Devon Rex Cats (Pixie Cat, Alien Cat)

Family: Felidae

Common Name(s)    Devon Rex, Pixie Cat, Alien Cat

Background    The Devon Rex line is believed to have descended from a stray tomcat that was seen around an old tin mine in Buckfastleigh in Devon. The cat appeared to have a curly coat which enticed various people to attempt to capture and breed him, but they were not successful. However, in 1960 the cat mated with another stray, a tortie-and-white, which reared a litter that included one curly-haired kitten. This kitten was named Kirlee by Miss Beryl Cox, a friend of the kittens mother. Kirlee is known as the father of the Devon Rex breed. At first, it was believed that these cats could be bred with the Cornish Rex breed, which was discovered ten years earlier. However, when they were bred together, only straight-haired kittens were produced, revealing that the two breeds were distinctive. It was also found that curly-haired kittens from the Devon Rex line could only be produced when both parents carried the recessive gene. The Devon Rex was recognized as a separate breed from the Cornish Rex in 1967, except in the United States, which waited until 1979 to distinguish the two breeds.

Description     Like the Cornish Rex, the Devon Rex is largely known for its unique wavy coat. The Devon Rex coat is comprised mostly of down hairs, but unlike the Cornish Rex, it has some guard hairs, though they are thinner than the average cat's guard hairs and vary in length. These features create a lumpier, slightly harsher coat than the Cornish Rex coat. Like the Cornish Rex, the Devon Rex also has curly eyebrows and whiskers. Interestingly, like young birds Devon Rex kittens molt their original coat, which is a very fine down coat, at around 8 weeks of age. The new coat can take from a few days to over a year to completely grow in.

    The Devon Rex is a small to medium-sized cat, weighing 6 to 9 pounds. It has a hard, muscular build and a slender body, though its chest is broad. The legs are slender, but strong. The hind legs are longer than the front legs and the front legs come out from the chest, giving it a bulldog pose. The tail is long and slender. The head is wedge-shaped with full cheeks, large, oval-shaped, large set eyes, a stop to the nose, creating a dip when seen from the profile, and extremely large, wide-set ears, giving it a "pixie" or "elfish" appearance. The lifespan for a Devon Rex is 9 to 15 years, though some have been known to reach 20 years of age.

Care and Feeding    Devon Rexes enjoy eating a lot, but they are not known for over-eating. No special diet is required.