Selkirk Rex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Selkirk Rex |
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| Origin | United States |
| Domestic cat (Felis catus) | |
The Selkirk Rex is a special kind of cat known for its super curly hair! Imagine a cat with a permanent perm – that's a Selkirk Rex. Their fur is soft and feels a bit like wool.
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What Makes Selkirk Rex Cats Unique?
The Selkirk Rex is different from other curly-haired cat breeds like the Devon Rex or Cornish Rex. While those cats might have shorter or partly missing hair, the Selkirk Rex has a full coat, just curly! Their fur is also thicker and fluffier than another curly breed called the LaPerm.
These cats can have either long or short curly hair. They are usually large and strongly built, a bit like a British Shorthair cat. Their heads are round, with big, round eyes and medium-sized ears. They have a clear muzzle that's about half as long as it is wide.
How the Selkirk Rex Breed Started
The first Selkirk Rex cat was born in Montana, USA, in 1987. She was one of a litter of kittens from a rescued cat. This special kitten had unusually curly fur. A cat breeder named Jeri Newman took her in and named her Miss DePesto. Jeri named her after a curly-haired character from a TV show.
Miss DePesto was later bred with a black Persian cat. Their kittens included both curly-haired Selkirk Rex cats and straight-haired ones. This showed that the curly hair gene was dominant, meaning it usually shows up if a cat has just one copy of the gene. Every Selkirk Rex cat today can trace its family tree back to Miss DePesto! Jeri Newman named the breed after her stepfather, Selkirk. This makes it the only cat breed named after a real person.
Developing the Breed
To help the Selkirk Rex breed grow and become strong, breeders used other cat breeds for mixing. These included American Shorthairs, Persians, Himalayans, Exotic Shorthairs, and British Shorthairs. Over time, some of these mixes are being stopped by cat associations.
The Selkirk Rex breed is now accepted in many different colors and patterns. This includes cats with pointed colors (like a Siamese), two colors, cinnamon, silver, smoke, chocolate, and lilac.
Selkirk Rex Personality
Selkirk Rex cats have a wonderful mix of personalities from the breeds used to create them. They often have the calm and relaxed nature of the British Shorthair. They can also be as cuddly as a Persian and as playful as an Exotic Shorthair. This makes them friendly and fun companions.
Health and Care
Generally, Selkirk Rex cats are strong and healthy. There are no specific health problems that only affect this breed. However, like all cats, they can sometimes inherit health issues from the breeds they were mixed with. For example, they might inherit polycystic kidney disease from Persians or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (a heart condition) from British Shorthairs. Good breeders test their cats to make sure they are healthy and to prevent these problems.
Because their fur is so dense, Selkirk Rex cats do shed quite a bit. Also, unlike some other Rex breeds that have less hair, the Selkirk Rex is not a good choice for people who are allergic to cats. Their curly fur can also sometimes irritate the inside of their ears, which might lead to more ear wax.
Genetics of Their Curly Coat
The curly coat of the Selkirk Rex is caused by a special gene. This gene affects how the hair grows and makes it curly. Scientists have found that a specific change in a gene called KRT71 is responsible for their unique curly fur. This same gene is also involved in the hair of other cat breeds, like the hairless Sphynx cat and the Devon Rex.
See also
In Spanish: Selkirk rex para niños
