Cat Breeds: Devon Rex

Devon Rex

The Devon Rex breed stems from a curly-coated cat found in 1960 by Beryl Cox, in Devon. She attempted to take him in, but he refused to be tamed. Beryl kept an eye on the cat, though, and noticed that he had mated with a local female cat. She found the litter in a field at the end of her garden, and one of the resulting litter also had curly fur - she named the curly kitten Kirlee, and took him home. Like the Cornish Rex, the Devon's coat is caused by a recessive gene, and inbreeding was necessary to perpetuate the breed - the Devon gene is different to that which curls the coat of the Cornish Rex, and crossing Devon and Cornish Rexes produces litters of straight-coated kittens. The two mutations must have arisen independently, despite arising so close geographically, ie. in Devon and Cornwall. Within 10 years the breed was recognised in Britain.

The first impression of a Devon Rex is how crinkly their coat is. They have wide cheeks and large eyes and ears. Like the Cornish Rex, the Devon has the characteristic Rex 'Marcel Wave', and the fur forms ripples and waves, particularly on the back. The whiskers and eyebrows also curl, and are prone to snapping off. The devons' legs are slender, and the hind legs are longer than the fore legs. The paws are small and oval.

Devons are fondly described as "little terrors", and "monkeys in cats' clothing" whose antics include swinging from the curtains and climbing the wallpaper! These lively and extrovert cats seem to be born comedians. They have several 'dog-like' qualities, such as a fondness for fetching toys, and can be trained to walk on a harness and lead. They are very gentle and loving cats, and hate to be bored or alone. Their should be lots of things to play with and climb on as these cats have a lot of energy.

Tune In Next Tuesday for more information on different Cat Breeds!

*This information was collected from www.purina.com.au