The Curly Coat of the Selkirk Rex Cat Breed

The breed of Selkirk Rex cat is rare and rather recent. It was born in the USA in 1987, in Wyoming, in an animal shelter, where a kitten in her litter gave birth to a kitten with naturally curly hair. This was crossed with a Persian and half the litter was born with curly hair.

Jeri Newman, a breeder of Persian cats started a new breeding to which she gave the name of her father-in-law, ‘Selkirk’, while ‘Rex’ was added to recall the unique curly coat. From this first crossbreeding it was discovered that hedgehogs were derived from dominant genes. It is therefore enough for only one of the parents to possess it for about half of the kittens to have this characteristic (that of all other Rex cats is, on the other hand, recessive, so both parents must have it in order to pass it on to their offspring).

The breed has been developed in two hair lengths, long and short. The Selkirk, as we have said, shares a curly coat with the Devon Rex and the Cornish Rex, but compared to these it has a more robust build and a very different character.

Character of the Selkirk Rex Cat

The Selkirk Rex Cat has a calm, cuddly and very playful character that is the result of the characteristics of the various crosses that have been made for the selection of the breed. It loves an active environment, being with children and other pets and playing any game its human wants.

This breed does not require too much attention but loves interactions with people and is not happy when left alone a lot. It is therefore a breed that is good for everyone, whether elderly, families with children or even other animals. It can live quite happily in a flat, but it also appreciates being outdoors, so a safe garden or terrace is suitable for venting its desire for movement.

Apart from its very distinctive coat, this cat is also known for its very funny expression that always seems to be sulky and for its propensity to follow its human everywhere, so much so that it is called a dog-cat.

This cat quickly understands its family's routine and adapts accordingly. If he wants something, he will know exactly when to ask for it. It is also very intelligent, in fact it is easy for it to learn to open doors and drawers in search of something to play with, as it does not, like other cat breeds, like to sleep a lot, but needs stimulation in order not to get bored.

Appearance of the Selkirk Rex Cat

The Selkirk Rex Cat is a medium-sized cat, the male weighing around 7 kilograms, the female a little less. It has a well-developed musculature, medium-length paws with strong bones, a short, broad and muscular neck, a rather short and slightly tapered tail.

The head is round and broad and has full cheeks in both males and females. Large round eyes, widely spaced, with an intense and bright hue, the colour of the eyes can have all possible shades of blue, green and yellow. The ears are not very large, well spaced apart, with rounded tips and tufts of hair curled at the tips.

But the distinguishing characteristic of this cat is its coat. It can be found either short or long, but always very curly, similar to sheep's wool. The whiskers, eyebrows and inner ear hairs are also curled. Unlike other curly-haired cats, it has three layers of hair. The long-haired specimen always looks ruffled, the short-haired one resembles a small bear. All possible colours and genetic patterns are accepted.

The Selkirk Rex may also be suitable for allergy sufferers. It is among the feline breeds classified as ‘hypoallergenic’, because its saliva produces little glycoprotein Fel-d1, which is responsible for many allergic reactions.

Health and care of the Selkirk Rex Cat

It is a healthy and robust cat that has no breed-related health problems. It has a fairly long life expectancy, even up to 20 years. However, the risk of hereditary diseases is always present, depending on the breeds from which they originate.It must be protected from sudden changes in temperature or extreme temperatures (either too hot or too cold), although it tends to suffer much more from heat than cold.

As far as feeding is concerned, it is necessary to be vigilant about the nutritional quality of the food and, above all, about the dosage to be given to prevent it from gaining weight.

The particular coat needs a lot of care, usually the hair is brushed three or four times a week, in the moulting period also every day, to avoid annoying knots that are then difficult to remove. It also gets dirty quite easily so it is advisable to give it a bath every now and then.

Having a very thick coat it tends to lose a lot of hair especially during the moult.