Devon Rex - breed description

Devon rex belongs to a group of cats with short hair. It is a medium-sized, distinct cat that used to be called also Kobold Cat. Namely, it evoke associations with legendary animals or aliens. Its big eyes, short nose, significantly raised cheekbones and big, low-set ears create its characteristic elfish appearance.
This breed was reproduced in the 60's of the 20th century in Great Britain, in Devon County from which its name is derived. The turning point was the year 1967 when the Devon Rex breed was officially acknowledged in Britain, and later, in 1979, in the US.
Due to its special structure of the hair, this shorthaired breed can be recommended also to some allergics. But similar to Cornish Rex, there may appear individuals for whom even these cats are not suitable.
Grown-up cats reach the weight of 2.5 to 4 kilograms.

Beside its unique appearance, Devon Rex features also exceptional hair. It is very short and soft, smooth and wavy with sharp topcoat hairs. It is rougher to touch than the hair of the Cornish rex and the German rex, because Devon rex has both guard hairs and undercoat. During moulting the hair may partly fall out which will form bald spots on the cat’s body, which will grow over again later. Then it only takes to comb the fur once a week with a comb from e.g. Pig bristles. Otherwise it does not require any special care.

Devon Rex breed standards
Head:	Short wedge-shaped, with rounded forehead curving back to a flat skull. Full cheeks with prominent cheekbones, strong chin. Facial part consists of the so-called pinch (whisker break). Whiskers and eyebrows are crinkled, rather coarse and of medium length.
Nose:	Nose is very short, with a very short muzzle.
Ears:	Ears are very large, very wide at the base tapering to rounded tips, set very low on the head. They are well covered with fine hair; with or without hair growing from a crease behind the ears to form earmuffs.
Eyes:	Eyes are large, oval in shape, set well apart; sloping towards the outer edges of the ears. They are bright; pure and clear in colour.
Neck:	Neck is long and slender.
Body:	Body is of medium length, hard and muscular, slender, with broad chest.
Legs:	Legs are long and slender. Length of hind legs emphasized and front legs set on the body so as to give a slightly bandy look.
Paws:	Paws are small and oval.
Tail:	Tail is long, fine and tapering; well covered with short and thick hair.
Coat:	Coat is very short and fine, soft and wavy with sharp guard hairs. The densest fur appears in facial parts, on ears, back, sides, legs and tail. It is less dense on the head, neck, chest and belly. The texture is fine and soft, on the whole body it appears as if it were without guard hairs. The hairs are short. The coat on the ears, head, neck, chest, belly and paws is very short. In kittens it may be very short on the whole body. Although it is not long enough to be wavy, it must covet the body evenly to avoid bald patches. Waviness is most prominent in the places where the coat is longest, i.e. on the body and tail.
Colour:	All colour varieties and patterns are permitted, including those with whiteany amount of white is permitted.
Faults:	Narrow, long or broad head. Extremely short snout. Wry bite. Small or high set ears. Short, bare or brushy tail. Straight or shaggy, ruffled coat. Bare patches.
Disqualification:	Vast baldness. Tortuous or abnormal tail. Stout body, weak rear legs. Signs of illness or weak health.
Overall impression:	Medium-sized cat with well-made and muscular body, with a wide chest, well coated in a soft and wavy fur with a particular texture that does not appear in other breeds. It is a cat of a unique and incommutably appearance. Devon Rex is watchful and active, shows a lively interest in the goings-on in his surroundings.

comparison: Devon & Cornish rex

Comparison of the Cornish rex and Devon rex breeds:

Until 1979 the rexes were judged in the USA as one breed. But they are different in many aspects. The two breeds differ with the head shape already at first sight. The short wedge-shaped head of the Devon rex with a round forehead, strong chin and raised cheekbones contrasts with the relatively small, elongate head of the Cornish rex with a flat forehead, which narrows visibly toward the chin. Significantly larger eyes and ears of the Devon rex only emphasize the difference between its wide head in contrast to with the narrow head of the Cornish rex.

Also a wider chest makes an impression that Devon rex is overall more massive cat. Cornish rex has delicate bones and its slender figure is accentuated by long legs. But despite of that, Cornish rex is a relatively muscular cat with a firm and well-made body.

Another significant difference, which is only evident at a close range, is the fur. The main difference is the absence of guard hairs in Cornish rex. But also by Devon, the texture of the hair makes an impression as if it were without guard hairs. Both breeds have wavy, soft and smooth hair, but Devon's hair is rougher.
Both aforementioned breeds come practically from the same southeast part of England, the neighbouring counties of Cornwall and Devon. Maybe due to that, even before Cornish and Devon rex were registered as independent races, there were efforts to crossbreed them mutually. But all kittens coming from this attempt had straight hair. It is due to the fact, as was proven by later genetic researches, that their curly fur was caused by two absolutely different genetic mutations.
Beside the curly fur, Devon and Cornish have similar traits of characters. Both races are very sociable, they follow their master and get on well with dogs and other pets. Long legs impart considerable skills verging on acrobatic skills. Both breeds are also excellent hunters, famous for their curiosity.
Rexes only exceptionally moult, and therefore the care of their fur is minimal. But as their fur is rather thin and has not sufficient thermal insulation properties, it is necessary to provide the necessary protection for these cats not only from the cold, but also from the heat. When you touch a rex, you will find out that their body temperature is higher than that of other cats. It is due to the fact that their metabolism is faster. That results in their enormous appetite.