The Devon Rex

by Anthony Nichols

The Devon Rex is not an ordinary cat in any way. It challenges preconceptions of what a cat should look like and behave. Some people encountering a Devon Rex for the first time have wondered if they are seeing some sort of monkey or even a fruit bat! The official description is spot on when it says they have a pixie face and a wicked expression. These acrobatic cat-gremlins have an interesting history and a sly way of making you fall in love with them.

In September 1959 Luna 2 was the first space-craft to land on the moon kick-starting the space race and heralding the shift to a more forward-looking decade; the fun and colourful 1960s. So what more appropriate month could there be for the birth of a new breed of fun-loving cat with space antennae ears that would go on to be so frequently compared to the (ironically earless) loveable alien E.T?

In this month an ordinary looking tortoiseshell cat gave birth to a litter of kittens in a field at the foot of the garden of Beryl Cox and Margaret Croll, residents of Buckfastleigh in Devon. The women took in the family and discovered that one of the kittens had an unusual curly coat. They named this black smoke boy Kirlee and assumed his father to be a large feral tom who haunted a local disused tin mine and sported a longish black curly coat with ringlets hanging from his tail.

One day in 1960 Kirlee’s owners spotted an article in the Daily Mirror about a forthcoming cat show being put on by the Kensington Kitten and Neuter Cat Club. Illustrating the article was a picture of a kitten charmingly winking for the camera and the information that this was the only curly coated kitten in Britain. Kirlee begged to differ, and Beryl Cox wrote to the breeder of the photogenic kitten, to let her know.

A small group of breeders were working at the time to establish the Cornish Rex breed which had made its debut just a few years previously. Everyone assumed that, seeing as Devon and Cornwall were geographical neighbours, it was likely that Kirlee was the same type of cat as these other curlies. The Misses Cox and Croll agreed for Kirlee to go and be a part of the breeding programme and he moved in with Brian Sterling-Webb, a well know cat show judge and breeder.

A few dates were lined up for Kirlee and he was introduced to a couple of female Cornish Rex Variants (straight coated cats carrying the curly gene) and a pretty Cream and White Cornish Rex girl by the name of Broghton Purly Queen. The patter of tiny curls was awaited and much to everyone’s disappointment only straight coated kittens resulted. Breeders realised that they were dealing with two incompatible genes and that a change of plan was needed. Two separate breeding programmes progressed, one for gene I, or the Cornish Rex, and the other for gene II, now called the Devon Rex. The word ‘rex’ to mean a curly coat was taken from the rabbit fancy, and the first rex were rabbits with curly or downy coats.

The breeding programmes continued and in 1967 the two breeds were recognised separately and given their own standards to work to. With only Kirlee to found the breed it was necessary to use outcrossing, or breeding to different types of cat, to advance the breed and create a sufficiently large gene pool to keep the breed healthy. A broad range of cats were used and to this day there is still a select list of breeds approved for outcrossing. All kittens produced from an outcross mating to a Devon Rex are normal in appearance, but they do carry the recessive gene for a curly coat and can produce curly kittens themselves.

Devon Rex are generally devoted mothers and care very well for their kittens. Retired breeding queens will sometimes play with toy mice, not hunting them, but carrying them gently around and snuggling up to them as though they were baby kittens. The kittens are not quite so gentle; once they start to walk they soon learn to run, jump and climb the curtains like monkeys. They have big eyes, gangly legs and impossibly large ears that seem to have been borrowed from a Fennec fox. Born covered in ripples, they will often go through a moult as they grow and sport a warm suede coat for a few weeks.

Kittens and adults alike are outgoing, inquisitive and playful. They like to be part of the action- preferably the centre of attention. They are described by many owners as dog-like as they like to stick close to their owners, (the French describe them as glue-pot cats,) enjoy playing ‘fetch’ and some will wag their tails in moments of great excitement. They like to cuddle up close and with their less insulating coat they feel warmer than normal cats, so make the ideal bed companions on a cool winter’s night.

The Devon Rex today remains remarkably consistent in looks around the world and is still very true to the appearance of the original Kirlee. Their unique head shape gives them their characteristically impish look. Their ears are very large and set low on the head; they are broad at the base with gently rounded tips, sometimes decorated with a small tuft. Their heads form a short broad wedge with high cheekbones and a distinct break, or change of direction, in the lines of the face forming a strong, defined muzzle. Viewed from the side you should see a short nose with a defined ‘stop’, or break in profile. There should be a strong, firm chin and a flattish skull. The mischievous eyes are large, lustrous ovals, set well apart and angled so that they slope towards the outer edge of the ears.

A Devon Rex has a broad chest and firm musculature, but is more of an athlete than a heavy-weight. They stand tall on long slim legs, with longer hind legs giving them a lift at the rear, and tidy oval paws. They tend to have long tapering tails which should be well covered with short fur.

Their most important characteristic is the special curly coat. It is quite an experience to touch a Devon coat for the first time, and once felt it is never forgotten. The feeling is of luxuriant softness, but it is also warm with the body heat of the cat and you can feel the smooth rippling of the curls underneath your moving fingertips. Neat waves and ripples cover the body, especially the back, sides and tail and very often also extend down through the shorter hair on the legs and paws. In some Devon Rex the underparts may be sparsely coated with just a fine down. The whiskers and eyebrows are curled or crinkled and do not grow as long as in others cats, sometimes breaking off to leave stubble. Devon coats can be unpredictable and surprising; it can hard to predict which kittens will have good coats as adults as they go through different stages as they develop. The coat can also change with the season and after neutering.

As in all the rex breeds curl is more important than colour so all colours and patterns are permitted. This means a great array of colours often with several different ones being born in the same litters. Many people think of black smoke as the classic Devon Rex colour because this has been a popular colour throughout the breed’s history as breeders replicated Kirlee’s look. The combination of the white undercoat and black top coat with the curls is stunning as the curls open up the coat to reveal what is underneath. Caramel, apricot, cinnamon and fawn are rarer, but red, cream, chocolate, lilac, blue and black are often seen. Whites seem to be gaining in popularity. Bicolours, tabbies, shadeds, silvers, smokes and torties are all represented as are colourpoint Devon Rex with the familiar pattern of the Siamese and their blue eyes; these cats are sometimes called Si-Rex. A darker version referred to as Darker Points is the equivalent of the Tonkinese pattern and has a unique aquamarine eye colour. These are almost endless combinations of the various colours and patterns, much to the sometime delight and sometime confusion of the breeders.

The Devon Rex is often suggested as a good choice of cat for those people who suffer from allergies to normal cats. There are many people with cat allergies who do find they can live happily with a Devon Rex. This is equally true of the ‘sneezy’ and the ‘wheezy’ types of cat allergy. This is probably due to a combination of factors; they do not have a great deal of coat and do not shed great amounts so there is less cat hair spread around the environment. Some people are allergic to the dander (small skin flakes) or dried saliva produced by cats. A voluminous coat can act like a sponge containing these allergens and depositing them all over the place. People who have a strong allergy to some cats may have only a mild allergy to Devon Rex that they can keep under control with certain sensible measures. The only way for an allergy sufferer to be sure is for them to spend some time with a Devon Rex, preferably in a rex-only household with no other cats or dogs.

In the time-span of almost half a century the Devon Rex has established itself around the world as a unique and popular breed, and one of the most characteristic and individual cats. Fun-loving and active, they are great pets in busy families. Blessed with the magic of the pixies and the cheekiness of the gremlins, this is a cat that will bring a bit of its own magic to your life.

Origins Spontaneous genetic mutation, discovered in Buckfastleigh, Devon in 1959.

Lifespan 14 to 17 years

Size Medium

Weight 6 to 9 lbs

Health Cats used for breeding should have their blood type tested as the normally rare blood group B is common in the breed and incompatibility problems can arise.

Coat Very soft, short, close-lying yet dense coat with curls forming waves and ripples throughout, especially on the back, sides and tail.

Build Athletic and muscular.

Character Playful, friendly and affectionate

Grooming Minimal. Gentle hand grooming is normally enough to keep the coat in good condition. If a brush is used it should have soft bristles. A lightly moistened cotton wool ball can be used to clean the ears and eyes, while a warm wet flannel can benefit those Devons who suffer from grubby bellies or arm pits!

www.rexcatclub.com

www.rexcatassociation.co.uk

www.scottishrexcatclub.co.uk

Article by kind permission and copyright of Anthony Nichols.