Silkenclaw Cattery

A medium to large well muscled cat, the Selkirk Rex has substantial boning in proportion to the body. The skull is round, broad and full cheeked with no flat planes on the underlying bone structure. The nose slants downwards with a convex curve, set below the line of the eye. The profile reveals a nose stop and a muzzle that must be clearly visible beyond the curve of the cheek. An extreme nose break will cause the show cat to be disqualified. The muzzle is medium in width with well padded whisker pads to give the impression of squareness. The length of the muzzle is equal to half the width. The chin is firm and well developed, balanced in proportion to the rest of the head.

Ears are medium in size and set well apart. Ears must be broad at the base, tapering and must fit into the rounded contour of the head. The body is more rectangular than square but should not appear long. The tail is medium in length and in proportion to the body. It is thick at the base, neither blunt nor pointed at the tip. The paws are large, round and firm.

Both longhair and shorthairs are accepted. The shorthair has a soft, plush full curl that is dense with no bald or thinly covered areas on the body. The coat stands away from the body without appearing close lying or flat. The longhair has a similar texture without being as plush, but should not feel thinner. The tail curls are plumy and stand away from the tail.

The coat is random, arranged in loose individual curls that appear in clumps or ringlets rather than a wave. The degree of curl varies with the hair length, age, and sex. Curliness increases around the neck, tail & stomach. Kittens appear less curly and allowance is made for this on the show bench.

Unlike other Rex breeds eye colour is important and must complement the coat colour. All shades are accepted including copper, gold, yellow, green, blue or even odd eyes.

The Selkirk Rex does not require a great deal of grooming, but is slightly higher maintenance than other Rex breeds. Bathing is usually unnecessary unless for showing. Before bathing, brush the coat to remove any loose or dead hairs. Beware of over brushing though, as this will straighten the coat and the curl will not be as distinct. The best shampoo to use would be those that don't coat the hair but instead leave it silky, thereby encouraging the curl. Spritzing with water will help to bring out the curls at show.