Your guide to finding and caring for a LaPerm in Kennebunk
Meet a LaPerm who needs you
While we don't have enough cats near Kennebunk, keep in mind that many rescues may offer transport.
M, 3-7 y., 0 miles
Domestic Short Hair, LaPerm
F, 3-7 y., 255 miles
Devon Rex, Domestic Short Hair
F, 3-7 y., 255 miles
Devon Rex, Tabby
F, 3-7 y., 585 miles
Devon Rex
F, 0-6 mo., 875 miles
Devon Rex, Domestic Short Hair
F, 6 mo.-2 y., 854 miles
Selkirk Rex
M, 3-7 y., 886 miles
Selkirk Rex, British Shorthair
M, 6 mo.-2 y., 1003 miles
Munchkin, Selkirk Rex
M, 3-7 y., 1003 miles
Munchkin, Selkirk Rex
M, 3 y., 1995 miles
Cornish Rex
The LaPerm began with a single barn kitten born bald on an Oregon farm in 1982, which grew in a soft coat of loose curls a few months later. A dominant gene produces the curly coat, so the breed was built by pairing those cats with ordinary domestic cats, and it now comes in shorthair and longhair versions in nearly every color and pattern. Coats range from loose waves to tight ringlets, often with a curly plume of a tail.
LaPerms are usually medium-sized, moderately built cats with an active, people-focused nature. Many enjoy riding on shoulders, patting faces and following their humans from room to room, yet they also like to climb and explore. Their coat sheds lightly and needs little grooming, though kittens may go through thin or bald stages. They are rare, so most adopters meet curly-coated domestic cats rather than registered LaPerms.
Having a LaPerm in Kennebunk
What sets a LaPerm apart is the springy coat, but daily life with one is shaped more by an affectionate, inquisitive personality and a body built for climbing. These notes cover how that temperament, activity level and coat care play out at home.
LaPerms tend to be gentle, affectionate cats that seek out their people, often settling on laps or shoulders and patting faces for attention. Many are curious and moderately active rather than frantic. Most adjust well to respectful children and other calm pets, though an individual cat's history and socialization shape how quickly it warms up.
A LaPerm usually enjoys a mix of play and lounging. Wand toys, chasing games and climbing to high perches keep most of them fit, and puzzle feeders or simple trick training add mental exercise. Short daily play sessions tend to be enough, with kittens and young adults wanting more activity than seniors.
No breed-specific inherited disease is well documented in the LaPerm, likely helped by its ongoing outcrossing to domestic cats, but it shares common feline problems such as dental disease, obesity and kidney or heart disease with age. Kittens can lose coat temporarily, which is normal. Routine checkups and dental care remain important, and adopters should have a veterinarian check for inherited problems.
LaPerms generally adapt well to apartments or houses as long as they have vertical space, scratching posts and company. They are usually happiest living indoors with people who are home often. Window perches and cat trees satisfy their urge to climb and watch, while a quieter home suits shy LaPerms.
| Expense | Typical cost | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Adoption fee | $125, one time | $125 in year one |
| Food | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Pet insurance | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Routine vet care | $150 to $350 per year | $150 to $350 |
| Other* | $450 to $1,150 per year | $450 to $1,150 |
| Estimated yearly total (after year one) | $1,200 to $2,700 | |
| First-year total (with adoption fee) | $1,325 to $2,825 | |
Adoption fee is the fee on LaPerm listings in Kennebunk on GetBuddy today. Other costs are national averages for LaPerms; we don't have costs specific to Kennebunk yet.
* Litter, flea prevention, a dental cleaning allowance, toys and scratchers, and light at-home coat care.
Now that you know more, let’s find you a new best friend. These rescues and shelters below currently have LaPerms available.
Here are the rescues & shelters in the Kennebunk area where you can find LaPerms and other cats available for adoption.
No, LaPerm cats are not truly hypoallergenic, because no cat is free of the main cat allergen, Fel d 1, which comes from saliva and skin glands. LaPerms shed lightly, so some people with mild allergies report fewer symptoms around them. Reactions vary from person to person, so spend time with the specific cat before adopting if anyone in your home has allergies.
Yes, LaPerm cats are rare. The breed dates only to 1982, and relatively few registered LaPerms are born each year in the United States. Shelters seldom list a pedigreed LaPerm, although curly-coated domestic cats do appear occasionally. Patience helps: breed-specific rescues and general cat rescues sometimes take in LaPerms or curly-coated cats needing new homes.
Yes, LaPerm cats shed, but usually only lightly. Their curly coat tends to hold loose hair rather than dropping it around the house. Some LaPerms go through a heavier seasonal molt or a temporary thin patch, especially as kittens or after hormonal changes. Gentle combing once or twice a week is typically enough, and brushing too hard can flatten the curls.
A LaPerm is a curly-coated cat breed that started in Oregon in 1982, when a farm cat gave birth to a bald kitten that later grew curls. A dominant gene causes the coat, which comes in shorthair and longhair versions. LaPerms are medium-sized, affectionate and active cats, recognized by major registries including the CFA and The International Cat Association.
A LaPerm looks like a medium-sized, moderately built cat wearing a soft coat of waves or ringlets that feels springy to the touch. Longhairs often have a curly ruff and a plumed tail, while shorthairs look more tousled. The head is a modified wedge with rounded contours, the ears are medium to large, and almost any coat color or pattern is accepted.
The LaPerm's defining feature is its curly coat, caused by a dominant gene, so one curly parent can produce curly kittens. The curls may be loose waves or tight corkscrews and are often densest on the neck and tail. Many LaPerm kittens are born bald or straight-coated and may lose and regrow hair before the adult curls settle in.
LaPerm cats were first found in The Dalles, Oregon, on a cherry farm owned by Linda Koehl. In 1982 one of her barn cats gave birth to a bald kitten, nicknamed Curly, which grew a curly coat within a few months. Later litters produced more curly kittens, and Koehl went on to develop them into the breed known today.
You can adopt a LaPerm by watching cat rescues, shelters and adoption sites such as GetBuddy, where curly-coated cats occasionally appear. Breed-specific rescues and general purebred cat rescues sometimes place retired or surrendered LaPerms. Because the breed is rare, setting up saved searches and alerts helps, and staying open to a curly-coated domestic cat widens your options considerably.
We have 1 rescue with LaPerms available: Four Legged Freedom Rescue. You can see every rescue with LaPerms available in the list above these questions.
Looking for a different breed? Browse other cats available for adoption in Kennebunk.
