LaPerm

The LaPerm is a medium-sized domestic cat recognised by its wavy or curly coat. The curls range from soft waves to tight ringlets, and the texture is light and airy rather than dense. The breed comes in both longhair and shorthair varieties, and the same curly characteristic appears in both.

LaPerms are affectionate and oriented toward people. They tend to follow household members from room to room, sit on laps, and stay involved in daily activity. Curiosity is a defining trait: the breed investigates open drawers, new objects, and any change in its surroundings. Owners often describe LaPerms as gentle but persistent in seeking attention.

The coat is the breed's most distinctive feature, but the temperament is what tends to keep owners attached. A LaPerm is active without requiring large amounts of space, which makes it suited to a 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. People who prefer an independent, aloof cat may find the breed too attentive. The curly coat sheds modestly, which can appeal to owners sensitive to loose hair, though no cat is fully non-shedding.

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

Over the following years the curly cats multiplied across the working cat population on the property. Koehl noticed that the coat appeared in different colours and in both long and short lengths, and that the curls were consistent enough to suggest a single inherited characteristic.

The trait was traced to a dominant gene mutation. Breeders worked to establish the LaPerm as a distinct breed while maintaining its natural diversity rather than narrowing it to a single look. The name combines a French article with a reference to the permed appearance of the coat.

From the 1990s onward, cat registries began to accept the LaPerm for recognition and competition. The breed spread beyond the United States to other countries, including Canada, where breeding programmes continued to develop it while keeping the original mutation as the foundation.

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

The coat is the defining trait. Curls can be loose waves or tight ringlets, and they are usually most pronounced at the throat and on 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 may change in density at different life stages. Some kittens are born with hair, some with a short coat, and some nearly bald before the curly coat grows in. Coat care needs are 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 to ask for attention.

With family, the LaPerm is warm and interactive. It tolerates children who handle it calmly and tends to settle into the rhythm of a busy home. With strangers, most LaPerms are confident rather than shy, and many will approach visitors. With other pets, the breed is usually sociable and does well in homes with other cats or a calm dog.

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

The curly coat of the LaPerm is lower maintenance than its appearance suggests. It resists matting and does not require the daily attention that denser longhair breeds demand.

Grooming

• Comb the longhair variety once or twice a week to remove loose hair and keep curls defined
• Comb the shorthair variety occasionally; many need little more than a weekly check
• Avoid heavy brushing, which can pull out the curl and leave the coat frizzy
• Trim nails every two to three weeks and check ears for wax buildup
• 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 adapts to apartments 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 access to 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 maintains condition well, but free feeding can still lead to weight gain in less active individuals. 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. Discuss 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, in part because it descends from a working farm cat population with broad genetic diversity. Most individuals live 12 to 15 years with good care. The breed has 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 end on a success to hold the cat's attention.

Basics

1. Establish litter training early and keep the box clean and accessible
2. Redirect scratching to a post and reward its use
3. Introduce a name and 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. This genetics has allowed breeders to outcross to maintain a wide gene pool while keeping the curl.

Gestation lasts about 63 to 67 days. Litters are typically 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 developing 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.

Registering a LaPerm and its microchip in Canada

An open balcony door is all it takes for a LaPerm to become a shelter intake. The free United Pet Club profile answers that scan with your name, your postal code, and the cat's photo. Register your cat once; it holds for her whole life.

A chip the vet implanted but nobody registered reads as a dead end on the scanner. Register the microchip free on the lifetime plan: every brand a Canadian clinic implants is accepted, updates after each move are free, and the record answers the lookup tools shelters lean on. Create your free account and close both gaps tonight.