One of the newest natural breeds, this naturally curly cat 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 being developed as 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, showing up more dramatically on the longhair. Selkirks are healthy and sturdy. They are an incredibly patient, loving, and tolerant cats.