Devon Rex

An adult Devon Rex is a medium-sized cat, although the head looks large and the chest is broad. The males tend to have medium boning, while the females may have lighter boning, so some males are significantly larger than females.

Size

Weight

Male Small: <8 lbs.

Female Small: <8 lbs.

Coat

Length

Short

Texture

Curly

Color

White, Blue, Black, Cream, Red, Brown, Frost, Platinum, Fawn, Chocolate, Chestnut, Cinnamon, Lavender, Champagne, Seal

Less Allergenic

Yes

Care

Longevity

9-13 yrs.

Needs

Moderate

Traits

Grooming

Social Needs

Eye Color

Amber, Aqua, Blue, Copper, Green, Gold, Hazel, Odd-eyed, Orange, Yellow

Club Recognition

Associations

CFA, ACFA , TICA

Prevalence

Common

The Devon should never be brushed because her fur is too fragile.

About

The Devon Rex has an unusual appearance. The head is triangular and the nose appears to change direction right below the eyes. The eyes are large and the ears are extremely large, set low on the head with a wide base. These butterfly ears, along with the other distinct facial features, give the breed a look like that of a pixie or elf.

The soft and curly coat on the Devon Rex is also unusual. Many Devons have a lack of fur on some areas, especially those areas where she can lick herself. The coat is fragile and even grooming can cause the fur to break off completely. Devons also generally have broken whiskers because the whiskers are also fragile.

Personality

The Devon Rex is an active, energetic breed. She is truly a little clown and will delight her parent by giving enchanting playful performances. For this, of course, the Devon expects to be thanked with pets and loving attention and will return affection with purring.

What to Expect

The Devon is a jumper, so cat trees and perches should be provided for exercise. However, she also loves food so her nutrition must be carefully controlled.

Devons like a warm place in the sun and should be provided with areas of warmth in the winter. They should never be brushed because their fur is so fragile. Being rubbed gently with a cloth will keep them nicely groomed.

History

When the Cornish Rex cat started exhibiting in cat shows in England, they were a curiosity and their pictures often appeared in newspapers. In Devon, Beryl Cox saw one of the pictures. She was interested because she lived near an old tin mine where a colony of cats lived. These cats also had curly coats. Cox had a kitten that was curly coated. Although the mother was a straight haired barn cat, this kitten had curly hair so Cox assumed that one of the strays from the tin mine was the sire. This cat was names Kirlee and he became famous as the beginning of the breed known as the Devon Rex.

At first, breeders believed that the curly coat of both the Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex might be related and the two could be bred to each other. This breeding was attempted, but every time the resulting kittens all had straight coats. The curly coated cats were determined to be two distinct breeds.