Cornish Rex Cat

Cornish Rex Cat

Origin

Two offspring of Kallibunker (bred incidentally by mating with his mother) were produced, both with the trademark curly coat. The male of these 2 produced a fine female, which was exported to the USA, where she was crossed with a Siamese giving the breed the long tails and large ears.

Appearance

This means coat shedding is much reduced and that the cat feels the cold. The fur is the finest and softest of all breeds apparently. As for the Devon Rex the Cornish also likes to find warm spots to curl up in. There are other cats with a similar rangy, skinny and vulnerable looking appearance. These are the Oriental and Modern Siamese, for example

On 17th November 2007 I went to the GCCF Supreme Show. Although I didn't see any Cornish Rex cats I did see the Modern Siamese, Sphynx and for example the Oriental. All have (for me) this overbred highly fragile look. The appearance of the cat in Helmi's photograph does not appeal to me I must say - too fragile and not normal enough looking for my liking. Although I am a little old fashioned.

I was amazed at how small the heads were of the Modern Siamese and this cat seems to have the same or similar conformation.

Behavior

All the characteristics of the domestic cat are of course present including notably mischievousness and inquisitiveness and curiosity (this breed have an extremely curious nature) Its rangy body conformation results in a long stride and athletic jumping. This is an intelligent cat who is friendly towards people (all cats should be to a certain extent and if not it is because they have learned otherwise). As they are active they fully participate in family life. The breed is a suitable pet for children apparently (I do not live with a Cornish Rex Cat).

As for the Devon the breed has some dog like characteristics such as playing fetch (probably due to intelligence).

Notable Fact

Crosses between the Cornish Rex and Devon Rex are not allowed as it would be detrimental from a genetics point of view. Apparently mating between them does not result in Wavy hair.

As for the Devon this breed is not hypoallergenic but its low shedding, short coat (1cm) because of the fine, and light fur must make it more suitable for people with an allergy.

The "Rex" part of the name has an interesting origin. We know that "Rex" means king. In the cat fancy it means curly or unusual fur. The King of Belgium (1875-1934) entered curly haired rabbits in a show. They should have been rejected but the standard was adjusted by creating a special "Rex" type in order to not offend royalty.

Peoples Info

This is practical information from cat loving people:

CORNISH REX CAT SCRATCHES? This is nothing to do with the breed but the situation and how the cat is being treated. If there are new members of the family the cat may be upset and go for the "intruder". Be patient and deal with it as a training exercise. Do not declaw as it is firstly totally wrong obviously and secondly it may not fix the problem as the cat may compensate with bites and back claws.If children are involved, for their safety you may consider re-homing your cat.

BEHAVIOR Busy, vocal, interactive and affectionate. Curiosity means they don't shy away from visitors. As mentioned above they like cuddling up to humans. That works both ways remember on a cold night :-)

MAINTENANCE Low due to their coat.

PRICE Average is $600 as at 8-9-07

HEALTH May be some problems with diet difficulties (some seem to throw up after eating) and skin problems. The Rexes can suffer a defect of the hair follicles, which leads to complete hair loss at 6 months of age (Hypotrichosis)

Sources:

• Wikipedia
• CFA
• Breeder sites
• Blogs