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.”