Devon Rex Cat Breed - Overview and History

Dog Breeds

The first reported Devon Rex was discovered about ten years after the first Cornish Rex kitten was identified. The Devon was first recognized in 1959 in the United Kingdom

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Introduction

The Devon Rex is a feline breed with a curly, soft, short coat similar to that of the Cornish Rex. However, the coat of the Devon Rex is distinctive in that it has both sets of outer guard hairs as well as the downy undercoat. Its coat is also less twisted and curly than that of cats with the Cornish Rex mutation.

While the coat of the Devon Rex is unique, its head is its most striking characteristic and distinguishes it clearly from its Cornish Rex cousins. The Devon Rex is characterized by a very small head, short muzzle, large widely-set eyes, prominent cheeks, enormously large out-of-proportion bat-like ears and a uniquely exotic, foreign appearance. It is known fondly as "the pixie of the cat world." Its big eyes are slightly oval and slope upward towards the outer lower edges of the ears, which are strikingly large and set fairly low. They may have tufts at the ear tips and/or a patch of fur at their lower outside edges. The Devon Rex has prominent whisker pads. Its whiskers and eyebrows tend to be brittle and can break easily. It has a very slender neck, upholding its most unusual head.

Not only is the head type of the Devon Rex strikingly different from that of the Cornish Rex or any other cat, but its body and coat are also quite different. The Devon has an unusually broad, muscular body with thick bones and heavy weight for its size. It has little or no tuck-up at the waist. The short coat of the Devon Rex is more relaxed and much less wavy than that of its Cornish Rex cousins and is a bit coarser in texture. Adult males are noticeably larger than females of the breed.

History

The first reported Devon Rex was discovered about ten years after the first Cornish Rex kitten was identified. The Devon was first recognized in 1959 in the United Kingdom, among a litter of feral kittens born in the county next to that of the home of the recently-recognized Cornish Rex. Miss Cox, a woman living in Devonshire, had seen a large, wavy-haired feral tom cat near her home. He apparently mated with her normal-coated, straight-haired female, and one of the resulting kittens had a remarkable curly coat resembling that of his father. The Cornish Rex had recently been recognized and was increasing in popularity in Great Britain. Miss Cox suspected that her curly-coated kitten was somehow related to the Cornish Rex. However, when this curly kitten, who she named Kirlee, was cross-mated with some Cornish Rex females, no wavy kittens were produced. This confirmed that the Devon Rex was genetically distinct from the Cornish Rex.

Health Predispositions

Like the Cornish Rex, the closely related Devon Rex is prone to familial hypotrichosis and a form of dermatitis caused by Malassezia, which is a yeast microorganism. They may have an increased risk of developing a hereditary blood-clotting abnormality called vitamin K-dependent coagulopathy, although this is not common. Patellar luxation and umbilical hernias have also been reported in this breed. Some queens molt (“blow their coats”) during the breeding season and/or during pregnancy. The Devon Rex can be prone to obesity, which of course is unhealthy and also spoils their classic tubular shape. Males of the blue-cream smoke color variation are uncommon and almost always are sterile. Intact males of this breed tend to develop a greasy coat condition called “stud tail.

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