AMERICAN CURL
In June 1981 a black, longhaired, stray kitten with unusual, swept-back ears turned up at the house of Joe and Grace Ruga in Lakewood, California. Six years later the descendants of this kitten, whom the Rugas had named Shulamith, were competing in championship classes in the International Cat Association. The Curl’s ears are the product of a spontaneous mutation with imcomplete dominant expression. If a kitten inherits one gene for curled ears and another for straight ears, that kitten will still develop curled ears. In addition to its signature ears, the Curl can claim one other distinction: it is the only pedigreed cat that must be outcrossed only to nonpedigreed varieties. This has hampered the standarization of the breed. Setting type is difficult enough in a new breed that depends on established breeds for outcrosses. Trying to set type by crossing to cats obtained from shelters - or wherever else suitable, nonpedigreed cats might be found makes the job ten times as difficult.
