Devon Rex

Breed Description

If you’ve ever met a Devon Rex, you probably remember it. With those giant, low-set ears, huge eyes, and a wavy, almost peach-fuzz coat, this little cat looks like it stepped out of a fantasy movie. In fact, people often say they resemble the Gremlins from the film of the same name or a relative of Yoda from Star Wars.

Despite the otherworldly looks, the Devon Rex is a warm, snuggly cat through and through. Devons are warm to the touch, feeling like soft hot water bottles that are ideal to snuggle up to in winter. Their coat is short and mostly wavy, with some sparse, short, rexed guard hairs that create an open wave varying in density, texture, and length, and it may be somewhat fragile, leading to occasional bare or sueded areas.

They’re a small to medium sized breed with a surprisingly muscular, athletic body built for jumping and climbing. Many people assume this low-shedding cat is hypoallergenic, but while all cats shed, Devons shed less than most and are easy-care, wash-and-wear cats that may be well tolerated by allergy sufferers, though contrary to popular belief they are not truly hypoallergenic.

Breed History

The Devon Rex’s story starts with a single unforgettable cat named Kirlee. In Kirlee, recognised as the first Devon Rex, was born 15th July 1959, he was the only curly coated kitten in a litter born to a non-pedigree mother near an old tin mine in Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. His presumed father was a wild, curly-coated tom that lived around the mine and was never caught.

At first, breeders assumed Kirlee’s curls came from the same mutation as the recently discovered Cornish Rex, so he was mated to two Cornish Rex variant queens, and the resulting normal short and semi-longhaired coated kittens raised the suspicion that Kirlee was the result of a different gene. A follow-up mating in 1961 confirmed it for good: Kirlee was mated to a full Cornish Rex queen, Broughton Purly Queen, who delivered a litter of normal coated kittens, proving that Kirlee was the result of a separate and incompatible mutation.

From there, breeders worked to establish Kirlee’s line as its own breed. The two Rex mutations were developed independently, with the Cornish Rex known as gene 1 and the Devons as gene 2, and the Devon Rex was recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in 1967, reaching the United States in 1968. American recognition came a bit later, since ACFA was the first North American registry to recognize the Devon Rex as a separate breed in 1972, while CFA continued its stance of considering all Rex cats as one breed for years. Finally, in February 1979, the CFA board unanimously voted to grant the Devon Rex separate breed status and registration, advancing it to provisional status effective May 1, 1981, and full championship status followed in 1983. Today the breed is thriving: having ranked among CFA’s top ten breeds for several years, the Devon Rex has recently been named the most popular of all shorthaired breeds.

Behavioral Characteristics

Don’t expect a quiet, aloof cat if you bring home a Devon Rex. These super-social cats absolutely adore people and love making friends, so don’t expect them to be quiet and reserved felines. They want to be wherever you are, doing whatever you’re doing.

That curiosity can get pretty comical. Fascinated by their owners’ every activity, they will often seek to provide their own special type of assistance, so don’t be surprised if your Devon tries to join you in the shower or falls into the bathtub with you. They’re also famous cuddlers who love burrowing under blankets, and if you are sitting, they will be in your lap, and if you are in bed, they will join you under the covers.

Mentally, this is a sharp, busy little cat. Intelligent and highly active, they thrive in a busy household, and leaving them alone for long is unwise as they can become bored and look for things with which to amuse themselves. The good news is they generally get along beautifully with the rest of the family: they are great with children and get along well with other family pets.

Grooming-wise they’re refreshingly low-maintenance despite that fancy coat. They don’t require much grooming, and in many cases brushing your hand over the coat is all they need.

Fun Facts

• “The whole breed descends from one cat: a curly-coated kitten named Kirlee, discovered near an abandoned tin mine in Devon, England in 1959.”
• “Devon Rex are sometimes nicknamed 'pixies of the cat world' or 'poodle cats' because of their elfin faces and soft wavy coats.”
• “Steven Spielberg reportedly owned a Devon Rex, and urban legend claims the cat helped inspire the look of Yoda from Star Wars.”
• “Despite their short coats, Devon Rex are not truly hypoallergenic, even though many people mistakenly believe they are.”

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