The LaPerm - History
The LaPerm originated in 1982 with the birth of a kitten named Curly on Linda and Richard Koehl's cherry farm in The Dalles, Oregon. She appeared rather odd with her sparse coat but as she grew her fur became thicker and curly and she became a favourite on the farm. She was part of a colony of working farm cats keeping the mouse population in check in the orchards and barns and over the next ten years she and her offspring spread the new dominant rex gene through the whole colony.
Development of the Breed:
Over the years visitors to the farm had asked about the cats and told Linda that she had something unusual. Eventually she took some cats to a show and quickly won the support of breeders and judges alike who worked with her to develop the breed and establish a Standard of Points. The LaPerm Society of America was formed and before long the cats were recognised by CFA, TICA and other American cat registries.
The Dalles is situated in the Columbia River Gorge in an area of land which is sacred to the Wishram Native American tribe. For this reason many breeders choose to given Native American names to their kittens.The LaPerm is a visually distinct cat with its lean athletic body and inviting curly fur. The breed is recognised in both shorthaired and longhaired varieties.
The longhaired
LaPerms seem to
be the most popular
as they look dramatic with
their long curly coats which
fall in waves or ringlets all
over their bodies. They also
often have long curly ear
muffs and lynx tipping. The coat is loose and bouncy
and should not be thick and
heavy. It feels very different
from other rex breeds and is
described as being textured
with a feel which is more
velvety than silky. Their bodies
are muscular with long
legs and necks and tapering
tails which can be plumed
and curly in the longhairs and
stand out like
bottlebrushes in
the shorthairs.
They have wedge
shaped heads
with gentle
rounded contours
and almond
shaped eyes.
As with the other rex breeds, the LaPerm is recognised in all possible colours and patterns. Outcrossing to approved breeds is being used to enlarge the gene pool. Unlike the Cornish and Devon rexes the LaPerm's rex gene is dominant and cannot be carried. The photo below is of Sekani Serendipity of Aswani, a red point longhair LaPerm who will soon be contributing to the development of the breed in the UK - she is descended from the original LaPerms of Oregon.
Many thanks to Anthony Nichols of Quincunx LaPerms for permission to use this text.
