Chunky build, short muzzle, and a round head sounds like it could be pretty much any feline in the world. But there’s one distinct feature that makes Selkirk Rex cats absolute head-turners. And it’s their angelic curls.
Meet Tony, Manny, Sosa, and Elvira, four adorable fluff balls from Switzerland whose lush curls should be on a Pantene bottle. Also known as sheep cats, their unique-looking breed was named after the Selkirk Mountains in Montana, where the first was born in a litter at an animal shelter in 1987.
Today, these four teddy bears—I mean kittens—are melting everyone’s hearts on social media, where 111k Instagram followers get regular updates on their caturdays. Let’s take a look at these cutie pies right below and get your purrmometer ready!
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Did you see the one with the kitten who's ears wiggle when being bottle fed? It's pretty close.
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aww he is lovely his fur looks like those shaggy fur coats very popular in the 70s
Are they at least health? Why change cats by breeding odd looking specimens. Hairless cats, cats with very short legs, cats with a flat face so they don't breath correctly, cats with folded ears, why make monsters out of such beautiful felines? Just stop this nonsense please. God made beautiful creatures and humans shouldn't change nature.
They are very similar to the Si-Rex, a cross breed that has been around for over 30 years at least, in Britain anyway.
There must be another Ice age coming. When animals start changing so does the weather.
Making its first appearance in Montana in 1987, the Selkirk Rex cat breed is a relatively new breed, but has already gained a cult-like status with people adoring it for its beautiful wavy fur. The unusual fur is a result of a natural mutation found in a litter of kittens from a blue tortoiseshell cat and a white cat.
Interestingly, all Selkirk Rexes trace their lineage to Miss DePesto, the very first Selkirk Rex kitten who was named after her breeder, Jeri Newman’s, stepfather.
According to Pet Finder, Newman from the Noface Cattery in Livington, Montana was surprised to realize DePesto was carrying “the dominant curly-coat gene, but also the recessive gene for long hair.” It happened because both parents possessed at least one copy of the long hair gene to produce long-haired offspring.
Back in 1990, the breed was presented to TICA’s board of directors and was accepted into the New Breed and Color class. Meanwhile, the CFA registered the breed in the miscellaneous class two years later. In 2000, Selkirk Rex achieved the CFA championship status and is now one of the most unique and most-loved cat breeds to have emerged in recent decades.
These days, most Selkirk Rexes are born with curls and some with straight hair. As they reach adulthood, their waves tend to become more prominent. Both short-haired or long-haired plush coats are super soft to the touch, hence the title “teddy bear.”
I will take the one on the far right...and the one on the far left...and the two in the middle. Thank you.
I will pay you 1 million dollars.........for each one
The kitten version of Stewie. That adorable furball is not having it today.
Note: this post originally had 108 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
These Selkirk Rexes are cute, but I hope that they will not be overbred to achieve an even more felted wooliness to them.
Agreed. I get a little nervous when any breed, cat or dog, starts getting a lot of publicity. It can attract some heartless breeding. These look like they'd need a little more attention to grooming than.usual. Not to say they're not cute as hell.
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They all look like they've been knitted and unravelled again! Beyond cute. 🥰
Yes, they look like the inside of a fleece sweatshirt!
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So ONE kitten was born in Montana, and now there's an entire breed based on ONE set of genes. This is the very definition of INBREEDING. They are adorable, but how soon will the genetic defect cripple them?
must be a preference for shabby looking kittens. some of the pictures look like their eye health is suspect. elicit pity more than being charmed. they look unhealthy. and the breeding aspect is just adding to the concern. rather have a farm or rescue cat(s). more humane, far more caring, and just a much, much better decision.
Yes, but aren't expressive faces better? These guys all look pissed off. Not that they are.
Those are the cutest little things. Their faces look just a little different.
i love them as long as the fur isn't caused by some detrimental genetics, like so many other designer cat breeds
Now I want a carpet kitty.. (also, It looks like they all have dirty noses and eyes, also some look like the inner ear has dirt, would that be one of the downsides? Like, I dont mind cleaning noses and eyes etc, but it would indicate some genetic disposition.. hope not to respiratory issues)
I wonder if the curly hair brings along any quirks like ears that need more cleaning than the average shorthair cat, grooming to keep those glorious curls from becoming undesired dreads, and so on.
I wish I could adopt one of these. There is no way that I would buy a car with all the strays in the world.
These little balls of fluff are so different than our regular balls of fluff. They are adorable yet they look so old!
They are so unusual, but none of them look happy or playful. I wonder if this mutation, like too many others, also carries with it chronic pain.
Fascinating breed... but I'm biased as I love all things (and creatures) feline...
these matte/curly furred cats are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute!!!
YEAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! *literally squealing with cuteness*
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Heard of these cats before. They are a (rare?) Breed called laperms, they were originally long haired but short haired ones have been adapted, these are very nice short hair laperms.
Selkirk Rex and LaPerms are different breeds. Both have curly fur, often long, but different in build and coat texture. Each breed is derived from a single cat that produced the curly, Rex mutation.
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Afrocats. Yikes. Prefer the sleek ones, although tbh cats are the millenials of pets anyway. At least pooches dont knock your s**t off everything, chew and shred everything, or cover everything in bloody fur.
These Selkirk Rexes are cute, but I hope that they will not be overbred to achieve an even more felted wooliness to them.
Agreed. I get a little nervous when any breed, cat or dog, starts getting a lot of publicity. It can attract some heartless breeding. These look like they'd need a little more attention to grooming than.usual. Not to say they're not cute as hell.
Load More Replies... They all look like they've been knitted and unravelled again! Beyond cute. 🥰
Yes, they look like the inside of a fleece sweatshirt!
Load More Replies... So ONE kitten was born in Montana, and now there's an entire breed based on ONE set of genes. This is the very definition of INBREEDING. They are adorable, but how soon will the genetic defect cripple them?
must be a preference for shabby looking kittens. some of the pictures look like their eye health is suspect. elicit pity more than being charmed. they look unhealthy. and the breeding aspect is just adding to the concern. rather have a farm or rescue cat(s). more humane, far more caring, and just a much, much better decision.
Yes, but aren't expressive faces better? These guys all look pissed off. Not that they are.
Those are the cutest little things. Their faces look just a little different.
i love them as long as the fur isn't caused by some detrimental genetics, like so many other designer cat breeds
Now I want a carpet kitty.. (also, It looks like they all have dirty noses and eyes, also some look like the inner ear has dirt, would that be one of the downsides? Like, I dont mind cleaning noses and eyes etc, but it would indicate some genetic disposition.. hope not to respiratory issues)
I wonder if the curly hair brings along any quirks like ears that need more cleaning than the average shorthair cat, grooming to keep those glorious curls from becoming undesired dreads, and so on.
I wish I could adopt one of these. There is no way that I would buy a car with all the strays in the world.
These little balls of fluff are so different than our regular balls of fluff. They are adorable yet they look so old!
They are so unusual, but none of them look happy or playful. I wonder if this mutation, like too many others, also carries with it chronic pain.
Fascinating breed... but I'm biased as I love all things (and creatures) feline...
these matte/curly furred cats are sooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute!!!
YEAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! *literally squealing with cuteness*
Load More Replies... Heard of these cats before. They are a (rare?) Breed called laperms, they were originally long haired but short haired ones have been adapted, these are very nice short hair laperms.
Selkirk Rex and LaPerms are different breeds. Both have curly fur, often long, but different in build and coat texture. Each breed is derived from a single cat that produced the curly, Rex mutation.
Load More Replies... Afrocats. Yikes. Prefer the sleek ones, although tbh cats are the millenials of pets anyway. At least pooches dont knock your s**t off everything, chew and shred everything, or cover everything in bloody fur.
