Selkirk Rex

The breed originates from a blue tortoiseshell and white feral cat found in Montana in 1987. She produced a litter which had an unusually curly coated kitten, this kitten was adopted by Persian cat breeder Jeri Newman and named DePesto as she was a very attention seeking ‘pester cat’! By breeding from her and researching her mother, Newman discovered that DePesto and her mother were carriers of a new, dominant gene that caused a curly coat. This was not the same gene that caused the curled coats of either the Cornish Rex or the Devon Rex. DePesto was mated with a black Persian cat and produced a litter of six, three of whom were curly coated! 

Selkirk Rex’s are named for the Selkirk Mountain range in the North West of the US/South West Canada.

Friendly and sociable, adorable and teddy-bear like, the Selkirk is not well equipped for outdoor life and does present a theft risk. Use a built-in cat run or fully secured garden to offer your Selkirk some outdoor time and fresh air, with total safety. They’ll enjoy some branches to climb and some platforms in choice sunny spots. 

Whilst the Selkirk Rex is quite a relaxed cat, they’ll still benefit from some climbing trees and games with ‘things on strings’, however this is not a wildly demanding cat and your presence and your lap for cuddles will suffice much of the time. They don’t cope well with being left entirely alone for long periods but are sociable with other cats as long as you are at home for reasonable amounts of time. 

Every cat is unique and each has their own particular likes, dislikes, and needs when it comes to food. However, cats are carnivores and every cat must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food. The proportion of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle and overall health, so it's not surprising that a growing, energetic kitten needs a different balance of nutrients in her diet than a less active senior cat. Other considerations to bear in mind are feeding the right quantity of food to maintain 'ideal body condition' in accordance with feeding guidelines and catering to individual preference regarding wet or dry food recipes. 

Both the long and shorter coated Selkirk Rex’s will require grooming on a daily basis. Their coat is a little too fluffy for them to efficiently groom by themselves. A quick brush through once a day, and a more dedicated groom each week for the longer coated variety will keep them in top fluffy condition. A greasy coat is a sign your cat is not self-grooming at all and this may indicate poor health. 

As with all cats, regular vaccination and parasite control is recommended. 
 

The Selkirk Rex is a great family cat, relaxed and cuddly for much of the time, up for some fun and games if they are on offer. This is a ‘low chaos’ cat, suitable for most people as long as you are home for some of the day and each night so that they have company most of the time. They are often a bit too teddy-bear like and soft for very young children to truly understand that they are living beings who need space and respect but they are great with older children and teens.