CAT BREED INDEX

The Selkirk Rex is the breed in the spotlight this month.

Unlike some cat breeds, where their origins have been lost in the mists of time, the appearance of the first Selkirk Rex is well documented. Miss DePesto was one of a litter of six kittens born in Sheridan, Montana, USA in 1987 — the only one among her siblings to have a curly coat.

Her mother was a tortie and white domestic longhair with a wavy undercoat. She was handed into a shelter who then contacted Persian breeder Jeri Newman, who was known to have an interest in genetics. Miss DePesto was a blue tortie and white shorthair with thick, gently curled hair on her neck, legs, tummy, and tail, with straight hair down her back. Jeri Newman subsequently mated Miss DePesto to her black Persian male, Ch Photofinish of Deekay, in order to improve head type, boning, and hair length to improve the curl.

The resulting litter arrived on July 4, 1988 and included three curly-coated kittens and three straight-coated kittens, indicating that Miss DePesto’s curly coat was the result of a dominant gene.

One of the kittens from this litter was a black and white male called NoFace Oscar Kowalski. Oscar was subsequently mated to Persians, Exotic Shorthairs, and British Shorthairs, producing the foundation cats for the breed.

The breed was initially accepted by The International Cat Association (TICA) in

1992 and by the Cat Fanciers’ Association in 2000.The

Selkirk Rex first arrived in the UK in 2002 from Austria and the breed was granted preliminary recognition in 2004.The Selkirk Rex Cat

Club was formed in 2006 and the breed was granted Championship status with the GCCF in June 2009.

Known for the gentle curls in its fur and endearing temperament, is the Selkirk Rex the breed for you?

They make great companions. They have a distinct look. Rosemary Fisher entered the cat fancy in 1974 when she purchased her first pedigree cat — a Chinchilla called Brylou Moonstone. She breeds Persians and Exotics, and judges in several sections. She is currently a GCCF Board member and also serves on the genetics committee.

They have wavy coats.