Devon Rex Cat Breed Profile

Devon Rex History
The father of the Devon Rex breed, a feral, curly-coated tom, lived around an abandoned tin mine near Devonshire, England. He mated with a straight-coated calico female that produced a litter of kittens in the garden of cat fancier Beryl Cox. One of the kittens, a brownish-black male that Cox named Kirlee, had the same short, curly coat as his father. Breeders think that the calico female and the curly-coated male must have been related, since the Devon Rex gene that governs the curly coat is recessive and must be present in both parents to manifest in the offspring.
At first, Kirlee was thought to be related to the Cornish Rex. Subsequent matings between Kirlee and the cats of Cornish Rex breeder, Brian Stirling-Webb, resulted in only straight-coated offspring and it became clear that although Kirlee had curly hair, a new Rex gene had been discovered. Cox and Webb concluded that the two breeds were unrelated. The name Devon Rex was adopted for the new breed, and a breeding program was established. To this day, Devon Rex breeders have maintained the original look of the Devon Rex; all Devon Rex should be able to trace their ancestry back to Kirlee, the first Devon Rex.

Appearance of The Devon Rex
Devon Rex is the kind of unique appearance. With characteristic has big eyes, short muzzle, prominent cheekbones, curly mustache and large, low-set ears create a characteristic elfin look.

Devon Rex is a fine to medium build, small cat. Women have an average weight of 2-3 kilos when full grown, and men have an average weight of 3-4 kilos. Although it may look fragile, Devon Rex is the kind of cat is solid and strong, agile and very muscular.

Another striking feature of the Devon Rex is its coat, which varies greatly between individuals. Devon Rex have a short, rippling coat, which is either fairly loose with a slight wave in the fur, or tight with a definite kink. The coat is velvety soft, being mainly "down" fur -although there are a few guard hairs, which break the smoothness (these guard hairs are also softer than those found in other cats).

Devon Rex kitten coats usually thin out (moult) one or more times during kittenhood. Generally a Devon Rex kitten born with a nice, curly coat will maintain a curly coat as an adult.