Selkirk Rex
Curly all over, whiskers included, and the curls loosen and tighten over the first two years. The only rex with a full plush coat rather than a thin one.
Photo by Heikki Siltala, CC BY 3.0
Overview
The Selkirk Rex is the only curly coated breed with a full coat. Where the Cornish Rex has lost its guard hairs and the Devon has a sparse thin coat, the Selkirk has all three hair types and every one of them is curly, which is why it is plush rather than thin.
It began with a curly kitten in a Montana shelter litter in 1987, and the gene is dominant, unlike the Cornish and Devon mutations.
Temperament
Patient, tolerant and notably relaxed. Selkirks are affectionate lap cats with a slow, easy manner, and they are often described as the most laid back of the rex breeds.
They are sociable with children, dogs and other cats, and they are playful without being frenetic. British Shorthair and Persian outcrosses in the background show in the calm.
Care and grooming
Combing rather than brushing, and not too much of it, because brushing pulls the curl out. The dense curly coat can mat, particularly in the longhaired version, so it does need regular attention despite the light touch.
The Persian and British Shorthair ancestry brings polycystic kidney disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy into the picture, and both are worth asking a breeder to show screening for.
Living and exercise
An ordinary calm indoor household. They are moderately active and settle easily.
Curly coated kittens are born curly, straighten out over the first months and then curl again by about eight to ten months, which surprises a lot of new owners. Ten to fifteen years is the usual span.
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