Selkirk rex

A stray "mutant" (curly-haired) cat was found in 1987 in the state of Wyoming in the United States. The little cat was entrusted to Jeri Newman, a Persian breeder who named her Miss De Pesto of no Face. She then decided to mate her with her black Persian "Photo Finish of Dekay", and from this mating were born 3 curly kittens and three non-curly (showing the dominant character of the curl gene). Among these curly kittens was a black and white short-haired male, whom Jeri Newman baptized Noface Osar Kowalski. She retained this one to establish the standards of the breed, which she had named "Selkirk rex" in honor of her father-in-law, for TICA, ACFA and CFA, the three major feline organizations of the United States, and it was re-mated to its mother. This is how the breeding program began. Subsequently, to consolidate the breed, contributions from British Shorthair and, recently (since 2015) American Shorthair were authorized. In France, LOOF authorizes marriage with British Shorthair and Longhair and, since 2015, with American Shorthair (as well as TICA and CFA). It prohibited marriage with cats from the Persian group (Persians and Exotic Shorthairs). In CFA and TICA, mating with the Persian group will be prohibited for kittens born after January 1, 2020, and with the British group for kittens born after January 1, 2025. LOOF annually reconsiders marriage with British group cats and American Shorthair based on the interest for the French genetic pool. The breed was recognized by TICA in 1992 and by CFA in 2000. It has been definitively recognized by FIFé since January 1, 2018. The first Selkirk Rex imported to France via Switzerland was "Noface Grace Slick", a white-gloved blue colourpoint female.

The brilliant temperament of the Selkirk Rex would well reflect the breeds used for its development. It would thus have the reserve and relaxation of the British Shorthair, the cuddly nature of the Persian and the mischievousness of the Exotic Shorthair. These would therefore be very patient, tolerant and affectionate cats, the power and hunting talent of the American Shorthair. These character traits remain, however, perfectly individual and are above all functions of each cat's history.

The Selkirk Rex differs completely from other "rex" breeds such as the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex. Unlike them, it has all three types of hair and they are all three curled (guard hair, undercoat and awn hair). It also differs from the LaPerm in coat type, denser and fluffier, in fact, of "woolly-silky" touch and not "crunchy". Generally speaking, the Selkirk Rex is a massive, muscular and powerful cat. It is medium to large in size and fits into a shortened rectangle (semi-cobby). The legs are medium to short in size, like the rest of the body, they are massive and powerful. The feet are large and round. The head is broad with rounded contours. The skull is rounded, the forehead bulging and the profile curved. The nose is wide but short, well curved. The ears are wide at the base, small to medium in size with rounded tips and have a wide base. They should be placed well spaced on the head, on either side of a rounded skull. The chin is strong (and this in both sexes). The eye is rounded and well-open, the look benevolent. From the front, the muzzle fits in a rounded rectangle and the paws are firm. In profile, the muzzle shows an alignment of nose, cusp of the upper lip, chin. The fur is dense, fluffy and well curled. However, the curls can be tighter on the neck, throat, belly and tail. The whiskers are also curled. All coats and colors are accepted as long as the eye color is in agreement with the coat. The LOOF standard was modified in 2015 and 2017 to converge towards the TICA standard. The Selkirk Rex comes in long-haired and short-haired varieties.