APPEARANCE

The gene that determines the Selkirk Rex breed causes each hair to have a gentle curl or wave, giving the coat a soft feel.

The breed is medium to large with heavy boning that gives the cat surprising weight and an impression of power. Females tend to be smaller than males, but not dainty in appearance.

The coat occurs in both long and short-haired versions, and the curliness of the coat varies depending on age, gender, climate, time of the year, and hormones, particularly in the female.The longhair coat is semi-long and gives a tousled, unstructured look to their coat, with the curls most prominent on their flanks and underside, with a curly ruff around their neck.The curls on the tail are plumy and stand out away from the tail.

In the shorthair, the coat length is fairly uniform over the entire body, dense and plush in texture with curls; the ruff and tail fur being a similar length to the rest of the coat, with tail curls that are plush and lie compactly around the tail.

They are sometimes likened to a teddy bear. Kittens are obviously curly at birth but may lose their coat and begin to develop a curly coat again at about 8 — 10 months of age.The coat continues to develop until the cat is about two years of age.All colours and patterns are allowable, as is any eye colour.

Similar in type to the British Shorthair, the Selkirk Rex has a round, broad head with full cheeks. The ears are medium sized and broad at the base, set well apart on the broad head and may have curly internal furnishings.

The forehead should be rounded and the eyes large and round. In profile, the nose, which should be short, broad, and straight, can appear to have a convex curve, and the medium-width muzzle has well-padded whisker pads, giving a rectangular impression that should be clearly visible beyond the cheeks.The whiskers are curly or broken.The chin should be firm and well developed.

The body should be cobby in type, with a level back and a slight rise to the hindquarters, broad across the shoulders and rump.

Legs are medium length and well-boned, and the paws round and firm.

The tail should be medium length, thicker at the base with a rounded tip.