Selkirk Rex are adorable cats but not always the most attractive looking kittens but as adults they are stunning and have the most wonderful endearing disposition. Selkirks are people cats and love fuss and attention.
All types whether straight,curly or ultra curly have the same loving endearing disposition and just differ on coat.For those people who do not like the curly coats the variants (straight-haired) are ideal as they have the same amazing temperaments. They get along with all breeds of cats and are equally happy with dogs, and love being with people of all ages.
Selkirks are highly sociable cats and love to live in pairs and small groups. They are wonderful with children particularly the kittens as they will play for hours and then curl up and purr away to their hearts content making them perfect companions for small children, teenagers and adults alike!
The Selkirk Rex first arrived in the UK in 2002 brought in by three breeders- Lisa Peterson being the one who was most influential in getting the Selkirk Rex established in the UK & now lives in Australia.They are known worldwide as the Cat in Sheep’s Clothing as it resembles a lambs coat and has a wonderful and totally unique feel to the sheep-like coat. However, their purrsonalities are the thing that make you realise one is never enough.
What is a Selkirk Rex?
The basis for the Selkirk Rex breed is a mutation that causes a curly coat.
The foundation cat for this breed was a shorthaired, curly coated dilute calico female found in a litter of normal domestic cats born in 1987 in the USA.
The straight coated mother and her family of five straight coated kittens and one curly kitten landed in an animal shelter. The unusual kitten was given to Jeri Newman, an experienced Persian breeder, and named Miss DePesto.
When she reached maturity she was bred to Jeri's champion black Persian, Photo Finish of DeeKay.
The resulting litter of six contained three curly coated kittens.
This proved that the gene was dominant, unlike the recessive gene of the Devon or Cornish Rex.
Because there was only one kitten with the curly coat in Miss De Pesto's litter, it is presumed that this was a spontaneous mutation that Miss DePesto then passed it on to her offspring.
Jeri decided to name the breed after her stepfather, although she told people it was named
after the Selkirk Mountains in Wyoming, (which are actually in Canada!) near to where the original cat was found.
Personality:
The temperament of the Selkirk reflects that of the breeds used in its development.
They have a lot of the laid-back, reserved qualities of the British Shorthair, the cuddly nature of the Persian, and the playfulness of the Exotic Shorthair.
They are very patient, tolerant, and loving.
Varieties:
They come in Heterozygous (one copy of the curly coat gene), Homozygous (two copies of the curly coat gene) or variant - straight-haired.
The coat of the homozygous tends to be a tighter coat as it carries the two curly genes.These cats will always produce an all curly litter.
All have the same lovely laid back personality , just differing on coat.
Coat:
The Selkirk comes in both shorthair and longhair varieties, and they are both entirely different .
The coat of the shorthaired Selkirk is plush, medium in length, and curls over the entire body, although some may have fewer curls than others.
In the longhair the semi-long coat hangs in loose individual ringlets and has a more dramatic look - The curls are particularly prominent around the neck and on the tail.
In both hair lengths, the fur is soft and dense. The Selkirk rex is accepted in all colours and patterns, including colourpoint.
Text courtesy of Anne Minshall of Acozni Selkirk Rex.
