Curly Coat – Selkirk Rex

In cats, the growth and structure of coat hairs is partially governed by the gene for keratin 71 (KRT71). Mutations to KRT71 can result in several different curled coats, known as “rexoid”, and even in the hairlessness of the Sphynx breed.

The distinctive curly, frizzy coat of the Selkirk Rex breed is caused by a dominant mutation to KRT71. This mutant genotype is known as SADRE (Selkirk Autosomal Dominant Rex), SLK or Re^S, and is dominant over all other KRT71 genotypes.