Selkirk Rex

Origin
The breed Selkirk Rex came into being in 1987 out of an animal home female cat in Sheridan (Montana). One of her kittens had a curly fur. Jeri Newman, a local breeder of Persian cats, was asked for her opinion with regard to this rather strange little cat.
Jeri who is interested in cat genetics adopted this kitten and crossed this female cat (Miss DePesto of NoFace) with a Persian cat from her cattery.     

On 4th July 1988 Miss DePesto of NoFace became the proud mother of 6 kittens. 3 kittens had curls; the other 3 had normal hair.

These 50% kitten with curly hair were exactly what you could have expected from a dominant gene. Because of this Jeri got even more interested in this gene and she started her breeding program and gave this breed a name. Just like with the Devon Rex and the Cornish Rex the Selkirk Rex has been named after a place where this breed had found his origin. The dominant Rex-gene of the Selkirk causes that the hairs are classified in separate curls. Around the neck, on the tail and on the stomach the curls are the clearest. In the fur all hair types are present. It still is a relatively young breed which is still developing itself. The founder of the Selkirk didn’t want to give the Selkirk an Eastern appearance. That is why the Persian Long-hair, the Exotic, the British short-hair and the British long-hair were chosen as outcross partners.

Until 2010 the Selkirks may be crossed with the Persian and the Exotic. Until 2015 the British may be used for this and after 2015 it is expected that the breed can continue existence itself.

At the moment this breed is still rare in Holland. Most Selkirk’s which live in Holland come from Austria, Germany, America or Hong Kong. But of course they all have had Miss DePesto of NoFace as their mutual ancestor.

Character
The Selkirk Rex has a friendly and soft character. They are extremely affectionate towards human beings and children and they love to play together. They love to be the centre of interest. Towards strangers they investigate rather than being standoffish. In general they can get along with other pets and dogs under the condition that they are brought together in the right way. It is an active breed which should have enough toys and scratching posts and climbing poles so that they can let off steam.   

They don’t demolish and can amuse themselves well in the house. It is a very nice breed, which behaves themselves like they look…True cuddly animals.
 

Type Description

HEAD
Round wide head with full cheeks, solid jaws, and a short, square snout. A rounded forehead (side-view), a clear slant at the nose bridge and a solid chin with a well-closing set of teeth.
EARS
Medium-sized, not located close toe ach other with rather pointed points.
EYES
Large, round eyes, not positioned close to each other.
BODY
Short, solid neck. Body is semi-cobby, craggy with a wide chest. Straight back with a slightly ascending back line. The solid bone structure makes the cat heavy.
PAWS AND FEET
Medium-sized paws with a solid bone structure. Large round feet.
TAIL
Moderate long, thick at the basis, a bit tapering in a rounded point.  
 

FUR STRUCTURE
The Selkirk Rex has a full, plushy, tight soft fur. The cover hairs might be a bit stiffer. Kittens are born with a curly fur, but when they are 6 months old the curls disappear and when they are 8-10 months old they start to develop a curly fur again; this is allowed until the age of 2 years old. Kittens are therefore tested on color.

FUR LENGTH
short-hair: the hair may not be longer than 2½ to 5 cm,
long-hair: long and wavy. All patterns, colors and markings are allowed, also white spots.