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Selkirk Rex stay playful and retain their
kitten-like attitudes well into adulthood. They are curious and
adore a game of fetch. Toys such as mice, laser pointers or even a
wad of scrunched up paper can keep them entertained for hours on
end. People-oriented, without being very clingy, a Selkirk Rex
enjoys spending time with their favourite person. Because of their
social nature they do not cope well in isolation or when left
alone for long periods at a time.
The temperament is often described as that belonging to the breeds
used in their development. They have the laid-back, reserved
qualities of the British Shorthair and the playfulness of the
Exotic Shorthair. Unlike other Rex breeds, the Selkirk Rex is not
recommended for those suffering from allergies.
Standard of Points
A medium to large well muscled cat, the Selkirk Rex has
substantial boning in proportion to the body. The skull is round,
broad and full cheeked with no flat planes on the underlying bone
structure. The nose slants downwards with a convex curve, set
below the line of the eye. The profile reveals a nose stop and a
muzzle that must be clearly visible beyond the curve of the cheek.
An extreme nose break will cause the show cat to be disqualified.
The muzzle is medium in width with well padded whisker pads to
give the impression of squareness. The length of the muzzle is
equal to half the width. The chin is firm and well developed,
balanced in proportion to the rest of the head. Ears are medium in
size and set well apart. Ears must be broad at the base, tapering
and must fit into the rounded contour of the head. The body is
more rectangular than square but should not appear long. The tail
is medium in length and in proportion to the body. It is thick at
the base, neither blunt nor pointed at the tip. The paws are
large, round and firm.
Both longhair and shorthairs are accepted. The shorthair has a
soft, plush full curl that is dense with no bald or thinly covered
areas on the body. The coat stands away from the body without
appearing close lying or flat. The longhair has a similar texture
without being as plush, but should not feel thinner. The tail
curls are plumy and stand away from the tail.
The coat is random, arranged in loose individual curls that appear
in clumps or ringlets rather than a wave. The degree of curl
varies with the hair length, age, and sex. Curliness increases
around the neck, tail & stomach. Kittens appear less curly and
allowance is made for this on the show bench.
Unlike other Rex breeds eye colour is important and must
complement the coat colour. All shades are accepted including
copper, gold, yellow, green, blue or even odd eyes.
Grooming
The Selkirk Rex does not require a great deal of grooming, but is
slightly higher maintenance than other Rex breeds. Bathing is
usually unnecessary unless for showing. Before bathing, brush the
coat to remove any loose or dead hairs. Beware of over brushing
though, as this will straighten the coat and the curl will not be
as distinct. The best shampoo to use would be those that don’t
coat the hair but instead leave it silky, thereby encouraging the
curl. Spritzing with water will help to bring out the curls at
show.
Heath Problems
The Selkirk Rex remains a healthy breed but care must be taken
when outcrossing that no genetic problems are inherited from the
Persian, Exotic or British Shorthair parents. Health problems
inherited from Persians and Exotics include Polycystic Kidney
Disease (PKD) and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopaty (HCM) from British
Shorthairs. Different blood groups, present in British Shorthairs
can be problematic and result in kitten losses. Responsible
breeders screen their breeding cats for these diseases to
eliminate the impact.
Breeding towards correct head structure is required to prevent
kinking of the tear ducts that result in tear run down on the
front of the face, as seen in the Persian and Exotic. Similarly
muzzle creases can result in dermatitis on the face.
History
Kitty Garrett Brown ran For Pets Sake, a shelter in Bozeman,
Montana. She came across an unusual cat, later called Curly-Q, a
dilute calico. Her whiskers were normal, but her coat exhibited a
bit of a kink at the end of each hair shaft. Her stomach showed
even more curl. She had been caught in a trap and lost a foot as a
result. At 7 months Curly-Q gave birth to a litter of six kittens,
amongst them a calico kitten who exhibited an even more dramatic
coat. All the other kittens were normal. The little kitten was
homed, but was returned not much later because she cried too much,
wanted too much attention and was too naughty for her new owners.
Kitty knew of Jeri Newman, a Persian breeder who didn’t live that
far away and who had some knowledge of genetics. The unusual
kitten was named Miss DePesto, after a curly haired character in
the TV series Moonlighting played by Allyce Beasley. In 1987 Kitty
phoned Jeri to explain to her about the auspicious find. Jeri
described her later as the worst looking Devon Rex with a
Chatreaux body. Jeri decided to use Persian, British Shorthair,
Exotic and American Shorthairs as outcrosses. Firstly probably
because they were more easily accessible, being a Persian breeder
herself, but also because she wanted a very different look unlike
any of the current Rex breeds: Devon Rex, Cornish Rex, or LaPerm.
American Shorthairs are no longer used as outcrosses.
At 14 months old Jeri bred “Pest” as she was affectionately known
to her black Persian male, Ch Photo Finish of Deekay. On the 4th
July 1988 Pest had six babies, of which three were curly, proving
that it was a dominant gene. One of the kittens was a black
bicolour male, Noface Oscar Kowalski who was instrumental in
furthering the breed and can be found in many Selkirk Rex
pedigrees today.
Jeri did not want to name the new breed the American Rex as the
Cornish and Devon Rexes were named after their areas of origin.
Instead she honoured her stepfather by calling the new breed after
his family name. Jeri also told people that the breed was named
after the Selkirk Mountains about 75 miles from Miss DePesto’s
birth place. The Selkirk Creek also lies approximately 20 miles
from the point of origin.
The Selkirk Rex attended their first show in Salt Lake City, Utah
in January 1990 were they were a huge success. CFA all breeds
judge, Kim Kilborn encouraged Jeri to have the breed recognised.
CFA accepted the Selkirk Rex in February 1992, by which time TICA
and ACFA had already accepted them. To date, no breed has achieved
recognition as quickly in so many worldwide registers as the
Selkirk Rex.
SA History
The Selkirk Rex was not in South Africa for long when the only
breeder regretfully gave up breeding a few short years later after
the first Selkirk Rex was imported into South Africa. During that
period, the Selkirk Rex achieved recognition in SACC (South
African Cat Council), the largest and oldest cat register in South
Africa.
Vicky Harris, who now concentrates on showing her award-winning
Beagles bought one of these early cats, Avante Guard Smiling
Thomas. Thomas has been shown extensively in Gauteng and became
the first Supreme Premier (neuter) in South Africa. The highest
possible title for any cat in SACC. He also became the first of
his breed to be a qualifier for Cat of the Year in 2007. In 2008
he qualified yet again as the only representative of his breed and
managed to achieve an impressive 5th place in the neuter section.
The Selkirk Rex is currently being re-imported in South Africa and
will soon be available to special homes.
Thank you to Silkenclaw
The home of healthy, playful, affectionate LaPerm, Siamese,
Oriental, Selkirk Rex, American Curl and Scottish Fold. Kittens
occasionally available to special homes.
Contact Person: Grant Leih
Cell: +27 84 584 8922
eMail: grantal@zanet.co.za
for providing the
Selkirk Rex Cat Profile
Copyright photos courtesy of Lin Currie
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