Everything you need to know about 'sheep cats,' the curly-haired cats going viral on Instagram

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• The latest viral animals to take over the internet are curly-haired "sheep cats," who have a much different coat than the typical cats we are used to.
• "Sheep cats" are actually a breed called Selkirk Rex, and those curls are all-natural.
• The breed was first discovered in Montana in 1987, making them one of the newest cat breeds.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Move over curly-haired horses and fluffed-out dogs — it's time for the "sheep cat" to shine.

"Sheep cats," officially a breed called Selkirk Rex, are cats that have uniquely curly hair — down to their curly whiskers.

Take a closer look at these adorably fuzzy felines:

黒ホモ君大きくなりました😸 Selkirk Rex SH Homozygous Black Boy🐾

A post shared by Cattery Blue Amber (@blueamber_rexcat) on Jan 17, 2019 at 9:14pm PSTJan 17, 2019 at 9:14pm PST

ロサンゼルス🗽にお迎えに行ってきた子達 セルカークレックスLHの男の子と女の子です🐈🐈 * ✨My New Family🐾 Selkirk Rex LH Highlandkatz Babbaloo of Blue Amber Black Male and Highlandkatz Rapunzel of Blue Amber Blue Female * #selkirkrex #blackcats #instacat #bluecat #cat #selkirkrexofinstagram #kittensofinstagram #cats_of_instagram #catstagram_japan #cats #blueamber_cats #catstagram #selkirkrexoftheworld #セルカークレックス #巻き毛猫 #猫 #ねこ #猫好き #にゃんすたぐらむ #ふわもこ部 #ねこすたぐらむ #猫すたぐらむ #にゃんだふるらいふ #ペコねこ部 #ねこら部 #ねこのいる生活 #みんねこ #こねこ #関西ねこ部 * １泊３日😅、ホテルと空港の往復のみの強行軍でしたが ブリーダーのLauraさんとお会いすることができ、短時間でしたが充実した初渡米となりました🥰

A post shared by Cattery Blue Amber (@blueamber_rexcat) on Jun 9, 2019 at 12:53am PDTJun 9, 2019 at 12:53am PDT

Hi there, wanna play? #Elvira

A post shared by Selkirk Rex Cattery (@gina_and_gepetto) on Aug 23, 2019 at 12:52pm PDTAug 23, 2019 at 12:52pm PDT

The Selkirk Rex is a relatively new breed of house cat. In 1987 a Montana cat breeder named Jeri Newman found a curly-haired cat at an animal shelter. He bred said cat with a Persian, and gained official recognition for the new breed by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1992.

All Selkirk Rexes are descended from Newman's original cat, named Miss DePesto.

Selkirk Rexes can be long- or short-haired, usually have a "chunky build," and can be born into the same litter as straight-haired cats. Their coat is dense, consisting of three layers, but requires little grooming.

Read more:  An 'odd-eyed' cat with a genetic condition that makes her eyes different colors is stealing the internet's heart

According to The Cat Fanciers' Association, owning a sheep cat is not for the faint of heart. "This breed is not for the uptight organized pet owner. These cats' humans must be prepared to take all kinds of hair jokes such as: 'The cat with the bad hair day,'" the site writes.

Gina’s little babies 💕💕

A post shared by Selkirk Rex Cattery (@gina_and_gepetto) on Jul 16, 2019 at 9:03am PDTJul 16, 2019 at 9:03am PDT

Personally, we think they're perfect.

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