finish on a success to hold the cat's attention.

Basics

1. Establish litter training early and keep the tray clean and accessible
2. Redirect scratching to a post and reward its use
3. Introduce a name and a food reward for coming when called
4. Teach simple cues such as sit or target touch with treats
5. Introduce harness and carrier gradually, pairing each with rewards

Female LaPerms generally reach sexual maturity between 6 and 10 months, though responsible breeders wait until the cat is physically mature before a first litter. The curly coat results from a dominant gene, so a curly parent can pass the trait to a portion of its kittens even when paired with a straight-coated cat. That genetics has let breeders outcross to maintain a wide gene pool while keeping the curl.

Gestation lasts about 63 to 67 days. Litters usually run to four to six kittens. Newborns vary widely in coat: some arrive with hair, some with short fuzz, and some nearly bald, with the curly coat coming through over the following weeks and months. Queens are usually attentive mothers, and kittens stay with the litter until weaning and early socialisation are complete, generally around 12 to 14 weeks before going to new homes.

LaPerm registration and microchipping in Australia

A LaPerm does not need to roam to go missing; one open window does it. Her free United Pet Club profile keeps your details, her photo, and her chip number together where a vet or shelter can find them. Cat registration never costs a cent, now or later.

If she's already chipped, the register entry is the missing half; the vet's part ended with the needle. Register the microchip free for life with United Pet Club: any brand qualifies, address changes cost nothing, and the record answers scans from any clinic or shelter in the country. Create your free account and knock both jobs over tonight.