This Rare Mutation Makes Kittens Look Like Plush Teddy Bears

09/14/2020

The internet has been taken by storm by these curly-haired kittens that look like they brought a trendy ’80s style back to life: a natural “purrm” is their thing. Not only is their appearance interesting, but the history of their breed is even more fascinating. The Selkirk Rex breed started with a rescued shelter cat and now it’s insta-famous.

Here at Bright Side, we couldn’t ignore these charming, fuzzy balls that are actually genetic mutations. And you probably won’t be able to resist their adorableness either.

“Plush teddy bear cats,” “poodle cats,” and “cats in sheep’s clothing” — these rare fluffy felines earned these nicknames as they continued to conquer the Internet over the last couple of years. The Selkirk Rex is an exceptionaly curly breed of cats that appeared by accident over 30 years ago, exciting not only kids but adults as well.

The first curly-haired kitten was spotted by chance back in 1987 in a local shelter in Montana and was picked up by a local cat breeder. He named her Miss DePesto after the curly secretary from the once-famous TV show, Moonlighting.

Miss DePesto was bred with a black Persian male, and they produced 3 curly and 3 straight-haired babies. That meant that Miss DePesto’s wavy fur was a dominant genetic trait, unlike other curly feline breeds such as the Cornish Rex, for example.

The new breed was accepted by The International Cat Association in 1992 and was named after the nearby Selkirk mountains and the rex mutation — the gene variation that is responsible for this wavy fur.

It’s actually crazy to think about the fact that if this one curly kitten hadn’t been picked up, this whole breed wouldn’t even exist. The story further proves that adopting animals from shelters can not only help you make a lifelong friend but you may also witness a unique genetic mutation and accidentally help a breed live on.