CAT
BREEDS A-Z
Selkirk
Rex
The Selkirk Rex is a breed of cat with highly curled hair, including
the whiskers (vibrissae). Unlike the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex,
the hair is of normal length and not partly m issing,
and there are longhair[1] and shorthair[2] varieties. Also unlike
the other Rexes, the Selkirk gene is dominant.
The Selkirk Rex originated
in America in 1987, with a cat named Miss DePesto, who was bred
to a Persian, producing three Selkirk Rexes and three straight-haired
cats. It is a large and solidly built breed, similar to a British
Shorthair but with a characteristic curled coat. The coat has a
woolly look and feel.
American Shorthairs, Persians,
Exotics and British Shorthairs have been used as out crosses to
develop this breed. The American Shorthair has now been discontinued
as a breeding partner. In Australia Persians, Exotics and British
are accepted out crosses until 2015.
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