The Shelkrik Rex originated from a housecat, Miss DePesto of Noface, found in a shelter in Montana. Given to Persian breeder, Jeri Newman of Montana, who bred her to PhotoFinish of Deekay, a black Persian. "Pest" produced three curly kittens out of six – proving that unlike the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, Pest's mutation was dominant. Because the gene is dominant, curly kittens can be born in the same litter with straight haired kittens.

The Selkirk Rex is a large, heavy boned cat rather like the British Shorthair in conformation. The head is round with no flat planes. The curl is plush and loosely curled. Selkirks are healthy and sturdy. They are an incredibly patient, loving, and tolerant cats. From the moment of birth, curly kittens can be distinguished from their straight haired littermates by their curly whiskers. The whiskers are brittle and may break as they grow longer. The whiskers and hair do not change as the cat grows older; if they are curly at birth, they are curly as an adult. Even if the coat later shows less curl, the cat has the curly gene and retains the curly whiskers.

Click on the links below to get to a breeder in your area. The number in the "#" section represent the number of breeders for a region.

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