A sturdy cat with a round face, a soft plush coat full of loose curls and even curly whiskers.
The Selkirk Rex began in 1987 in Montana, in the United States, with one curly kitten. Every Selkirk descends from her. It is round and sturdy, with a thick, soft coat full of loose curls, short or semi-long. It is playful but relaxed, loves its people and likes to climb onto your lap.
Loves its people and wants to be close to them.
Often settles on a lap and enjoys long petting sessions.
Playful and curious, with a bit of a clown in it.
Playful but balanced: a game first, then a cuddle.
A quiet cat that talks softly now and then.
Clever and willing to learn, but not an eager trick cat.
Usually relaxed when visitors come.
Usually fine with calm children who are gentle, but not always a true child-lover.
Usually gets on with dogs, if they get used to each other slowly.
Usually gets on well with other cats.
Does not like long days alone; it wants company.
Happy indoors, as long as there is play and company.
A Selkirk Rex is hypoallergenic.
No. Britain's GCCF calls that claim incorrect. If you are allergic to cats, this breed is not a good choice.
It has the same curl gene as the Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex.
No. In the Selkirk the curl is dominant: one parent is enough. In the Cornish and the Devon both parents must pass the gene on, and the Selkirk variant has not been found in any other rex breed.
It is just a curly British Shorthair or Persian.
It does have British, Persian and Exotic blood, but the curl is its own gene, found in one kitten in Montana.
The Selkirk Rex's curl comes from a small change in one gene. That gene is dominant: one copy, from one parent, is enough for curls. The Devon and Cornish Rex are different; there both parents must pass the gene on. That is why a curly Selkirk can also have straight-coated kittens. With two copies the curls get tighter.
In Sheridan, Montana, a litter of six is born. One female kitten, Miss DePesto, has curls. Persian breeder Jeri Newman takes her in.
On 4 July she has three curly and three straight kittens with a black Persian. This shows the curl is dominant.
A daughter of Miss DePesto goes to Switzerland. With her the Selkirk Rex begins in Europe.
America's TICA accepts the Selkirk Rex.
America's CFA gives the breed provisional status.
The CFA gives the Selkirk Rex championship status.
The first Selkirks arrive in Britain, from Austria.
Britain's GCCF gives the Selkirk Rex championship status, five years after a first recognition.
Scientists find the curl gene: a change in KRT71, a gene that helps build hairs.
The European federation FIFe gives the breed provisional approval.
FIFe fully recognises the Selkirk Rex, both the shorthair and the longhair.
A sturdy, muscular cat with heavy bones and a round face. According to the GCCF it is the largest of the rex breeds.
A coat the same length all over, dense and plush, with curls that lie close together.
Recognition: Recognised by FIFe, GCCF, CFA and TICA. WCF only has a standard for the longhair.
A semi-long, tousled coat with a curly ruff and a plumed tail. The curls show best on the flanks and belly.
Recognition: Recognised by FIFe, GCCF, CFA, TICA and WCF.
A Selkirk without the curl gene, so without curls. Such kittens are born in ordinary litters and are just as sweet.
Recognition: Can be registered and used for breeding, but not shown.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Black(n)
Blue(a)
Red classic tabby(d 22)
Black silver classic tabby(ns 22)
Blue and white(a 03)
Blue tortie and white(g 03)A Selkirk Rex may come in any colour and pattern, also with white. Only amber, a Norwegian Forest Cat colour, is ruled out by Australia's ACF.
The very first litter had three curly and three straight kittens. So breeders knew straight away that the curl gene is dominant.
It is also called 'the cat in sheep's clothing', or the cat with a permanent bad hair day.
Jeri Newman named the breed after her stepfather, whose name was Selkirk.
Miss DePesto was named after a curly-haired character in the TV series Moonlighting.
Of all cats with a curly rex coat, the Selkirk is the largest.
No study has measured it. Vets say 10 to 15 years, Britain's GCCF about 15. Take 12 to 15 years as a rough guide.
Small cysts grow in the kidneys and slowly damage them. The cat drinks a lot, loses weight and gets tired, usually only in middle age. The gene comes from the Persians in the family tree. How common it is in the Selkirk is not known.
How it is found: DNA test of the parents, or an ultrasound scan of the kidneys.
The wall of the heart muscle gets too thick. It can be mild or serious, and the cat can get short of breath and tire quickly. Medicine helps. How common it is in the Selkirk is not known.
How it is found: A heart scan of the parents. There is no DNA test for this breed.
Comb gently with a wide-toothed comb, especially the longhair. Do not brush hard, as that takes the curls out. Clean the ears about once a week; a greasy coat can have a bath now and then.
Kittens are born curly, but often lose their curls for a while. They come back from about 8 to 10 months, and at about 2 years the coat is complete.
Play together every day and give it a cat tree and toys. It is playful, but not hyperactive.
Ordinary good, complete cat food. Wet food and fresh water are good for the kidneys and bladder, as for any cat.
A Selkirk Rex is sometimes called hypoallergenic, but that is not true. If you are allergic to cats, this breed is not a good choice.
Checked on 21 October 2026
Let's swap links. We list your club here, with logo, a short text and a link. You link to this page. No costs, no contract.
Register your cat with SpotKat for free, with photos and chip number in one place.
