The Rex Cat Association

Joint Rex Breed Advisory Committee

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Breeding Policy for LaPerm (80L 80S)

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Breeding Policy

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This page is seen as a way of ensuring breeders can observe what is considered 'best practice' in their involvement with the LaPerm and particularly in their LaPerm breeding programmes.

 

The LaPerm, unlike most breeds but typical of other rex breeds, owes its origin to one cat - Curly, who was born in 1982 on Linda and Dick Koehl’s farm in The Dalles, Oregon. Several years of unregulated breeding gave rise to a small colony of curly, or rex coated cats on the farm and when selective breeding began these cats were the basis of the breed. As with other rex breeds, starting with a small gene pool meant that outcrossing to straight coated cats was vital to improve the size, health and strength of the breed's gene pool. Both long and short coats were present in the original colony and are recognised within the breed.

 

Aims

This document is seen as a way of ensuring breeders observe what is considered 'best practice' in their involvement with the LaPerm and particularly in their LaPerm breeding programmes.

 

It is vital that regular selective outcrossing is maintained to increase the gene pool and improve stamina and health.

 

When breeding curly to curly it is vitally important that careful selections are made to ensure low inbreeding co-efficients. This is 'best for the breed' in its ongoing development.

 

Guidelines

The LaPerm gene (Lp) is dominant so LaPerm Variants do not carry the LaPerm gene, but may be useful in breeding programmes when mated back to LaPerms. LaPerms may carry the straight haired gene recessively so LaPerm x LaPerm matings can produce LaPerm Variants. LaPerms which carry the straight haired gene are known as Heterozygous LaPerms. Homozygous LaPerms do not carry the straight coated gene and will produce only rex coated offspring. There are no differences in appearance between Homozygous and Heterozygous LaPerms. The eventual aim of the LaPerm breeding programme is to produce Homozygous LaPerms but while the breed is still developing it is important to maintain breeding with both Homozygous and Heterozygous LaPerms.

 

The majority of matings are most likely to be between LaPerm x LaPerm, LaPerm x Approved Outcross Breed and LaPerm x LaPerm Variant. Matings between LaPerm Variant x LaPerm Variant cannot produce LaPerms but the offspring of such matings may be registered as LaPerm Variants.

 

Breeders should ensure, to the best of their knowledge, that any LaPerms or LaPerm Variants from which they breed are of sound temperament, free from any hereditary defects, (including those listed in the GCCF Standard of Points), and conform as closely as possible to the Standard of Points, (excluding the coat description where variants are concerned).

 

All cats used for outcrossing should be thoroughly researched, of sound temperament and free from any hereditary defects. Blood type B appears to be very rare in the LaPerm. It is recommended that cats with blood type B should not be introduced into the LaPerm breeding programme in order to prevent the occurrence of problems with blood type incompatibility.

 

LaPerms are not compatible with Cornish, Devon or Selkirk Rex. Such matings are therefore highly undesirable. The product of such matings will be registered on the Reference Register and cannot be considered to be LaPerms or LaPerm Variants. They cannot be used in any Rex breeding programme and should be placed on the non-active register. It is considered to be in the best interest of the LaPerm breed to keep it entirely separate from other incompatible Rex mutations.

 

Under no circumstances should any cat with Sphynx ancestry be introduced into the LaPerm breed. Selection for hairlessness contradicts the coat quality requirements for Rex cats. The product of any matings between Sphynx and LaPerms will be registered on the Reference Register. They cannot be considered to be variants nor be used in any LaPerm breeding programme and should be placed on the non-active register.

 

Breeders shall ensure that any LaPerms or LaPerm Variants from which they breed, shall be registered with the GCCF in accordance with the Rules in force at the time. It is recommended that the progeny from any matings that are not required for LaPerm breeding, should be placed on the Non-Active Register, to avoid the introduction of the LaPerm gene into other varieties of pedigree cats.

 

Breeds which have been approved for use in outcrossing are:

Somali, Abyssinian, Ocicat, Asian Shorthair, Tiffanie, Burmese (European Burmese in the case of imported cats), Tonkinese, Oriental SH, Oriental LH (Angora), Siamese and Balinese plus variants of these breeds.

 

All other breeds are listed as non-approved.

"Old fashioned" type is recommended for Siamese, Balinese, Oriental SH and Oriental LH (Angora) cats used for outcrossing and cats of extreme type should be avoided.

 

Domestic longhairs and shorthairs were used in the development of the breed in the USA and may appear in the background of the pedigrees of imported cats.

 

A wide range of breeds has been permitted for outcrossing during this early development of LaPerms in the UK in order to establish a large healthy gene pool. It is anticipated that the number of permitted outcross breeds will be reduced as LaPerms progress.

 

Breeders will be encouraged to take advantage of any relevant official scheme, which may be devised by the BAC to test the soundness of the LaPerm breed.

 

Note: It is recommended where the colour of a cat is in question a DNA test, (where such a test exists), be arranged.

 

Registration Policy

Breeds which have been approved for use in outcrossing are: Somali, Abyssinian, Ocicat, Asian Shorthair, Tiffanie, Burmese (European Burmese in the case of imported cats) and Tonkinese, plus variants of these breeds, and Registered Domestic Shorthair/Longhair. All other breeds are listed as non-approved.

 

Full Register

LaPerms with Full or Provisional recognition which have within the preceding three generations only LaPerms.

 

Supplementary Register

LaPerms with Full or Provisional recognition which have within the preceding five generations only LaPerms, LaPerm Variants, Somali, Abyssinian, Ocicat, Asian Shorthair, Tiffanie, Burmese (European Burmese in the case of imported cats) and Tonkinese, plus variants of these breeds and Domestic Shorthair/Longhair.

Note: No parents, grandparents or great grandparents of cats on the Supplementary Register can be unregistered or unknown, therefore Registered Domestic Shorthair/Longhair cats can only appear in the third generation (great grandparent) and their unregistered or unknown Domestic Shorthair/Longhair ancestors are permitted in the fourth and fifth generations.

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Experimental Register

LaPerms registered during the period that the breed had Preliminary recognition.

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​Reference Register I

1. LaPerm Variants with Full or Provisional recognition which have within the preceding five generations only LaPerms, LaPerm Variants, Somali, Abyssinian, Ocicat, Asian Shorthair, Tiffanie, Burmese (European Burmese in the case of imported cats) and Tonkinese, plus variants of these breeds, and Registered Domestic Shorthairs/Longhairs and their unregistered or unknown Domestic Shorthair/Longhair ancestors.

2. LaPerms which have unregistered or unknown Domestic Shorthair/Longhair ancestors of Registered Domestic Shorthairs/Longhairs appearing in the second or third preceding generations shall be registered on the Reference Register.

 

NB. When kittens with one or both parents registered on the Reference Register are, under this Registration Policy, eligible to be registered on the Supplementary Register it is recommended that the person registering these kittens requests such registration and encloses documentary evidence of the five generations required. If this is not done the kittens may be registered on the Reference Register.

 

NOTE: Chinchillas (10) permitted in background of Asian SH/Tiffanie pedigrees are also permitted in fourth and fifth generations of LaPerm pedigrees

 

​Reference Register II

1. All LaPerms with non-approved breeds within five preceding generations, including all cats resulting from matings between LaPerms and any breed other than those listed above as acceptable in LaPerm pedigrees shall be registered on the Reference Register as ‘no recognised breed’.

2. All cats resulting from matings between LaPerms and any other rex coated breed will have no breed number and will be over-stamped ‘not recommended for breeding’. Their progeny will remain permanently on the reference register.

3. Any cats of LaPerm appearance, either Rex or normal coated, with Sphynx ancestry will be registered on the Reference Register and be over-stamped ‘must not be used for LaPerm breeding’. No progeny will ever be recognised or registered as LaPerms or LaPerm Variants.

 

NOTE 1: LaPerms with Oriental SH, Oriental LH, Siamese or Balinese cats in their pedigrees, registered prior to 1st June 2008, will continue to be registered as LaPerms, as will their progeny in succeeding generations. After 1st June 2008 the progeny of LaPerms mated to Oriental SH, Oriental LH, Siamese or Balinese will be registered on the Reference Register as ‘no recognised breed’.

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NOTE 2: Before the registration of any white LaPerm or white LaPerm Variant, a BAER or OAE certificate of freedom from deafness for the white parent(s) must be supplied to the GCCF. For identification purposes cats must be micro chipped prior to testing.

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