LaPerm

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

LaPerms are affectionate and firmly attached to their people. They will follow the household from room to room, curl up on a lap, and stay in the middle of whatever is going on. Curiosity marks the breed out: it pokes into open drawers, examines new objects, and clocks any change around it. Owners often describe a LaPerm as gentle but persistent when it is after attention.

The coat is what people notice first, yet the temperament is what keeps owners so fond of the breed. A LaPerm is active without needing a lot of space, and so it settles into many kinds of home.

Who it suits

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

The LaPerm began in The Dalles, Oregon, in 1982. A barn cat had a litter in which one kitten was born hairless. As that kitten grew, it came into a soft, curly coat. The owner, Linda Koehl, kept the cat and noticed the curly trait passing to later generations of her farm cats.

Over the years that followed, the curly cats multiplied through the working cat population on the property. Koehl saw the coat coming in different colours and in both long and short lengths, and the curls held consistent enough to point to a single inherited characteristic.

The trait was traced to a dominant gene mutation. Breeders then set about establishing the LaPerm as a distinct breed, while holding onto its natural diversity instead of paring it back to one look. The name puts a French article together with a reference to the permed look of the coat.

From the 1990s onward, cat registries started to accept the LaPerm for recognition and competition. The breed spread beyond the United States into other countries, Ireland included, where breeding programmes carried it on while keeping the original mutation as the foundation. Irish owners typically register through TICA or the Irish Cat Association (ICA).

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

The coat is the defining trait. Curls range from loose waves to tight ringlets, and they usually stand out most at the throat and along the underside. The longhair variety carries a curly ruff, while the shorthair variety has 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 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 stays modest, as the texture resists matting compared with denser longhair breeds.

The LaPerm is an attentive companion. It looks for human company and often stays in the same room as its household, climbing onto 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 the family, the LaPerm is warm and interactive. It tolerates children who handle it calmly and soon falls in with the rhythm of a busy home. Around strangers, most LaPerms are confident rather than shy, and many will go straight over to visitors. With other animals, the breed is usually sociable and gets on well with other cats or a calm dog.

Curiosity is behind much of the breed's behaviour. LaPerms look into presses, 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 spells 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 the curls defined
• Comb the shorthair variety now and again; many need little more than a weekly check
• Keep brushing light, as 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, once 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, though 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. Raise any joint, skin, or coat supplement with a veterinarian before adding it, since over-supplementation can cause its own problems.

The LaPerm is reckoned 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 long 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. Since 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 comes 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 inheritance has let breeders outcross to keep a wide gene pool while holding onto 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.

Registering a LaPerm in Ireland

An ISPCA branch or a vet scanning a found LaPerm gets exactly as far as her record allows. Give the scan somewhere to land: a free profile with your name, your number, and her photo. Register your cat once and it holds for good.

A chip under her skin with no record behind it is a riddle nobody can solve. Lodge the number with United Pet Club instead: free for life, any brand at all, updates that never cost a cent, and a record that answers scans at home or abroad. Register the microchip, then the free account finishes the profile.