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In today's video, we are going to talk about a cat, that is famous for being one of the most friendly and approachable lap cats.

The Selkirk Rex.

With a thick coat of woolly looking curls, the Selkirk is sometimes nicknamed the cat in sheep’s clothing. Like his curlycoated cousins the Cornish and Devon Rexes, the Selkirk is the result of a natural genetic mutation, but he has a very different look, thanks to his dense coat and heavyset body.

The Selkirk originated in Montana, where the first known cat of this type was born in 1987, one of a litter of six kittens found in an animal shelter. The others had the typical straight coat of a domestic shorthaired cat, but the curlycoated female was so unusual, that she was brought to the attention of a local Persian breeder, Jeri Newman, who adopted her. Newman named her Miss DePesto, and out of curiosity bred her, when she was grown to a black Persian. Of the six kittens Miss DePesto produced, three had curly coats, indicating that the gene for the characteristic was dominant. That was not the case with the Cornish or Devon Rexes, which owe their wavy coats to a recessive gene. She also carried genes for long hair, a distinct pointed coat, and both traits made an appearance in her descendants.

Newman called the new breed Selkirk, after her stepfather, making it unique among cat breeds in being named for a person. She added Rex to indicate that the coat was curly.

These cats weigh 10 to 15 pounds.

The Selkirk’s facial characteristics include a full set of cheeks. Males are downright jowly, broadbased mediumsize ears, sometimes with curly furnishings, and large rounded eyes that give a sweet expression.

The difference in coat length may not be immediately obvious, without first observing the ruff and tail. Shorthairs have a ruff that is the same length as the fur on the rest of the body, and plush curls on the tail that lie compactly. A longhaired Selkirk has a longer ruff, that frames the face and plumy curls on the tail that stand out, rather than lying demurely in place. With either length, the coat may appear most curly around the neck, and on the belly and tail.

The coat comes in any genetically possible color or combination of colors. If it’s possible for a cat to be purple polkadotted, you will find a Selkirk in that pattern. The eyes, too, can be any color.

The Selkirk is the relaxed Rex. His Persian and British Shorthair ancestors give him a placid, cuddly nature, but he is more active than those breeds, and likes to play. People who live with him describe him as sweet and endearing, with a bit of a silly streak.

The gentle but social Selkirk Rex, is a perfect choice for families with children and catfriendly dogs. He loves the attention he receives from children who treat him politely and with respect. Introduce pets slowly and in controlled circumstances, to ensure that they learn to get along together.