About the Selkirk Rex | 4get Me Notcattery

About the Breed

Selkirk Rex

Sometimes it’s good to have a bad hair day! Judges often joke that Selkirk Rex are the original “bad hair day” kitties because the random little ringlets that cover these adorable cats seem to go every which way. Unlike the tight marcel wave of a Cornish Rex coat or the soft waves of a Devon Rex, the Selkirk Rex coat has well-defined, individual curls that may be either short and slightly crisp or long, luxurious dreadlocks. Whatever the length, it’s a coat that demands to be felt and played with! With its round, luminous eyes and sweet expression, the Selkirk is an irresistible, touchable companion.

Breed History

Sometimes called “the cat in sheep’s clothing,” this breed resulted from a spontaneous mutation discovered in a litter born in Montana in 1986. The foundation female, who had curly whiskers and a coat that appeared to have had a perm, was adopted by Persian breeder Jeri Newman and named Miss DePesto of NoFace. When bred to a black Persian male, Miss DePesto produced three curly-coated kittens out of six, establishing this new Rex gene as a dominant mutation. In naming the new breed, Newman decided to incorporate her stepfather’s family name—Selkirk—and created the Selkirk Rex. To date, it is the only breed of cat to be named after a person. Accepted by CFA for registration in 1992, the breed achieved championship status in 2000.

Traits

When considering the Selkirk Rex personality, it is important to keep in mind that Miss DePesto earned her name because she was a pest for attention. Her descendants often demonstrate the same trait, politely asking for your time and your love, then jumping into a lap or onto a bent back if their needs are not soon met. They combine intelligence with a silly streak that is sure to bring on a smile, especially when they try to walk up the wall in pursuit of a laser light.

Selkirks tend to be more interactive than active. Their focus is on you and their idea of kitty heaven is a warm lap. They are most comfortable keeping all four feet on the floor but are quite capable of charging through the house chasing a toy. While not particularly vocal, they are very responsive to their owners, so if you start a conversation, they will “talk” back to you. They do well with children and other animals, however, children need to understand that the cat must be handled gently.

Physical Attributes

Physically, they are medium to large cats with solid, muscular bodies and boning to match. Adult males weigh between 12 and 15 pounds, with females somewhat smaller. The head of a Selkirk is round and full-cheeked with no flat planes, but the prominent whisker pads give an illusion of squareness to the muzzle. Eyes are round and set well apart, as are the medium-sized ears. On shorthair Selkirks, the hair is the same length all over the body, while longhairs have longer, face-framing ruffs and plumy tails. Whiskers are curly, fragile, and tend to break off, but Selkirks seem able to navigate just fine without them.

Grooming

No special grooming tools are needed to care for the Selkirk Rex coat. Simply use your fingers in a gentle scratching motion to fluff up the curls and you’ll be able to keep the coat looking its best while making your cat very happy. These cats do not mat easily, but a good combing once or twice a month is recommended to remove dead hair and ensure that mats do not form. For long-haired cats, a hair pick can be helpful in separating large clumps of curls.

CFA BREED STANDARD

Selkirk Rex

POINT SCORE

HEAD (33)

Skull ...........................................................................................11

Muzzle & chin ............................................................................11

Ears and eyes............................................................................11

BODY (33)

Torso..........................................................................................15

Legs and Feet............................................................................13

Tail ...............................................................................................5

COAT (33)

Texture, Curl, Density................................................................33

COLOR (1)

Including Eye Color......................................................................1

GENERAL: the Selkirk Rex is the result of a dominant, sponta-

neous mutation that causes each hair (guard, down and awn) to

have a gentle curl giving the coat a soft feel. This is a medium to

large cat with heavy boning that gives the cat surprising weight

and an impression of power. Females may be less massive than

males but not dainty in appearance. The Selkirk Rex is an active

cat with a sweet and endearing personality. Balance and sub-

stance are the essence of the breed, where all parts come togeth-

er in harmonious whole with neither too much nor too little consid-

eration given to any one feature.

HEAD: Skull: round, broad and full-cheeked in both males and

females. Skull structure to be smooth and round to the touch from

the stop to the back of the head as well as across the breadth of

the forehead and between the ears. Muzzle: the muzzle is medi-

um width. The underlying bone structure is rounded with well-

padded whisker pads to give the impression of squareness. The

length is equal to 1/2 the width. Profile shows a muzzle, clearly

visible beyond the curve of the cheek. The tip of the chin lines up

with the tip of the nose and the upper lip in the same vertical

plane. Profile reveals a nose stop. The nose has a downward

slant with a convex curve and is set below the eye line. Chin: firm

and well-developed, balanced in proportion to the rest of the head

and should be neither receding, protruding, nor excessively mas-

sive. Either level or scissors bite is considered correct (level bite -

top and bottom front teeth meet evenly. Scissors bite - inside

edge of top front teeth touch outside edge of lower front teeth).

Ears: medium in size, broad at the base, tapering, set well apart.

Should fit into (without distorting) the rounded contour of the head.

Furnishings, if present, are curly. Eyes: large, rounded, set well

apart. The eyes should not appear almond or oval-shaped. The

outside corner is set very slightly higher than the inner corner, giv-

ing a sweet open expression to the face.

BODY: Torso: medium to large and well-balanced. The substan-

tial muscular torso is more rectangular than square, but not long.

Back is straight with a slight rise to the hindquarters. Shoulders

and hip should appear to be the same width. Legs: medium to

long. Substantial boning. Should be in proportion to the body.

Feet: large, round, and firm. Toes: five in front, four behind. Tail:

medium length, proportionate to body. Heavy at base, neither

blunt nor pointed at tip.

COAT: Coat length: two lengths - short and long. The differences

in coat length are most obviously seen on the tail and ruff. On the

shorthairs the tail hair is the same length as the coat (approxi-

mately 1”-2”) and tail curls are plush and lie compactly around the

tail. The ruff is the same length as the coat fur. On the longhairs,

the tail curls are plumy and stand out away from the tail. The ruff

hairs are also longer and frame the face. SHORTHAIR – Texture:

the coat texture is soft, plushy, full and obviously curly. Density:

the coat is dense and full with no bald or thinly covered areas of

the body. The coat stands out from the body and should not

appear flat or close-lying. Curl: this is a random, unstructured

coat, arranged in loose, individual curls. The curls appear to be in

“clumps” rather than as an all over wave. Although curl varies by

hair length, sex and age in an individual, the entire coat should

show the effect of the rex gene. Curliness may be evident more

around the neck, on the tail and the belly. Allowance should be

made for less curl on younger adults and kittens. LONGHAIR –

Texture: the coat texture is soft, full, and obviously curly. It does

not feel or appear to be as plush as the shorthair coat, however,

should not appear to be thin. Density: the coat is dense and full

with no bald or thinly covered areas of the body. The coat may

stand out from the body but may appear and feel less than plush,

but not close-lying. Curl: this is a random, unstructured coat,

arranged in loose, individual curls. The curls appear to be in

“clumps” or “ringlets” rather than as an all over wave. Although

curl vaires by hair length, sex and age in an individual, entire coat

should show the effect of the rex gene. Curliness may be evident

more around the neck, on the tail and the belly. Allowance should

be made for less curl on younger adults and kittens.

PENALIZE: Excessive cobbiness or sleek oriental appearance.

DISQUALIFY: Extreme nose break, lack of visible muzzle, maloc-

clusion, tail kinks, crossed eyes, obvious physical deformities,

including polydactl feet, no evidence of curl.

SELKIRK REX COLORS

COAT COLOR: any genetically possible color or combination of

colors is allowed.

EYE COLOR: any eye color is acceptable.

WHITE: pure glistening white. Nose leather and paw pads: pink.

BLACK: dense coal black from roots to tip of fur. Nose leather

and paw pads: black.

BLUE: one level tone most important, light shade preferred. Nose

leather and paw pads: blue.

RED/RED TABBY: ground color deep with or without tabby mark-

ings or ticking. Lips and chin same as coat. Nose leather and

paw pads: brick red.

CREAM/CREAM TABBY: warm cream with or without tabby

markings or ticking. Nose leather and paw pads: pink.

CHOCOLATE: rich, warm chocolate-brown, one level tone. Nose

leather and paw pads: brown.

LAVENDER: one level shade, frosty pink. Nose leather and paw

pads: lavender pink.

CINNAMON: light reddish brown, sound throughout. Nose leather

and paw pads: cinnamon.

FAWN: light lavender with pale cocoa overtones, sound through-

out; lighter shades preferred. Nose leather and paw pads: pale

fawn.

SHADED PATTERN: Undercoat white with a mantle of specified

marking color tipping shaded down from sides, face and tail from

dark on the ridge to white on the chin, stomach and under the tail.

Legs to be the same tone as the face. Rims of eyes, lips and nose

outlined with marking color. Nose leather and paw pads as

defined below.

SHADED SILVER: Nose leather: brick red. Paw pads: black.

BLUE SHADED: Nose leather and paw pads: blue or blue with

pink tone.

CHOCOLATE SHADED: Nose leather: pink. Paw pads: cinna-

mon.

LAVENDER SHADED: Nose leather and paw pads: lavender

pink.

CAMEO SHADED: Nose leather and paw pads: rose.

1 of 4 Selkirk Rex Show Standard (revised 2018)CINNAMON SHADED: undercoat white with a mantle of cinna-

mon shading down the sides, face and tail from dark on the ridge

to white on the chin, chest, stomach and under the tail. Legs to be

the same tone as face. Nose leather: pink. Paw pads: coral.

FAWN SHADED: undercoat white with a mantle of fawn shading

down the sides, face, and tail from dark on the ridge to white on

the chin, chest, stomach and under the tail. Legs to be the same

tone as face. Nose leather: fawn. Paw pads: pink.

TORTOISESHELL SHADED: Nose leather and paw pads: as in

the solids, may be mottled with pink.

BLUE-CREAM SHADED: Nose leather and paw pads: as in

solids, may be mottled with pink.

CHOCOLATE TORTOISESHELL SHADED: Nose leather and

paw pads: as in solids, may be mottled with pink.

LAVENDER-CREAM SHADED: Nose leather and paw pads: as

in solids, may be mottled with pink.

GOLDEN SHADED: undercoat rich warm cream Nose leather:

deep rose. Paw pads: black.

CHINCHILLA PATTERN: undercoat pure white. Coat on back,

flanks, head and tail sufficiently tipped with specific marking color

(i.e., black, blue, red, cream, tortoiseshell, etc.) to give the charac-

teristic sparkling appearance. Legs may be slightly shaded with

tipping. Chin, stomach and chest, pure white. Rims of eyes, lips

and nose outlined with marking color. Nose leather: appropriate

to pattern and marking color (black/brick red; blue/old rose; etc.).

Paw pads: appropriate to pattern and marking color.

GOLDEN CHINCHILLA: undercoat rich warm cream, tipped as

for other chinchilla colors. Nose leather and paw pads: appropri-

ate to marking color

SMOKE PATTERN: white undercoat more deeply tipped with

specified marking color. Cat in repose appears to be of marking

color. In motion, the white undercoat is apparent. Points and mask

of marking color with narrow band of white at base of hairs next to

skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. Nose leather

and paw pads: appropriate to pattern and marking color (see

below).

BLACK SMOKE: Nose leather and paw pads: black.

BLUE SMOKE: Nose leather and paw pads: blue.

RED SMOKE CAMEO: Nose leather and paw pads: rose.

CHOCOLATE SMOKE: Nose leather and paw pads: brown or

brick.

LAVENDER SMOKE: Nose leather and paw pads: lavender

pink.

CREAM SMOKE: Nose leather and paw pads: pink.

CINNAMON SMOKE: white undercoat, deeply tipped with cinna-

mon. Nose leather and paw pads: cinnamon.

FAWN SMOKE: white undercoat, deeply tipped with fawn. Nose

leather and paw pads: pale fawn.

TORTOISESHELL SMOKE: Nose leather and paw pads: mot-

tled with pink on nose and paws.

BLUE-CREAM SMOKE: Nose leather and paw pads: mottled

with pink on nose and paw pads.

CHOCOLATE TORTOISESHELL SMOKE: Nose leather and

paw pads: mottled with pink on nose and paws.

LAVENDER-CREAM SMOKE: Nose leather and paw pads:

mottled with pink on nose and paws.

CINNAMON TORTOISESHELL SMOKE: white undercoat, deeply

tipped with cinnamon tortoiseshell. Nose leather and paw pads:

mottled with pink on nose and paws.

FAWN-CREAM SMOKE: white undercoat, deeply tipped with

fawn-cream. Nose leather and paw pads: pink.

CLASSIC TABBY PATTERN: markings dense, clearly defined

and broad. Legs evenly barred with bracelets coming up to meet

the body markings. Tail evenly ringed. Several unbroken neck-

laces on neck and upper chest, the more the better. Frown marks

on the forehead form intricate letter “M”. Unbroken line runs back

from outer corner of eye. Swirls on cheeks. Vertical lines over

back of head extend to shoulder markings which are in the shape

of a butterfly with both upper and lower wings distinctly outlined

and marked with dots inside outline. Back markings consist of a

vertical line down the spine from butterfly to tail with a vertical

stripe paralleling it on each side, the three stripes well separated

by stripes of ground color. Large solid blotch on each side to be

encircled by one or more unbroken rings. Side markings should be

the same on both sides. Double vertical row of buttons on chest

and stomach.

MACKEREL TABBY PATTERN: markings dense, clearly defined

and all narrow pencillings. Legs evenly barred with narrow

bracelets coming up to meet the body markings. Tail barred.

Necklaces on neck and chest distinct; like so many chains. Head

barred with an “M” on the forehead. Unbroken lines running back

from the eyes. Lines running sown the head to meet the shoul-

ders. Spine lines run together to form a narrow saddle. Narrow

pencillings run around body.

SPOTTED TABBY PATTERN: markings on the body to be spot-

ted. Spots can be round, oblong or rosette-shaped. Any of these

are of equal merit but the spots, however shaped or placed,

should be distinct. Spots should not run together in a broken

mackerel pattern. A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the

tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The mark-

ings of the face and forehead shall be typically tabby markings.

Underside of the body to have “vest buttons”. Legs and tail are

barred.

PATCHED TABBY PATTERN: a patched tabby (torbie) is an

established silver, brown, blue, red, cream, etc. tabby with patch-

es of red, cream, lavender, etc. clearly defined on both the body

and extremities; a blaze on the face is desirable.

SILVER TABBY: ground color, including lips and chin, pale clear

silver. Markings dense black. Nose leather: brick red. Paw pads:

black.

BROWN TABBY: ground color brilliant coppery brown. Markings

dense black. Lips and chin the same shade as around the eyes.

Back of legs black from paw to heel. Nose leather: brick red. Paw

pads: black or brown.

BLUE TABBY: ground color, including lips and chin, pale bluish

ivory. Markings a very deep blue affording a good contrast with

ground color. Warm fawn overtones or patina over the whole.

Nose leather: old rose. Paw pads: rose.

CHOCOLATE TABBY: ground color is warm fawn, markings are

rich chestnut brown. Nose leather: chestnut or pink rimmed with

chestnut. Paw pads: cinnamon.

CHOCOLATE SILVER TABBY: ground color, including lips and

chin, is silver. Markings rich chestnut. Nose leather: chestnut, or

pink rimmed with chestnut. Paw pads: coral.

LAVENDER TABBY: ground color is pale lavender. Markings are

a rich lavender, affording good contrast with ground color. Nose

leather: lavender, or pink rimmed with lavender. Paw pads:

lavender-pink.

LAVENDER SILVER TABBY: ground color, including lips and

chin a cold, clear silver. Markings solid lavender. Nose leather:

lavender or pink rimmed with lavender. Paw pads: lavender-pink.

2 of 4 Selkirk Rex Show Standard (revised 2018)CAMEO TABBY: ground color off-white. Markings red. Nose

leather and paw pads: rose.

CINNAMON TABBY: ground color, including lips and chin, a pale,

warm honey, markings a dense cinnamon, affording a good con-

trast with ground color. Nose leather: cinnamon or coral rimmed

with cinnamon. Paw pads: cinnamon.

FAWN TABBY: ground color, including lips and chin, pale ivory,

markings dense fawn, affording good contrast with ground color.

Nose leather and paw pads: pale fawn.

BLUE-SILVER, CREAM-SILVER TABBY: tabby pattern with col-

ors and leathers same as for corresponding shaded colors.

TORTOISESHELL: black mottled with red. Red areas may or may

not show tabby markings. Blaze on face is desirable.

BLUE-CREAM: blue mottled or patched with cream. Cream areas

may or may not show tabby markings. Blaze on face is desirable.

CHOCOLATE TORTOISESHELL: rich chestnut brown mottled or

patched with red and/or cream. Red areas may or may not show

tabby markings. Blaze on face is desirable.

LAVENDER-CREAM: lavender mottled or patched with cream.

Cream areas may or may not show tabby markings. Blaze on face

is desirable.

CINNAMON TORTOISESHELL: cinnamon mottled or patched

with red or shades of red. Presence of several shades of red

acceptable. Nose leather and paw pads: mottled with pink.

FAWN-CREAM: fawn mottled or patched with cream. Patches

clearly defined and well broken on both body and extremities.

Nose leather and paw pads: mottled with pink.

CALICO: white with unbrindled patches of black and red. Red

areas may or may not show tabby markings. White predominant

on underparts. Any combination of dominant colors of solid, tabby,

smoke or shaded and white. Also colorpoint.

VAN CALICO: white cat with patches of dominant colors (see

CALICO) confined to the extremities; head tail and legs. One or

two small patches of color on body allowable. Also colorpoint.

DILUTE CALICO: white with unbrindled patches of dilute colors in

solid, tabby, smoke or shaded. Cream patches may or may not

show tabby markings. White predominant on underparts. Also color-

point.

VAN DILUTE CALICO: white cat with unbrindled patches of dilute

colors (see DILUTE CALICO). Color confined to the extremities;

head, tail, legs. One or two small patches of color on body allow-

able. Also colorpoint.

BI-COLOR: solid color and white, tabby and white, smoke and

white, shaded and white, colorpoint and white.

VAN BI-COLOR: solid color and white, tabby and white, smoke

and white, shaded and white, colorpoint and white. Color confined

to extremities: head, legs, tail. One or two small patches on body

allowable.

SEAL POINT: body even pale fawn to cream, warm in tone, shad-

ing gradually into lighter color on the stomach and chest. Points

deep seal brown. Nose leather and paw pads: seal brown.

CHOCOLATE TORTIE POINT: body ivory with no shading. Points

milk chocolate color, warm in tone. Nose leather and paw pads:

cinnamon pink.

BLUE POINT: body bluish-white, cold in tone, shading gradually

to white on stomach and chest. Points blue. Nose leather and

paw pads: slate blue.

LILAC POINT: body glacial white with no shading. Points frosty

grey with pinkish tone. Nose leather and paw pads: lavender

pink.

LILAC-CREAM POINT: body glacial white with no shading. Points

lilac with patches of cream. Nose leather and paw pads: laven-

der pink, pink or combination of pink and lavender pink.

FLAME (RED) POINT: body creamy white. Points deep orange

flame to deep red. Nose leather and paw pads: flesh or coral

pink.

CREAM POINT: body creamy white with no shading. Points buff

cream with no apricot. Nose leather and paw pads: flesh pink or

salmon coral.

CINNAMON POINT: body even pale fawn to cream, warm in tone,

shading gradually into lighter color on the stomach and chest.

Points warm cinnamon. Nose leather and paw pads: cinnamon.

FAWN POINT: body glacial white with no shading. Points warm

fawn. Nose leather and paw pads: fawn.

TORTIE POINT: body creamy white or pale fawn. Points seal with

unbrindled patches of red and/or cream. Blaze of red or cream on

face desirable. Nose leather and paw pads: seal brown with

flesh and/or coral pink mottling to conform with colors on points.

CHOCOLATE-TORTIE POINT: body ivory with no shading. Points

chocolate with unbrindled patches of red and/or cream Nose

leather and paw pads: chocolate with flesh and/or coral pink

mottling to conform with point color.

BLUE-CREAM POINT: body bluish white or creamy white, shad-

ing gradually to white on the stomach and chest. Points blue with

patches of cream. Nose leather and paw pads: slate-blue, pink

or a combination of slate-blue and pink.

SILVER POINT: body ivory to glacial white. Points shaded silver.

Rims of eyes, lips and nose outlined with black. Nose leather:

brick red. Paw pads: black.

LYNX POINTS: body color appropriate to marking and ground

color. Mask must be clearly lined with dark stripes vertical on fore-

head with classic “M” on forehead, horizontal on cheeks and dark

spots on whisker pads clearly outlined in dark color edges. Inner

ear light with thumbprint on outer ear. Markings dense, clearly

defined and broad. Legs evenly barred with bracelets. Tail barred.

No striping or mottling on body, but consideration given to shading

in older cats.

SEAL LYNX POINT: Nose leather: seal or brick red. Paw pads:

seal.

BLUE LYNX POINT: Nose leather: blue or brick red. Paw pads:

blue.

CHOCOLATE LYNX POINT: Nose leather and paw pads:

cinnamon, or pink rimmed with cinnamon.

LILAC LYNX POINT: Nose leather and paw pads: lavender pink

or pink rimmed with lavender.

FLAME (RED) LYNX POINT: Nose leather and paw pads: flesh

or coral pink or red.

CREAM LYNX POINT: Nose leather and paw pads: pink or pink

rimmed with salmon coral.

SILVER LYNX POINT: Nose leather: coral pink or brick red lined

with black. Paw pads: black or seal.

NATURAL MINK: body medium brown, shading to lighter hue on

the underparts. Ruddy highlights acceptable. Points are dark

brown. Nose leather: dark brown corresponding to the intensity of

the point color. Paw pads: medium to dark brown (may have rosy

undertone).

CHAMPAGNE MINK: body buff-cream, points medium brown.

Nose leather: cinnamon-brown. Paw pads: cinnamon-pink to cin-

namon-brown.

BLUE MINK: body blue-grey, shading to lighter hue on the under-

parts. Fawn overtones permissible. Points slate blue, distinctly

3 of 4 Selkirk Rex Show Standard (revised 2018)Selkirk Rex

darker than body color. Nose leather and paw pads: slate grey

(may have rosy undertone).

PLATINUM MINK: body pale, silvery grey with warm overtones.

Not white or cream. Points pewter-grey, distinctly darker than the

body color. Points may have a lavender cast due to the color of

the skin underneath. Nose leather: lavender-pink to lavender-

grey. Paw pads: lavender-pink.

SABLE SEPIA: rich warm sable brown, shading almost impercep-

tibly to a slightly lighter hue on the underparts, but otherwise with-

out shading, barring or markings of any kind (kittens are often

lighter in color). Nose leather and paw pads: brown.

CHAMPAGNE SEPIA: warm honey beige, shading to a pale gold-

en tan underside. Slight darkening on ears and face permissible.

Nose leather: light warm brown. Paw pads: warm pinkish tan.

BLUE SEPIA: medium blue with warm fawn undertones, shading

almost imperceptibly to a slightly lighter hue on the underparts, but

otherwise without shading, barring or marking of any kind. Nose

leather and paw pads: slate grey.

PLATINUM SEPIA: pale, silvery grey with pale fawn undertones,

shading almost imperceptibly to a slightly lighter hue on the under-

parts, but otherwise without shading, barring or markings of any

kind. Nose leather and paw pads: lavender pink.

OSRC (OTHER SELKIRK REX COLORS): any other genetically

possible color or pattern. Cats with no more than a locket and/or

button do not qualify for this class; such cats shall be judged in the

color class of their basic color with no penalty for such locket or

button.

The following information is for reference purposes only

and not an official part of the CFA Show Standard.

Selkirk Rex Color Class Numbers

LONGHAIR DIVISION

All Championship Colors................................. 5700 5701

(All accepted colors as defined in the Show Standards.)

AOV.................................................................... 5798 5799

SHORTHAIR DIVISION

All Championship Colors................................. 4700 4701

(All accepted colors as defined in the Show Standards.)

AOV ........................................................................ 4798 4799