Breed Profiles

The breeder sent me a photo of a bald, wrinkled kitten and said "trust me." I almost did not. Two years later my LaPerm, Mousse, has the curliest coat on the street and the softest fur I have ever put a hand to. She was born nearly hairless, a quirk of the breed, and grew the coat in over her first year. The breed started with one such kitten and a accident of genetics nobody planned.

A LaPerm is a rex cat, which means the coat curls. Not the tight perm of a Devon or the wave of a Cornish, but a loose, springy curl that feels like brushed wool. Mousse's fur ripples down her back and stands out in ringlets on her belly and tail. People reach to touch her and then do not want to stop. I get it. It is the best part of the breed and the reason most people fall for one.

They are medium cats, not dainty, not huge. Solid. Mousse weighs eleven pounds and feels like a warm loaf with legs. The face is open and a little surprised, with big ears and eyes that track everything. She is not a lap cat in the collapsed sense, but she is a shoulder cat. She climbs to my shoulder and drapes there while I cook, which is less helpful than it sounds and far more charming.

The temperament is the quiet win. LaPerms are people cats. Mousse greets visitors at the door and follows them through the house explaining herself in a low, rusty voice. She is not clingy in a needy way. She is present. If I sit, she arrives. If I leave, she waits by the door. A cat who chooses your company over a sunny shelf is a rare and good thing, and this breed tends to do exactly that.

The coat is low effort, which surprised me

For a curly coat you would expect work. There is almost none. The curls do not tangle the way a long straight coat does. I comb Mousse once a week with a wide-tooth and that is plenty. The coat sheds less than a normal cat's, which my black trousers confirm. Baths are rare and the fur springs back curlier when it dries. I was ready for a grooming chore and got almost none, which I will take every time.

Heat and cold both matter. That curled coat is light and does not insulate like a thick straight one. Mousse seeks the radiator in winter and the tile in summer. She is an indoor cat by choice and by sense, and I keep her in. An escaped LaPerm in a cold snap would be a cold, unhappy cat fast. Indoor life suits the breed, and the breed suits indoor life.

Health is generally sound. The breed is young and mostly healthy, with no widespread curse attached. Eyes and heart are worth a check at the start, as with any cat. Mousse has had one upset stomach in two years and that was a houseplant she should not have reached. I moved the plants. She has not forgiven me.

They are playful past the kitten stage. Mousse fetches. Not pretends to fetch, actually brings the toy back, drops it at my feet, and waits. We do this until I tire, which is always before she does. A cat who plays fetch is a cat who needs you engaged, and the LaPerm wants that engagement daily. A bored one will find the curtain or the cable. Give her a wand toy and ten minutes and she is content for the evening.

If you want a cat with a coat people stop to ask about, and a temperament that leans into the room instead of hiding from it, the LaPerm is an easy yes. Born bald, grew a curl, and turned out to be the friendliest cat I have owned. The breeder was right to say trust me, and I rarely say that about anyone selling anything.

One thing to know before you fall for the look: the curl varies. Not every LaPerm is ringleted, and some are barely waved. Mousse is the full curl, but her littermate was almost straight and still a LaPerm. If you want the show coat, meet the parents, because the kitten coat changes as it grows and the breeder's cats tell the real story. I liked Mousse before I saw the curl, and the curl was a bonus, but a buyer who cares most about the look should see the line. The breed is more than the fur, even if the fur is why you stopped.

Mine took to water like the breed says she should not. LaPerms are not known as swimmers, but Mousse stepped into the bath I ran for the dog and paddled with a serious face, then climbed out and shook a curl into every towel. I keep it rare and warm, because the coat takes long to dry and a cold cat is a cross cat. The point is she tried, and a cat who tries a thing once and comes back for the next is a cat with a steady nerve, which serves her well when the vacuum arrives or the doorbell rings.