Origin of the Selkirk Rex cat
The first Selkirk Rex cat appeared in 1987 in the state of Wyoming in the United States . In an animal shelter, a cat gave birth to a litter of seven kittens, of which one was born with a very striking wavy coat.
This kitten caught the attention of a Persian cat breeder with genetics studies, which made her end up crossing her with this breed. From this new litter, some kittens with normal fur and other kittens with wavy fur were born, which demonstrated that this wavy fur arose from a dominant gene .
This first wavy-coated cat was named Miss DePesto Noface , and the breed was named Selkirk after the famous mountains between the United States and Canada. This breed was recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1992 .
Types of Selkirk Rex
This type of cat has a robust, corpulent and strong appearance , with powerful and flexible limbs . Its head is rounded, strong and of medium size, with a wide and short snout where a short nose and wide cheeks stand out.
Their eyes are large, round and widely spaced , and come in various colors depending on the color of their fur. Finally, their tail is thick , of medium length and has a rounded tip.
It is considered one of the largest curly-haired cats , and stands out for its muscular, almost rectangular body, with slightly raised hindquarters.
Colors
This breed of cat allows all types of colors in its fur and coat , from black and white, through gray and cream, to cinnamon, blue and red, the latter being the most popular among lovers of the breed.
Types of hair
The Selkirk Rex cat’s coat is its most characteristic feature and the one for which this breed is known. The hair on its entire body is wavy , including its whiskers, and its coat can be either short or long, with the breed having two variants of hair length, the Selkirk Rex Longhair and the Selkirk Rex Shorthair , both admitting all coat and fur colors.
In addition, it has three layers of hair , a protective layer, a medium layer and a deep layer, all of these layers being wavy.
The Selkirk Rex puppy
Selkirk Rex cat kittens reach their adult size when they are one year old , but it is not until they are two years old that their curly fur takes on its final form .
Character and behavior
Selkirk Rex cats are considered to be very calm and peaceful , with a balanced and peaceful temperament . They are also characterized by being very cuddly and affectionate , wanting to spend most of their time in the company of their owners, as they establish strong bonds with people.
Due to their calm, homely and affectionate nature, they are ideal cats for families with children and for older people looking for company . They have no problem sharing space with other cats or dogs, but always gradually.
Being a rather gluttonous and calm animal, it is important to avoid overweight by means of daily exercise . In addition, they are very patient cats that adapt without problems to almost any type of environment, both houses with gardens and small apartments.
How to feed a Selkirk Rex based on its age?
Although this breed does not require a very specific diet, it is necessary that its feed contains protein of animal origin and that, if it has any pathology or illness, it is fed with specific feed to treat it.
Remember to keep your cat’s water bowl close by to encourage hydration, and if you notice that your cat is not drinking water, consider feeding him wet food , which has a high percentage of water and will help him hydrate if he is not able to drink water on his own.
Feeding in stages
Like all cats, each stage of a Selkirk Rex cat’s life requires a specific diet for its nutritional needs. Its first food should be its mother’s milk and, when weaning begins, the intake of breast milk will be combined with a porridge made of puppy food and water . The amount of breast milk will be reduced and the amount of porridge will be increased until, finally, it will be fed only puppy food , around 2 months of age.
As an adult , his food will be specific to his size and weight and, if he is neutered, it is ideal that his food is designed for neutered cats to avoid being overweight. If he suffers from any disease or allergy , this food must have nutritional characteristics and ingredients adapted to these diseases.
Finally, in the senior stage , the cat will have to be fed with a feed with a lower caloric index , since it will stop exercising as much and will be able to gain more weight due to this more sedentary stage. Again, if it starts to have illnesses, its feed will have to be adapted to these. If it has lost teeth, wet food is ideal for it.
Health
Because this breed arose naturally and not through artificial selection by man, Selkirk Rex cats generally enjoy very good health .
Despite this, their long fur can cause them to suffer from illnesses or problems derived from it. In addition, like other cats, they can suffer from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or polycystic kidney disease .
Caring for a Selkirk Rex Cat
Selkirk Rex cats, like other cats, are very clean animals , taking care of their own hygiene. Even so, there are a number of additional care needs to be taken with this type of cat, especially with regard to its fur.
Hair
Their fur is their distinctive feature and, as such, requires extra care to avoid not only a bad appearance, but also some problems with it.
It is essential to brush their hair regularly , especially for long-haired specimens, to prevent knots from forming and the development of trichobezoars or hairballs . This abundant fur also prevents their ears from breathing, which can cause excessive accumulation of wax or bacteria.
Although he is not a cat who likes to go outside, if he does, remember to check his fur in case he has ended up carrying some parasites such as fleas , ticks or lice, and always put an antiparasitic collar or a pipette on him to avoid them.
Fur
Unless strictly necessary, this type of cat should not be bathed.
Remember to keep your pet’s vaccination card up to date and visit the vet at least once a year to make sure everything is in perfect condition.
Others (Eyes, ears…)
The eyes and ears are the most delicate organs of these animals due to their long, wavy fur. Trimming the hair around the eyes and ears will help prevent some problems.
However, ears tend to produce more wax than normal , so they should be cleaned periodically with a specific cleaning solution or, failing that, saline solution, always using sterile gauze and not cotton.
As for the eyes, if the hair around them bothers them, they will tend to tear up more frequently, so it should be trimmed more often and the eyes should be cleaned of any remaining eye discharge in the same way as the ears, with a special solution, physiological saline solution and sterile gauze.
dopting a Selkirk Rex
This breed of cat is very typical of the United States , but it is not so well known in Europe, so adopting a Selkirk Rex is impossible.
If you want to adopt a cat with a similar character to the Selkirk Rex cats, you can ask shelters and animal shelters for advice and advice on which of the cats they have available for adoption most resembles this curly-haired feline. Even if it doesn’t look similar, it will surely love you just like a Selkirk Rex cat would. Give adoption a chance!
