LaPerm: Breed Guide, Curly Coat, Temperament & Best Names
Every breed in this cat breed library has an origin story, but only one starts with a bald kitten in an Oregon cherry orchard. In the spring of 1982, a brown tabby barn cat named Speedy gave birth on Linda and Richard Koehl’s farm in The Dalles, and one of her kittens arrived with no fur at all, her tabby markings showing through her bare skin. The Koehls named her Curly, mostly as a joke. Then the joke grew in: within weeks the bald kitten was covered in soft, springy ringlets, and the LaPerm had begun.
What you get, four decades on, is a medium-sized cat wearing a permanent wave it was born to: loose ringlets, curly whiskers, kinked eyebrows, and a personality TICA describes as clown-like, affectionate and determined to be involved in everything. It is also a breed surrounded by one persistent claim, that it is “hypoallergenic,” and this profile gives you the honest version of that story too.
History: A Bald Kitten Named Curly
📖 Breed History
Spring 1982, a cherry farm near The Dalles, Oregon. The barn cat Speedy, an ordinary brown tabby, produced a litter of six. Five were unremarkable. The sixth was a hairless female with wide-set ears and tabby patterning visible on her skin. Her owners, Linda and Richard Koehl, named her Curly. At around eight weeks old she began growing a sparse, soft coat, and it came in curly: by maturity she wore a full set of springy ringlets, and every LaPerm alive today descends from her.
For roughly the next decade, nobody ran a breeding program at all. The farm cats roamed and bred freely, Curly passed her trait on, and a colony of curly-coated cats quietly built up on the property. Her own kittens were born bald and grew their curls over their first months. The genetics explain the spread: the LaPerm curl is caused by a dominant gene, so a kitten needs only one curly parent to inherit it. When the Koehls finally contacted the cat fancy, geneticist Solveig Pfleuger, then chair of TICA’s Genetics Committee, helped establish what they had: a brand-new rex mutation, genetically unique and unrelated to the Devon Rex, the Cornish Rex or any other curly breed.
The breed was named for its coat, which resembles a shaggy perm, and the name was built following the old Chinookan tradition of adopting French words together with their article: the same pattern that turned la pipe into “lapeep” and la pomme into “lapom” in Chinook Wawa produced LaPerm. Recognition followed: the LaPerm Society of America formed in 1997 and affiliated with the CFA in 2000, TICA granted championship status in 2003, the CFA followed with championship in May 2008, the GCCF completed the breed’s progress to full championship in 2012, and FIFe granted full recognition in 2015.
The Coat: Ringlets, Ruffs and the Ugly-Duckling Phase
The TICA standard describes a coat of loose, light, airy curls and bouncy ringlets that stands away from the body and feels springy when you pat it, light enough, judges like to say, to part with a breath. All three hair types (guard, awn and down) are present, and their mixture gives the coat its texture, often compared to mohair, with a slight drag under the hand rather than silkiness. The tightest, longest curls sit at the throat, on the belly and at the base of the ears, and the overall effect is deliberately unkempt: the standard’s own phrase for the look is the “Gypsy Shag.” A natural parting sometimes forms along the back.
Two lengths share the breed. Longhairs carry a medium-long to long coat with a ruff of ringlets around the neck at maturity and a curly, plumed tail. Shorthairs wear waves and closer curls with a slightly crisper texture and a tail like a bottlebrush. Both have the breed’s signatures: very long curled whiskers, kinked eyebrows, curly hair inside the ears, and longer silky hair on the backs of the ears that fanciers call ear muffs. As with other rex breeds, every color and pattern is accepted, with tabbies, reds and torties common from the farm origins and lilac, chocolate and colorpoint lines developed since.
Now the part that startles new owners: LaPerm kittens frequently arrive looking nothing like the breed, bald like Curly, straight-coated, or already wavy. Straight-born kittens may shed that baby coat in their first weeks and grow it back curly, whiskers and all. Nor does the drama end at kittenhood: the breed standard itself lists “non-seasonal moulting” as characteristic of the LaPerm, so adults can temporarily shed down to a sparse coat and regrow their curls, and a thin kitten coat is so normal the standard explicitly allows it. A scruffy, half-dressed LaPerm youngster is not a sick cat. It is a LaPerm under construction.
Appearance: A Moderate Cat in a Party Coat
Under the curls is a cat of moderation: the standards repeat it like a mantra, no extreme features anywhere. The body is medium-sized, well-muscled and semi-foreign in type, with a long neck and long legs that give the breed its alert, high-standing look. Pick one up and you will find what the standard calls “surprising weight for size”: a solid, athletic cat that is heavier than the airy coat suggests. Overall the breed runs 6 to 12 pounds, with TICA putting males at 8 to 10 pounds and females at 6 to 8.
The head is a modified wedge with gently rounded contours, a broad, straight nose and a muzzle slightly broader than the wedge itself. The ears are large, cupped and flared, set to follow the line of the face, and the eyes are large, almond-shaped and expressive, in any color, including odd-eyed.
Temperament & Personality: The Clown in Your Lap
TICA’s breed introduction calls LaPerms “mischievous clown-like cats,” and the rest of its portrait is a cat determined to be wherever you are: they follow their people from room to room like a dog, ride on shoulders to supervise, play games, and then sprawl out beside you on the couch. Their signature gesture is reaching out a paw to pat your face, a gentle attention-claim that Wisdom Panel’s breed profile also singles out. These are active, curious cats who keep a kittenish playfulness well into adulthood: fetch and mouse toys are serious business.
The affectionate streak does not make them frantic: a LaPerm is a lap cat that also plays, present and people-oriented but gentle and patient in how it asks for contact. TICA and Wisdom Panel both rate the breed highly with children and other family pets, which fits a breed raised around a busy farm household. They are not a loud breed either, tending to speak up when they have something to communicate, which in practice means the moment a lap becomes available.
Care & Grooming
The breed’s best-kept secret is that the dramatic coat is low-maintenance, and TICA’s own guidance explains why. The LaPerm has little undercoat, so the coat does not mat easily, and the curl holds much of the loose hair against the body instead of dropping it on your furniture, which is also why the breed sheds lightly. Everyday care is a light combing with a metal comb with rolling teeth, a few minutes’ work that lifts out dead coat and keeps the curls in order. A gentle comb-through once a week is a realistic routine for most LaPerms; longhairs merit a second quick pass in shedding season.
Bathing has rules, and they are the opposite of what most owners expect: bath when needed, towel dry, and let the cat air-dry somewhere warm. Do not brush or comb the wet coat, and never use a hair dryer, the LaPerm Cat Club’s grooming guide is blunt that both turn the curls to frizz. Once the coat is completely dry, TICA’s finishing touch is to spritz it with a fine mist of plain water and scrunch the curls with your hands, which brings flattened curls back to their full, bouncy shape. Add nail trims, ear checks and dental care, daily interactive play, and measured meals to keep that muscular frame muscular.
Health Notes
The LaPerm is one of the healthier stories in the pedigree cat world, for a reason written into its history: free-breeding farm cats, plus registry outcrosses to ordinary domestic cats, kept the gene pool wide. Breed references drawing on CFA and veterinary sources note that the LaPerm has no documented breed-specific genetic disease, a claim very few pedigree breeds can make, and typical lifespans are solidly in the 12 to 15 year range, with some individuals living longer.
Healthy is not the same as maintenance-free. A rare breed also has thinner veterinary data behind it than a common one, so “no known problems” should be read as good news, not a guarantee. Annual checkups, vaccinations and parasite control matter as much here as for any cat. These are general, widely published breed notes, not medical advice; your vet is the authority on your cat.
Are LaPerms Hypoallergenic? The Honest Answer
This breed is often sold with the word “hypoallergenic” attached, and the truthful answer is more useful than the marketing one. No cat breed is completely hypoallergenic. The main cat allergen, Fel d 1, is produced in the saliva and skin glands of every cat, and cats spread it over their coats when they groom, so a LaPerm produces allergens like any other cat. Any breeder who promises you an allergy-proof cat is promising something no breed can deliver.
What is genuinely in the LaPerm’s favor is the shedding. Because the coat has little undercoat and the curls hold loose hair to the body, less loose hair and dander circulates in your home than with a heavy-shedding breed. PetMD, a veterinary source, calls the LaPerm lightly shedding and a reasonable choice for people with mild allergies, and some mildly allergic owners do live comfortably with one. Others react anyway, because reactions are individual. The only honest test is exposure: spend real time with LaPerms, at a breeder’s home or a show, before you commit to a kitten.
Living With a LaPerm
A LaPerm home is a home with people in it. This breed becomes deeply attached to its owners and, as the DK breed guide puts it, needs company and should not be left alone for long stretches, so it suits homes where someone is around much of the day, or where a second pet provides the social life. Apartments are fine: the breed is active but not huge, and its exercise needs are met with climbing furniture, window perches and real play sessions rather than acreage. Families with children and other pets are the classic fit, and first-time owners generally do well with a breed this forgiving; our new cat owner starter kit covers the setup before the kitten comes home.
The practical catch is availability: the LaPerm is recognized by every major registry yet remains a rare breed. Expect to search for a breeder and wait your turn rather than find kittens on demand. What arrives is worth the patience: a dog-like shadow in a shaggy perm, patting your face for attention. For softer name inspiration, browse our fluffy cat names and country cat names.
Best Names for a LaPerm
Clementine means “mild, merciful” in our name database, a gentle name for a gentle breed. Willa means “resolute protector,” which suits the LaPerm that appoints itself guardian of the household. Teddy means “gift of God,” the right energy for a cat who is basically a stuffed toy that purrs. Maisie means “pearl,” River “a flowing body of water,” and Cedar “cedar tree,” a nod to the Pacific Northwest. The sweetest pick needs no translation at all: Cherry is recorded in our database simply as “cherry fruit,” and the breed itself began on a cherry farm. The rest are inspiration-only picks, described honestly with no invented translations: Willow, the willow tree, graceful and calm; Hazel, the hazel tree, for warm brown eyes; Daisy, the daisy flower, cheerful and fresh; Maple, the maple tree, sweet like syrup; and Fern, after the woodland plant. Every meaning above comes from our name database. Browse the fluffy and country lists linked above for more, or try them all in the generator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are LaPerms really hypoallergenic?
Not completely, and no cat is. The main cat allergen, Fel d 1, is produced in the saliva and skin glands of all cats, LaPerms included. What the breed offers is light shedding: little undercoat, and curls that hold loose hair to the body instead of spreading it around your home, so some people with mild allergies find one easier to live with. Reactions vary from person to person, so spend real time with the breed before committing to a kitten, and treat any promise of an allergy-proof cat with suspicion.
Why was my LaPerm kitten born bald?
Because that is how the breed started: the foundation cat, Curly, was born bald in 1982, grew a curly coat within a few months, and LaPerm kittens still arrive bald, straight-coated or wavy. Straight baby coats may shed in the first weeks and regrow curly, and even adult LaPerms can moult out of season and temporarily look sparse, a trait the breed standard itself lists as characteristic. A thin or patchy kitten coat is normal for this breed, not a sign of illness.
Is the LaPerm related to the Devon Rex or Cornish Rex?
No. The LaPerm’s curl comes from its own spontaneous mutation in Oregon farm cats, and the breed is genetically unique, not related to any other rex variety. Its gene is also dominant, unlike the recessive genes behind the Devon and Cornish Rex coats, which is part of why the LaPerm’s curls look and feel different: looser, springier, with a mohair-like texture.
How much grooming do LaPerm curls need?
Far less than they suggest. A light combing with a rolling-teeth metal comb once a week, a few minutes’ work, removes dead coat and keeps the curls tidy. After a bath, towel dry and let the coat air-dry without brushing, and never blow-dry it: brushing a wet coat or using a dryer turns the curls to frizz. A spritz of plain water and a scrunch with your hands revives flattened curls when dry.
How big do LaPerms get?
They are medium-sized cats with a well-muscled, semi-foreign build, long legs and a long neck. Most weigh between 6 and 12 pounds, with TICA putting males at 8 to 10 pounds and females at 6 to 8. They are famous for feeling heavier than they look: dense muscle hides under that light, airy coat.
How long do LaPerms live?
Typically 12 to 15 years, and some live longer. The breed’s wide farm-cat gene pool has kept it robust, and breed references note no documented breed-specific genetic disease. Routine vet care and weight control give a LaPerm the best shot at the top of that range.
By Brianna Baxter