Australian Mist vs American Curl - Breed Comparison

The American Curl is well known for its unusual shaped ears and for being one of the youngest cat breeds.

It developed in California. The first of these cats appeared to have been strays that arrived in California in 1981. The black female’s name was Shulamith, and she gave birth to a litter with the same curled ears, and was the ancestor of the American Curls of today.

Appearing in a cat show in 1992 for the first time, the longhaired American Curl was then given championship status by TICA and it was also admitted to the Cat Fanciers Association’s championship class in the long- and shorthaired divisions.

This beautiful cat, the Australian Mist was developed in Australia and is a cross between the Burmese Cat, the Abyssinian as well as domestic shorthairs.

The breed was developed in 1975 by Truda Straede looking to bring about a short-haired cat with a ticked or spotted coat. At first the cat breed was known as the Spotted Mist but this changed to Australian Mist in 1998.

This is also because cats with marbled coats as opposed to spotted coats were accepted as part of the breed. This is an Australian cat but today there are some in UK, America and Germany.

The cat is recognized by governing councils Australia. The cats have a large gene pool.

The American Curl is a medium-sized cat weighing roughly 2.3–4.5kg. Its a cat that stands between 21 and 27cm in height.

It’s also a cat that takes a fairly long time to mature, reaching maturity about 2 or 3 years of age. The most distinctive feature of this cat is its unusual ears that curl backward as opposed to standing up like most other cats. At birth the ears are straight but they gradually start curling back, staying in a tight bud position.

The American Curl's coat is soft and silky and doesn’t require too much grooming. The fur comes in colors such as grey, white, apricot, black, and the coat can be a solid color or in a host of different patterns such as bi-color, triple-color, tabby, ticking and others.

The head is round, the eyes of the cat are large, giving the cat an alert, friendly look. The eyes can be many different colors from blue to green, amber, copper, hazel, and yellow.

Temperament:

The American Curl Cat loves his human family and gets on well with children too. He is an adaptable cat, settling into different lifestyles. You’ve got to watch him around small children who might manhandle him and pull his sensitive ears.

Nonetheless, he is sociable and loving. He is an intelligent cat, being active and alert and will even follow you around to see what you’re doing that he can be involved in too. He isn’t a particularly talkative breed but he loves to play and can even learn to fetch a smallish ball.

There is nothing particularly unusual about these beautiful cats as the Australian Mist is a medium-sized cat weighing between 4 to 7kg. Its short coat comes without an undercoat and it is a low-shedding cat.

The coat can be spotted or marbled and the legs and tail come with a pattern of black rings. The cat’s coat is short and comes in a number of colors – gold, peach, brown, blue, lilac, chocolate and caramel.

The Australian Mist has large, bright, expressive green eyes with a rounded head and a furry tail.

Temperament:

The Australian Mist is known for its exceptional temperament, and they don’t mind being picked up and cuddled. For this reason they make great cuddly pets for first-time cat owners as well as homes with children.

He is more than willing to get on with other pets in the home as well. They’re lively cats and will not mind being put on a leash and going for a walk, although because they are such cats that thrive on human company, this cat is willing to spend the entire day indoors with their human family.

These companionable cats make excellent animal friends for invalids.

Desexing your Australian Mist will ensure that he likes to stay close to home and become a solid family member.

You’ll find your American Curl to be a friendly, loving cat that will easily bond with his human family. They’re adaptable cats and will happily adjust to your lifestyle.

Despite their affection, however, American Curls aren't the type of cats to want to be pampered and petted - they are quite happy just to sit next to their owner and relax, or play with their toys.

Because American Curls are highly adaptable, they're suitable for a number of different home types, and homes with other pets or children, making you a splendid feline pet and companion.

The Australian Mist is capable of becoming the perfect pet for single people, couples, families, the sick, and the elderly.

They just thrive on human companionship and love the indoor life. You can expect to have your furry companion with you for a good time as their life expectancy is into the late teens – if you provide them with a happy, comfortable home.

Bring one of these wonderful fur companions into your home and you’ll see that the Australian Mist is ready to quickly become a member of your unique family.

This is a healthy breed of cat that with good care can reach 9 – 15 years of age.

You need to be careful with their ears – perhaps damaging the cartilage if you brush him too hard.

Like many cats, the Curl is susceptible to ear issues so always be sure to check and clean your cat’s ears weekly.

These are generally long-lived cats and with good health, these robust cats from Australia can live well into their teens.

The Australian Mist hasn’t got any particular health care issues, but as with every cat, it is a good idea to see that he gets to the vet for an annual check-up to make sure all is still well.

The Curl’s coat can be either short or long, but with a gentle brushing, the coat can be well maintained. The shorthaired variety sheds a bit more during the year than the longhaired variety and this is why grooming and brushing becomes necessary.

You can brush your cat’s teeth to avoid periodontal disease.

Trim your cat’s nails every other week if they don’t wear down naturally.

Check inside- and outside the cat’s ears for parasites and dirt. The cat’s ears have a unique shape and they may well be born with narrowed ear canals that can trap dirt and wax and this results in ear infections.

Like all cats breeds, your lean, muscular American Curl can be susceptible to obesity and heart disease. Speak to your vet about a special cat food for your feline friend as cat food is specially formulated to deliver the exact level of natural vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants needed. Understand the amount of food your Curl requires by checking out the feeding instructions on the food labels. Always talk to your vet if you're not sure how much and what you should feed your cat.

Remember, that if you don’t want to do these grooming routines for your cat for fear of hurting him or not doing it properly, the vet or your local pet groomer will do it for you.

Make sure to provide your intelligent American Curl with toys and exercise. You can buy toys and games that will challenge his mental and physical abilities.

Grooming:

They’re moderate shedders and the short lying coat of this cat won’t require much grooming. It is always a good idea to brush a short-haired cat like the Australian Mist at least just once a week to get rid of dust and loose hairs. Of course, the cat thrives on the attention that comes with brushing him as well.

Diet:

Because your Australian Mist is a fairly active cat you want to buy commercially manufactured cat food that is of the highest quality to maintain his health and condition.

These cats are prone to putting on weight and you want to ensure the right food portions to maintain his weight.

He should never be without a constant supply of fresh, cool water. A good diet for your cat can go a long way to eliminating- or cutting down on veterinary expenses.

If you’re unfamiliar with what to feed your cat, your furry friend’s basic nutrition needs will require having good protein from meat, fish and poultry. You always want to be sure that Taurine, an essential amino acid is always included in the food as well as other important vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and enzymes.