So Marc-Andre and Ian asked me to introduce Ron to you all. The first thing everyone says about Ron is that he’s super cute. They then immediately ask what breed he is. Yes, Ron is an American Curl Longhair, so he’s pretty special.
I was fortunate enough to meet Claire Winman while showing Maine Coons at the International Cat Society and that’s where I first encountered the American Curl. Claire is a founding breeder in the UK and has bred some of the best Curls to be shown around the world. The history of this breed is an interesting one, having first appeared over 30 years ago.
The American Curl was born from a natural genetic mutation that first appeared in Shulamith, a stray black kitten with long, silky fur and curiously curled-back ears who ended up on the doorstep of Joe and Grace Ruga in Lakewood, California.
Shulamith gave birth to four kittens of unknown paternity, two of which had curly ears like Shulamith. After consulting a geneticist, it was determined that this trait was the result of a dominant gene. Cat fanciers began breeding the cats in 1983, and the new breed, named the American Curl, was registered with the Cat Fanciers Association in 1986. The breed was recognized by the International Cat Association in 1987, and officially recognized by the CFA in 1993. To this day, Grace remains actively involved in developing the breed.
Having fallen in love with Claire’s over-ear American Curl, I hesitantly asked her if I could have a baby cat to show someday. With the way Curl’s ears were developing, I wasn’t sure if he would be ears good enough to show until at least 4 months of age. A few years later, when Claire told me she finally had the perfect kitten for me, I was so excited that I drove over to Claire’s to pick up Ron in September 2016. I set aside a special name to register for Ron – Over-Ear Drops of Jupiter, after my favorite song by the American band Train. Ron left his siblings George, Fred, Hermione, Fleur and Ginny to join my family of Maine Coons and Nebelungs.
Ron has easily integrated into my roster and is the sweetest kitten ever. Carl has the most amazing temperament and is often described as the Peter Pan of cats and he truly is. Ron reminds me of Puss in Boots from Shrek. What beautiful eyes!
