Jaguarundi Curl

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style.

Remove this template after wikifying. This article has been tagged since November 2006.

This article or section does not cite its references or sources.
You can help Wikipedia by introducing appropriate citations. This article has been tagged since November 2006.

Image:Merge-arrows.gif

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Jaguarundi. (Discuss)

Jaguarundis, Felis yaguarondi, is a cat that inhabits most of South and Central America. Although not native to North America, some do live in Florida, having been introduced there in the 1940s. They weigh from six to twenty pounds. They have short legs, long tails, and small ears. They come in a ticked or tawny pattern, with the melanistic version being solid black. There have been no documented matings of Jaguarundis to domestic cats, but there is some speculation that the short legs in the Jaguarundi may be caused by a similar mutation to Munchkin cats.

The Jaguarundi Curl recreates the look of the Jaguarundi by making an initial outcross of our Highland Lynx cats to Munchkins or other short legged domestic cats. In the initial cross, the ideal specimens have the curled ears and polydactyl feet of the Highland Lynx and the short legs and long body of the Munchkins. These cats have a full tail like the Jaguarundi.

In ideal specimens, coats will be tawny or solid like the Jaguarundi. Spotted coats are also permitted since Jaguarundi kittens are spotted at birth.

The curled ears are caused by a dominant gene. Jaguarundi Curls may be either homozygous or heterozygous for the curled ear gene. In other words, it will be possible to have Jaguarundi Curls born with straight ears. They will still be registered as Jaguarundi Curls and may be used for breeding with a curled ear cat of the opposite sex.

There are no known recessive short tail genes in the Jaguarundi Curl breed. By carefully selecting full-tailed Highland Lynx as outcrosses, the short tailed gene will not be introduced into the breed.

The gene for short legs is a dominant gene. All short legged kittens are heterozygous for short legs, which means that all short legged Jaguarundi Curls carry one gene for short legs and one gene for long legs. Therefore, long legged kittens will be born in litters from time to time.

The polydactyl gene is a dominant gene and may be present in its homozygous or heterozygous state. It enhances the overall appearance of the cat.

Curled ears have been introduced into the breed since feral Jaguarundis have small ears. The gene that curls the cartilage in the ears of the Highland Lynx or Jaguarundi Curls also dwarfs the size of the ear. These cats are selectively breed for very tight curls in the ears to make the ears appear smaller.