Imagine waking up one morning to find an unusual, yet absolutely adorable cat outside your window, with a thickly plumed tail that immediately reminds you of an ostrich feather boa, and cute little ears that, unlike a regular cat's ears, are curled back in a graceful arc on its head. Once you get past the jokes like, "I wonder if someone used a curling iron," you will find yourself looking at one of the most adorable cats you would ever want to see. Gazing into that perky, happily surprised face, you will find yourself smiling from ear to ear.

A Mother Nature exclusive, the American Curl's ears are similar to those of a Lynx, sporting long tufts that fan out and accentuate the swept-back look. When born, Curls have straight ears, but within two to ten days, they begin to curl back into a tight rosebud position, which gradually unfurls until permanently set into their properly curled position at about sixteen weeks.

The beginnings of this very special species of cat can be traced back to 1981, in Lakewood, CA, when a longhaired, silky black female kitten, later named Shulamith, wandered up the doorstep and into the hearts of Grace and Joe Ruga. Six months later, Shulamith had her first litter, half of which had the same curly ears as their mother. After contacting a geneticist, it was confirmed that the ear formation was truly a genetic trait, caused by a dominant gene and not a deformity. Thus began the birth of the American Curl Cat.

Even tempered and intelligent, Curls tend to retain their kitten-like qualities throughout their lives, taking pure delight in bumping heads with their human acquaintances and happily assisting in all of the projects that happen to be going on around the house. Curls are very affectionate, and while they are not usually vocal, will let their owners know when they are hungry or if they want you to pay attention to them. It is said their personality is uniquely their own. Like a dog, they are faithful, affectionate, and extremely people-oriented. Curls love to sleep high up but also don't mind crawling under the covers to be with their humans. They are so dog-like in ways that you should not be surprised if you find yours sitting right in front of the TV when you are trying to watch it, crawling up over the book you are trying to read, or figuring out how to get into the shower with you in the morning.