Curly-Haired Cats
(image via: Nickolas Titkov)
Rex isn’t reserved for rats, as cats of the Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Oregon Rex and Selkirk Rex breeds can attest. Curly-haired cats (as opposed to fluffy or fleecy cats) are hard to imagine but the genetic propensity for curly coats, though rare, is not all that uncommon.
(images via: Nickolas Titkov and PetsLady.com)
The Selkirk Rex is the most recent addition to the curly-haired kitties list, having originated in 1987 with a single kitten from a litter born in Montana. The gene for curly-coatedness is “incompletely dominant” and Selkirks come in longhair and shorthair varieties.
Curly-Feathered Pigeon
(image via: Jim Gifford)
Credit Flickr user Jim Gifford for bringing us the spectacular Frillback Pigeon above. Though Frillback Pigeons are descended from common Rock Doves as are all “city park” style pigeons, these birds have been selectively bred to enhance the astonishing curliness of their wing feathers. A show-quality Frillback can be most any color but curliness is what counts the most: even the foot feathers should show distinct curliness!
