Do Selkirk Rex cats shed a lot?

Do Selkirk Rex cats shed a lot? No, is the answer. There is nothing in the history of this breed which indicates that Selkirk Rex cats shed more or less than other cats. The cat has coarse guard (top coat) hairs and these together with the awn and down hairs are curled.

Curly-coated cat. The Selkirk Rex. Photo: Nathalie Jacques, Saint-Léonard d'Aston, Québec, Canada.

Selkirk Rex kittens are born with curly coats. The coat disappears at about 6-months-of-age. It is replaced by sparse wiry hair. At around ten months old the adult coat emerges which is curly, plush and thick.

There is nothing in the literature which supports the belief that the Selkirk Rex sheds a lot. They neither shed more nor less than cats with normal coats to the best of my knowledge.

Hair shedding in cats is due to the change in the amount of light not the amount of heat. That is why shedding is seasonal with more hair shed in the summer months due to more light.

The gene causing the curly coat is dominant in contrast to the other Rex cats. 'Rex' cats are curly haired cats. The Devon and Cornish Rex cats are also well-known. The Selkirk has gained some popularity recently (2018-2021) because of media coverage of cats with sheep's coats.