Videos Cornish Rex Breed Information
Country of origin -
England
Breed standards -
AACE CFA(*) ACFA TICA(*) CCA ACF(*) FIFe(*)
A Cornish Rex is a breed of domestic cat.
The Cornish Rex has no hair except for
down. Most breeds of cat have three
different types of hair in their coats: the outer fur or
"guard hairs", which is
about 5 cm long in shorthairs and 10cm+ long in longhairs; a middle
layer called the "awn hair";
and the down hair or undercoat, which
is very fine and about 1 cm long. Cornish Rexes only have the
undercoat and thus only lose a few of very fine hairs at a time
like humans and do not shed like other cats.
The coat of a Cornish Rex is extremely fine and is the softest
of any cat breed. However, their light coat means that they are
best suited for indoor living in warm and dry conditions.
Consequently, these cats tend to hang around light bulbs, the tops
of computer monitors, and other warm places. Some Cornish Rexes
also have a mild cheesy smell peculiar to the breed; this odour
comes from scent glands in the paws.
Often the breed referred to as the Greyhound of the cats,
because of the sleek appearance and the galloping run
characteristic of the breed. Some Cornish rexes like to play fetch,
race other pets, or do acrobatic jumps. The Cornish Rex is an
adventurous cat and is very intelligent. It can readily adapt to
new situations and will explore wherever it can go, jumping into
refrigerators, examining washing machines, etc. Some humans
consider its antics to be deliberately mischievous. The Rex is
extremely curious, seeks out the company of people and is friendly
towards other companion animals. It is a suitable pet for timid
children.
1. Origin
The Cornish Rex is a genetic mutation
that originated from a litter of kittens born in the 1950s on a farm in Cornwall, UK;
hence the first part of the breed's name. One of the kittens, a
cream-colored male named Kallibunker, had an extremely unusual,
fine and curly coat; he was the first Cornish Rex. The owner then
bred Kallibunker back to his mother to produce 2 other curly-coated
kittens. The male, Poldhu, sired a stunning female called Lamorna
Cover who was later brought to America and crossed with a Siamese,
giving the breed their long whippy tails and big ears.
The Devon Rex looks similar in
appearance to the Cornish Rex, but has guard hairs and sheds. The
Devon Rex mutation is different than the Cornish Rex mutation in
that the Devon has shortened guard hairs, while the Cornish Rex
lacks guard hairs altogether. Crosses between Devon and Cornish
Rexes are not permitted in pedigrees and matings between them will
not produce a cat with short wavy fur. Another hair-deficient breed
is the Sphynx cat, which has no
hair but may have a very light coat of fuzz.
Despite some belief to the contrary, the Cornish Rex's short
hair does not make it non- or hypo-allergenic. Most people who have cat
allergies are allergic to cat dander and
cat saliva. Since Cornish Rex cats groom as much as or even more
than ordinary cats, a Cornish Rex cat will still produce a reaction
in people who are allergic to cats. However, because of the fine,
light fur that is shed from these cats, people with only mild
allergies may experience fewer or no symptoms with a Rex.
Using the word "Rex" to imply curly or otherwise
unusual fur originates from an occasion when King Albert I of Belgium (1875-1934)
entered some curly-haired rabbits in a rabbit show. They did not
meet the breed standard, but the show's officials did not wish
to risk offending the king by rejecting them. Instead, they
accepted them but wrote "Rex" (Latin for "king") beside their names.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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