The Devon Rex is a tall-eared, short-haired breed of
cat
The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...
that emerged in England during the late 1950s. The breed is known for its atypical appearance, with an oddly shaped head, large eyes, and the short and wavy coat.
History
Origin
Beryl Cox came across a novel curly-coated kitten in
Buckfastleigh,
Devon
Devon ( ; historically also known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west ...
in 1960 whom she decided to name ''Kirlee''. Originally, Cox believed the cat's gene to be related to the
Cornish Rex
The Cornish Rex is a cat breed, breed of domestic cat. The Cornish Rex only has down hair. Most breeds of cat have three different types of hair in their coats: the outer fur or "guard hairs", a middle layer called the "awn hair"; and the down ha ...
which led to her breeding Kirlee with Cornish Rexes. However, when the queen gave birth the kittens all had straight coats, which led to the discovery that Kirlee had a different mutation than Cornish Rexes. Following this Cox began a breeding program to try and preserve Kirlee's unique mutation.
Appearance
The Devon Rex is a very short haired breed with a medium build and a unique head type which gives the breed a 'pixie-like' appearance. The head is short with a broad wedge and the brow curving to a flat skull. The eyes are large, set wide, and oval-shaped. Devon Rexes may have any eye colour. The ears are large and set wide apart with rounded tips. The coat is short, dense, soft, and curls inwards, giving it a waved or rippled effect. Some areas of the body such as the neck may lack enough fur for the wave/ripple effect. The whiskers and eyebrows are crinkled and twisted. Devon Rexes may come in any colour.
Health
Hereditary
myopathy
In medicine, myopathy is a disease of the muscle in which the muscle fibers do not function properly. ''Myopathy'' means muscle disease ( Greek : myo- ''muscle'' + patheia '' -pathy'' : ''suffering''). This meaning implies that the primary defec ...
is found in some Devon Rexes. It is caused by a genetic variant known as COLQ and it appears anytime from 3 to 23 weeks of age.
Typically, there is a chance that the myopathy in the cats might stabilize, however, most of the time, the condition worsens and the Devon rex cats die from
laryngospasm, after obstructing their larynx with food.
The Devon Rex was found to be predisposed to
feline atopic dermatitis in a retrospective study of cases of the disease.
The Devon Rex is predisposed to
congenital hypotrichosis and
Malassezia dermatitis.
Gallery
Image:Saucer-eyed Devon Rex.jpg, A black Devon Rex.
Image:BlueDevonRex.jpg, A "blue smoke" Devon Rex with unusually large ears.
Image:Si rex.jpg, Devon Rex cats with Siamese (colourpoint) colourings are known as Si Rex.
Image:Devonrex cat.jpg, A cream Devon Rex with curly, soft coat typical to this breed
Image:Devon_Rex_female_2.jpg, A Devon Rex with white spotting on a chocolate coat
Image:Devon_Rex_male.jpg, An orange Devon Rex
Image:Devon Rex Tortoiseshell.jpg, A tortoiseshell Devon Rex
File:Devon rex kitten.jpg, A devon rex kitten in Australia walking on a leash
See also
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Cornish Rex
The Cornish Rex is a cat breed, breed of domestic cat. The Cornish Rex only has down hair. Most breeds of cat have three different types of hair in their coats: the outer fur or "guard hairs", a middle layer called the "awn hair"; and the down ha ...
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German Rex
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LaPerm
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Selkirk Rex
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Sphynx cat
References
External links
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{{Cat nav
Cat breeds
Cat breeds originating in England
Rex cat breeds
Science and technology in Devon