- Origins of the German Curly Cat -
At the end of the 1950s in Devonshire, England, a very strange-looking curly-haired kitten was born, this kitten is lively and mischievous, and the wavy curly hair is very unique, which is the ancestor of the Devon curly-haired cat.
Originally they were thought to be a type of Curly Cat, but mating with each other did not give birth to kittens, confirming that they carry different genes. This made the British, who had a crazy love for cat breeding, overjoyed, and immediately after that, they began to breed German curly cats, gradually forming the current breed.
A pure-blooded Devon curly-haired cat
Generally, there must be the following physical characteristics:
Short hairs that curl like waves and have a balding phase
Devon's fur is a curly wave-like short hair, a little like the curly fur of a teddy dog, compared with other breeds of cats, Devon's hair loss is much better, only a small amount of floating hair, absolutely will not appear cat hair flying all over the sky. The German curly cat also has a period of baldness, which is generally bald 3-7 months after the kitten is born. Various factors such as temperature and pressure can also affect the degree and duration of Baldness in German.
In terms of coat color, the Devon curly cat belongs to the full color breed, and you can basically buy a variety of colors you want.
Small cats, adult weight of about 6 pounds
The German curly cat weighs about 6 pounds of adult female cats, the adult male cat weighs about 6-8 pounds, and the back length is about 30-40cm, which belongs to a very small cat breed, plus curly hair, the overall look will be smaller.
Special face, like an elf and like an alien cat
One of their most obvious features is that they have a nearly wedge-shaped head, similar to the shape of a diamond. Devon also possessed a pair of large, pointed ears, somewhat like those of an elf, and the ear position was very low, and the bottom of the ear was usually under the eye. The whole eye is also not round, but appears as an oval.
Looking at Devon's head from the side, they have a breakpoint at their nose, the angle is between 90-135 °, the angle is not as small as possible, the more obvious the nose break, which also means that their nasal cavity is shorter and narrower, and they are more likely to suffer from respiratory diseases.
Personality like "cat + dog + monkey"
In terms of personality, the German curly cat can be said to be a combination of cat + dog + monkey. Unusually lively and active, especially in his childhood, Devon, is keen on parkour at home, and Devon is also very clingy, and his favorite thing to do is to climb up the master's legs, all the way to the shoulders. And Devon is also very smart, and can even train his circuit skills.
Notes for breeding German cats:
Sensitive to temperature
Devon is not as harsh on temperature as hairless cats, but it also needs attention. In the kitten period, their ability to regulate body temperature is relatively weak, so we maintain a relatively stable temperature and humidity indoors, the temperature is generally maintained above 15 degrees, and the more suitable temperature is between 20-25 degrees.
Oil production varies from cat to cat
Because of the reason for the small amount of hair, Devon will also have the situation of oil, but it will not be like a hairless cat like an oil field, the amount of oil is also different from cat to cat, cats with less hair are more fond of oil, pay attention to cleaning, otherwise there will be a risk of skin diseases. Cats with more hair will almost not produce oil, and the amount of oil produced by male cats will be significantly reduced after they have cacked eggs.
Food bulldozer
Devon cats look small, but as long as they eat, they are properly turned into food bulldozers, and they can eat 200 grams of canned food in one meal during the growth period. They also have a steel stomach and are generally less worried about soft stools.
But it should be noted that they must not be allowed to eat indiscriminately, in Devon's eyes anything that looks like they can eat, they will want to taste it, and when you eat, they will try to trick you with their appearance to ask for food, at this time, don't be soft, they are just ruthless dry rice machines. As long as you feel that it is harmful to the health of cats and cats, you can't let them eat it.
Underlying congenital disorders
Congenital diseases are common in Devon, where congenital muscle weakness is common, and cats and cats will show significant movement disturbances or difficulty swallowing within 6-20 weeks, and there is a risk of death. The other is Hypokalemia in Burmese cats, whose main symptoms are difficulty walking and stiff head, which can be controlled by potassium supplementation. Therefore, before picking up the cat and cat home, it is necessary to ask the original owner for the test report of the kitten's parents to see if it has the above two pathogenic genes.
Finally, the price of German, generally with reference to the difference in appearance, the price of German on the market is also very different, the market price ranges from 3000-30000, the price of good quality and good pedigree is relatively high, generally about 15,000 yuan, and the price of home breeding is usually in the range of 3000-6000.
The level of price is not the criterion for judging the quality of cats and cats, so we do not have to blindly pursue high-priced cats, and choosing a cat we like is the right solution.