The Selkirk Rex is one of the youngest cat breeds, and its story starts with a single curly-coated kitten in Montana.
[PLACEHOLDER: a photo of one of our Selkirk Rex, ideally showing the curly coat.]
Miss DePesto
In 1987 a kitten with a curly coat and curly whiskers was born at a shelter in Montana. Her littermates had ordinary straight coats. She was adopted by Persian breeder Jeri Newman, who named her Miss DePesto and bred her to a black Persian male.
Three of the six kittens in that first litter had curly coats. That showed the curl came from a dominant gene: a kitten needs only one parent with the gene to inherit the curls. It is a different gene from the ones behind the Cornish Rex and Devon Rex. Jeri Newman named the new breed the Selkirk Rex.
Building the breed
To build a healthy, varied gene pool, early breeders carefully crossed Selkirks with Persians, Exotic Shorthairs, British Shorthairs and American Shorthairs. That is why the breed has its sturdy, solid body, round face and plush coat, and why it comes in both longhair and shorthair and in every color and pattern.
TICA accepted the Selkirk Rex for championship in the 1990s, and CFA followed in 2000. Today the breed is shown in both registries across the country.
[PLACEHOLDER: Laura Jo, please check these dates and add anything from your years on the breed council or your own start with the breed.]
The Selkirk Rex today
- Coat: loose, individual curls, in longhair or shorthair. Even the whiskers curl.
- Body: medium to large, heavy-boned and muscular.
- Head: round, with full cheeks and large round eyes.
- Colors: every color and pattern.
- Temperament: patient, affectionate, playful and easygoing.
Learn more on the CFA Selkirk Rex breed page and at TICA.
[PLACEHOLDER: links to other Selkirk Rex sites you like, such as Paula Briner’s breed information, or delete this note.]