Curly-haired cats are a thing and people are losing their minds over the fuzzy felines
Selkirk Rex cats are usually curly from birth, with kittens distinguished by their unusual coats and brittle, coiled whiskers
THESE adorable curly-haired cats are taking the internet by storm.
Earlier this week Twitter user posted a series of adorable snaps of a ginger kitten with a coiled coat which, on first glance, could be mistaken for a poodle’s.
The photos were captioned: “I’ve never seen a cat with curls until now.”
The tweet went viral, notching up more than 6,500 retweets and 18,000 likes.
One Twitter user called it “the cutest kitten I've ever seen” while another commented: “I hate cats but I can't lie, I literally just fell in love.”
The fuzzy felines are actually a relatively new breed called Selkirk Rex, which originated from a housecat, called Miss DePesto of Noface, found in a shelter in Montana in 1987, according to the .
She was picked up by local Persian breeder Jeri Newman, who adopted the kitten and encouraged her to breed with a black Persian, reports .
Miss DePesto of Noface produced a litter of six kittens, three of which had her distinctive curls – the result of a dominant genetic trait.
The Selkirk Rex, inspired by the nearby Selkirk mountains and the rex mutation — a genetic variation that results in soft, curly or wavy hair – was declared an official breed in 2012.
They tend to be large cats with a round head and plush, loose curls which show up more dramatically on longer fur.
A Selkirk Rex is usually curly from birth, with kittens distinguished by their unusual coats and brittle, coiled whiskers.
Following the outpouring of affection for the breed on social media, Twitter user posted an "appreciation tweet" featuring other adorable snaps of Selkirk Rex kittens.
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In terms of their nature, they are described as “patient, loving and tolerant”. We want one.
Last month we told how baffled owners shared snaps of their cats caught in the weirdest poses.
And earlier this year frustrated cat owners shared hilarious photos of their cute moggies who were clearly feline naughty.