Other Name
With his high cheekbones, big eyes, long legs, slender body, and unusual hairstyle, the Devon Rex looks like the feline incarnation of waiflike model Kate Moss. Like his cousin, the Cornish Rex, the Devon has a wavy coat, but his has a looser curl than that of the Cornish. An eye-catching breed that is still in its infancy, the Devon Rex will make its home in your arms and in your heart. Just independent enough to be an ideal cat for working families, the Devon will shower its people with love and attention when they are around, and stay out of trouble when they are not. And, because it sheds very little, it does not shower the home in hair. For those looking for a unique, warm, and loving companion, the Devon Rex is a perfect fit.
Like his cousin, the Cornish Rex, the Devon Rex was a happy accident that eventually became a breed. His progenitor was a feral tom cat with a curly coat who lived in an abandoned tin mine in Buckfastleigh, Devon, in England. This tom had a fling with a tortoiseshell and white female owned by a lady named Beryl Cox. In the litter, born in 1960, was a brownish-black male who had the same curly coat as his father. Miss Cox was familiar with the Cornish Rex and thought that this kitten, which she named Kirlee, might carry the same gene. To everyone’s surprise, a different gene was responsible for Kirlee’s coat. Instead of the tight, uniform waves of the Cornish Rex, Kirlee had a more tousled curly coat and whiskers that were stubby or missing altogether, instead of being bent and curled. He had large ears, but they were set low on his head, instead of high up like those of the Cornish Rex. A breeding program was developed to preserve cats with what became known as Devon Gene 2. All Devon Rex cats have a family tree that goes back to Kirlee. A Devon Rex was first imported to the United States in 1968. The Cat Fanciers Association recognized the breed in 1979, and it is now recognized by other cat associations as well.
