A Selkirk Rex will learn to come indoors when called, but she will do it at Selkirk speed, and training that respects her tempo succeeds where drilling fails. The Selkirk Rex is the sturdy, plush cat in the all-over curls — a patient, tolerant, quietly affectionate breed with a relaxed outlook on almost everything. Owners who build the recall around her unhurried nature end up with a cat who reliably sets off toward the door when called, arriving in her own good time, every time.
Reading a Selkirk Rex's Response Correctly
Reading a Selkirk Rex's response correctly is the first training skill, because her compliance looks different from an eager breed's. Choose a cue she can hear across a garden — a clear two-tone whistle suits a cat who does not respond to frantic energy — then say or sound it once and wait a full half-minute before judging.
Indoor Practice at a Selkirk Pace
Indoor practice at a Selkirk pace means short, sparse, rewarding repetitions folded into ordinary life. Cue her when she is already awake and vaguely mobile — calling a Selkirk Rex out of a deep sleep is asking for the slowest possible data — and pay her with a small piece of something she truly values, discovered by offering choices, since this easygoing cat's preferences are real but understated. Add a tactile reward she enjoys, such as a slow stroke through those curls or a moment in a favoured lap, because food is only part of this breed's economy; comfort is the other currency, and a recall that pays in both is a recall she files under worth it.
The Doorway: Making the Trip Worth Finishing
The doorway is where a Selkirk Rex's indoor recall is won or lost, because the last stretch of the journey competes with every comfortable stopping point along it. Begin with her just outside an open door on a patio or in a secure garden, stand inside with the reward, cue once, and let the amble happen without commentary, encouragement loops, or a welcoming committee leaning over her. Pay her the moment she is fully in, and let her settle somewhere good — rushing her through a second door or straight into a closed room teaches her that arriving starts an errand.
When She Simply Keeps Sitting There
When a Selkirk Rex simply keeps sitting there after your cue, information is missing, and punishment or pursuit will not supply it. Check the basics: could she hear you over wind or distance, is something between her and the door — a strange cat, a neighbour's dog — making the route feel unsafe, or is the reward on offer simply below the value of a sunny garden spot to a comfort-loving cat? Improve the offer rather than the volume: the smell of her favourite food warmed slightly carries a long way, and her dinner being prepared inside is a sound she already believes in. Then adjust tomorrow's practice to the distance and hour where she succeeds, because a Selkirk Rex builds habits from successes, not from being managed.
A Steady Recall, Backed by Identification
A steady recall backed by identification is the right safety picture for a Selkirk Rex, whose friendliness means a lost one may happily approach strangers and be taken in as a stray. Keep her outdoor time enclosed or supervised, keep a clear current photo that shows her distinctive curls and build, and keep the recall funded with occasional paid practices so the habit never fades into the furniture. If she ever does slip out and fail to amble home, KinsLe's Lost Pet Alert System can alert nearby Circle of Love members at no cost, and anyone who finds her can message you directly.