Kitten History: Selkirk Rex

Delightful curls and a distinctly Persian personality characterize this sweet kitten.

Long, flowing waves cover your Selkirk Rex kittens back, with swirls and curls going in every direction. She's sweet and fluffy and completely charming but how did she come by her curly good looks?

The breed began when a naturally curly cat named Miss DePesto was rescued from a shelter in Montana. She found her way to a Persian breeder, Jeri Newman, who bred her to a black Persian. The resulting litter, born in July 1988, contained three curly kittens and three normal-coated kittens, and the Selkirk Rex breed was born.

Newman named the new breed Selkirk after her stepfathers family, and Rex because the cats coats were soft and curly like those of the Cornish and Devon Rex. The Cat Fanciers Association accepted the breed for registration in early 1992, and by years end the Selkirk Rex was admitted into the shorthair class as a miscellaneous breed. The Selkirk Rex was advanced to championship status in 2000.

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