Selkirk Rex Cat
The "cat in sheep's clothing" — a plush, curly, teddy-bear coated cat with the ONLY dominant curl gene among all rex breeds. Unlike Cornish and Devon Rex (recessive, different genes), the Selkirk curl is DOMINANT and the coat is thick and plush, not thin and wavy. Complete guide: the shelter cat Miss DePesto who started it all in Montana, 1987.
📋 Breed Overview
📖 About the Selkirk Rex — The Shelter Cat Who Started It All
The Selkirk Rex began with a curly-coated kitten named Miss DePesto, born to a feral cat in a shelter in Montana in 1987. Breeder Jeri Newman recognized this was a unique mutation — and bred Miss DePesto to a black Persian. The curly kittens proved the gene was DOMINANT (not recessive like Cornish/Devon). Persian crosses gave the Selkirk its thick, plush, dense coat — completely different from thin rex coats. CFA recognized them in 2000. The only rex breed with a dominant curl gene. Because it's dominant, breeding a Selkirk to a straight-coated cat produces 50% curly kittens — keeping the gene pool diverse and healthy. Health: PKD from Persian ancestry (DNA test mandatory), HCM (annual echo). Longhair and shorthair varieties exist.