Cats in sheep’s attire are the name we often give to our curly-haired cat breeds.
They are unique and rare. Pet parents are getting very attracted to curly-haired breeds due to their low-shedding, friendly temperament, and cool personality.
These traits make this cat breeds lovely and cuddly. Also suitable for a house with people of all age groups. Let’s know some more details about 6 curly-haired cat breeds in this blog!
The 6 Curly-Haired Cat Breeds
1. Devon Rex Cats
This Devon Rex breed is intelligent, tall-eared, short, and curly-haired. Many people take the curly coat of these cats as unusual, or they find a resemblance with the pixie-like appearance.
Devon Rex is very friendly and playful. So if you want a cat who doesn’t shed a lot of hair, and is friendly in nature to gel along with other family members, then Devon Rex is so far a good option to bring home.
The physical characteristics of Devon Rex cats are similar to that of Devon Rex cats, however, they are technically not hypoallergenic.
This breed is very active and loves to jump, climb and play, so you need to keep them engaged with cat interactive toys, or else they can be destructive.
| Attribute | Physical Characteristics of Devon Rex |
| color | black, blue, chocolate, cinnamon, lilac, and white. |
| patterns | tortoiseshell, calico, tabby, pointed and shaded |
| size | 6–9 pounds and 10–12 inch tall. |
| lifespan | 9-15 years |
2. La Perm Cats
These cats are worldwide famous for their coat, which has loose, bouncy curls, making it light and airy to the touch.
So attractive that you just want to grab them around your hands. La Perm Cats are small, weighing from five to eight pounds, they are healthier than most breeds. The coat of La Perm cats is less troublesome when it comes to grooming requirements.
The coat of curly-haired cat breeds doesn’t face the issues of mats or getting tangled. Regularly brushing is enough.
These cats are very cautious about cleanliness! So you have to keep the litter box always clean or else they might just skip using it. In the end, you don’t really want a house full of urine smell!
3. Selkirk Rex Cats
The Selkirk Rex cat looks like it is wearing a wool jacket, sometimes named ”Poodle Cat”is a naturally curly-haired cat breed. They were found by Jeri Newman in Montana in 1987. The nature of these cats is very mellow, winsome, and tender.
This makes the Selkirk Rex cat breed exceptionally tolerant and friendly cats. They are best for a house with people of all age groups, you will hear no to less adjusting complaints.
They live up to 13 years or more. You might notice that this cat requires, unique grooming needs.
Since the hair of Selkirk Rex cats is curly, so the loose hairs tend to get tangled within themselves. It means they won’t shed on the surfaces like sofa, furniture, etc.
That doesn’t mean your work is fulfilled, you have to make sure that you comb her hair on a regular basis. Although avoid over-grooming as it might encourage more shedding.
A Pro-Tip: use a wide-tooth comb.
4. Cornish Rex Cats
The Cornish REX cats are smaller, have curly whiskers, and have a short coat with curly hairs.
They might look like a light curly fur ball, but when you try to pick them up, it’s over for you. They are actually very heavier than it looks!
These curly-haired cat breeds are highly intelligent and very productive. So they won’t act like a shy coy bride in your home, they will jump, hop and climb whenever they get a chance.
So if you think that these cats will sit in your lap peacefully for the day long, it’s delusional.
You can train them easily without banging your head on the walls because we all know how stubborn cats are in nature, so here’s a win-win for you.
When it comes to grooming, the less, the better! Because the hair of Cornish REX cats is quite fragile!
So excessive combing of the fur might damage it. The only thing you need to follow is to trim her nails weekly and do the cleaning of large ears occasionally.
5. German Rex
The German REX cats might look larger because they stand so high on their legs, but in reality, they are medium-sized curly-haired cat breeds.
Now before you go on the soft mushy appearance of this cat, let me tell you they are not at all fragile! In fact, they are athletic.
German Rex was first presented in 1960 and quickly expanded from Germany to France, England, and the United States.
The personality of these cats is very playful and loving, so they can be suitable household pets, who would cuddle with you as long as you wish them to! Unlike other cats who ride on the rollercoaster of various moody.
The overall grooming needs of this cat are quite low, she’s blessed with Her silky, short, and curls naturally.
| Attribute | Physical Characteristics |
| color | red, brown, frost, cinnamon, black, white, and chestnut |
| Size | five to eight pounds |
| pattern | Solid Color, Tortoiseshell, Bicolor, Tricolor/Calico, Tabby, Ticking, Smoke, Shaded, Points |
| lifespan | 9-14 years |
6. Skookum Cat
You can say that this cat has a resemblance with the tom, from our favorite TV show tom and Jerry.
Skookum cats are also referred to as Shirley Temples of the cat world due to their curly top. This is one of the rarest breeds of cats.
The name of skookum cats comes from jargon used by the Chinook tribe, meaning “mighty,” “strong,” or “powerful, Native American origin.
These cats really have brave personalities, stand perfectly to the name, given to them. These cats love to jump and climb on trees, sofa, curtains, and anything which comes into their sight. So you might consider getting a suitable cat toy to support their playfulness and prevent accidents from happening at home.
They are very affectionate in nature and can be your best cuddle buddies.
| Attribute | Physical Characteristics |
| color and patterns | tabby, bicolor, color points, and solid colors |
| weight | 3-7 lb |
| size | 5-6 inches |
| lifespan | 10-15 years |
A Skookum’s coat can attribute a range of patterns and colors, such as bicolor, solid, and color point.
These curly-haired cat breeds are also low maintenance as they don’t require expensive grooming, because of the texture of fur just one combing session will work well for several weeks.
Grooming Requirements
The moment when it comes to grooming requirements of curly-haired cat breeds, you got to sit back and relax because they are probably low maintenance than other breeds.
Uniquely curly-haired cats breed requires a unique grooming session, let’s go through the following:
- Comb the fur of your cat once a week without fail.
- Don’t use a brush, it can make the lustrous silky wavy fur go away.
- Use a thick hair cat shampoo, to avoid flatting of the coat.
Conclusion
There are very few curly-haired cat breeds in the world, which makes them extremely rare and precious, they are the result of a mutation.
A typical domestic cat has three types of hair structure with their coat, cats with curly hair miss one or two elements of it, and that’s why a cat gets curly hair. They shed very little hair or no hair at all, which makes them desirable and low-maintenance pets.
References
- Here’s what you need to know about these curly-haired cats – iizcat
- Cats and Their Coats – National Geographic
- Effects of coat length and faecal hair removal on measured nutrient digestibility in cats – Sage Journals