About / American Curl history
A breed that started with one stray
In 1981 a black longhaired stray with curled ears turned up in Lakewood, California. She was named Shulamith, and every American Curl alive descends from her.
Shulamith, the first American Curl
One spontaneous mutation
The curled ear came from a single dominant gene. Because it is dominant, a Curl bred to a straight eared cat still produces curled kittens, which is how the small gene pool was widened safely.
Fast recognition
Breeders began working with the mutation almost immediately. TICA granted championship status in 1987 and CFA followed in 1993, which is quick for a new breed.
Our Curls
Purricurls works with silver, chocolate, torbie and lynx pointed Curls. Our homebred male Gunner finished as an International Winner and Supreme Grand Champion in TICA in 2025.
Timeline
1981
Shulamith found in Lakewood, California
1983
First planned Curl litters shown
1987
TICA championship status
1993
CFA championship status
2025
Purricurls Gunner, IW SGC in TICA
Worth knowing
What the history means for buyers
Kittens are born with straight ears that curl in the first week
Final ear set is not clear until about four months old
Siblings with abrupt or overly tight ear curls occur in some litters and make excellent pets
The curl is cartilage only and does not affect hearing