Size: Small to medium.
Coat Length(s): Short hair.
Body Type: Slender.
Grooming Requirement: Little grooming needed.
Talkativeness: Quiet.
Activity Level: High.
Affection: Very affectionate.
Usually Good With: Adults (18-65), seniors, and children (6+).
Time Alone: 0 to 4 hours per day.
Attention: Needs lots of attention.
Handling: Moderately docile.

The Devon Rex breed can be traced back to a single cat. In 1960, a cat lover named Beryl Cox of Buckfastleigh, a small town in the large county of Devon in southwest England, noticed a curly-haired feral tom cat living in the deserted tin mine near her home. In due time, this curly transient fathered the kittens of a straight-coated calico female who delivered her legendary litter in Cox’s garden. One of the kittens took after his father, and had the same short, curly coat.

Cox, quite taken with the pixie-like kitten’s huge ears and deep brown curls, decided to adopt him and name him Kirlee. Aware of the Cornish Rex, another curly-coated breed that 10 years earlier had been discovered in Cornwall (a county bordering Devon), Cox contacted the breeders and told them about Kirlee. After taking a look at Kirlee, they were overjoyed, since at that time the Cornish Rex was literally dying for breeding males. They encouraged Cox to allow Kirlee to join the breeding program, and she reluctantly parted with her beloved companion, selling him to Cornish Rex breeder Brian Sterling-Webb.

However, to the great disappointment of all concerned, it soon became apparent that Kirlee was not a Cornish Rex because matings between Kirlee and Cornish Rex queens produced nothing but litter after litter of straight-coated kittens. Kirlee clearly didn’t have the same genetic makeup as the Cornish Rex. Finally, Kirlee was bred to one of his straight-coated daughters, Broughton Golden Rain, and the resulting litter contained two straight-coated kittens and one curly blue-cream female. The breeders didn’t have a new Cornish Rex breeding male, they had an entirely new breed—the Devon Rex, named for the breed’s place of origin. (Later the gene for the Cornish Rex’s coat was named rex gene I, while the gene for the coat of the Devon Rex was named rex gene II.)

They also realized that the gene for Kirlee’s curls was recessive, or else some of those early litters would have contained curly kittens, since only one copy of a dominant gene is needed for the trait to show up in the physical appearance. This made it likely that Kirlee’s parents were related, since a recessive gene must be acquired from both parents for the offspring to exhibit the trait. In 1967, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy of Great Britain (GCCF) recognized the Devon Rex as a separate breed.

In 1968, Marion White of Texas masterminded the Devon Rex’s first North American breeding program by purchasing two breeding Devons from England. In 1969, Shirley Lambert of Texas imported two seal point Devons of her own, the first pointed pattern Devons in North America. White and Lambert imported several more Devons and worked together to promote and increase the breed. In 1972, ACFA became the first American association to recognize the Devon Rex. Over the next 10 years, Devon Rex breeding programs started all over the United States and Canada as more people learned about these purring pixies.

The Cornish Rex had been accepted for championship status in CFA in 1964, and at first the registry balked at recognizing the Devon as a separate breed; it decreed that all curly-coated cats were to be registered under the blanket name of Rex. This didn’t please Cornish or Devon breeders, since the genetic incompatibility of the two breeds, and the differences in type, were well known. Devon breeders didn’t want to be forced to breed to fit the Cornish Rex breed standard and lose that elvish charm. After years of persuasion by breeders, CFA relented in 1979 and accepted the Devon for separate registration. That year, the Devon was also accepted by the recently formed TICA. Finally, the Devon Rex achieved CFA championship status in 1983.

Because the gene pool is still small, Devons are outcrossed with other breeds to widen the gene pool and keep it healthy. Acceptable outcrosses vary depending upon the association. In CFA, allowable outcrosses are American Shorthairs and British Shorthairs. However, kittens born on or after May 1, 2013, can have only Devon Rex parents. In TICA, in addition to the American Shorthair and British Shorthair, European Shorthair, Burmese, Bombay, Sphynx and Siamese are also allowable outcrosses, although few breeders use most of these breeds. Since the purpose of outcrossing is to provide new bloodlines while keeping the traits for which the Devon Rex is celebrated, breeders carefully choose prospective partners for their Devons. Usually, they are not looking for outstanding examples of the outcross breeds, but rather those that have desirable Devon characteristics. Outcrossing with, say, a grand champion Extreme Siamese would cause a considerable change in head and body type. Fanciers say that today’s Devons look very much as they did 30 years ago because breeders are dedicated to maintaining the original characteristics of the breed.

The Devon Rex is second in popularity to the Cornish Rex, which is the most popular of all the Rex breeds. Since the beginning, however, Devons have been a hit among the cat-loving public because of their loving personalities and pixyish appearance.

This breed has a special personality all its own, say owners of the playful Poodle puss. If you’re looking for the mythical aloof, independent cat, don’t get a Devon Rex. Active but not hyperactive, Devons want to be with you every moment of every day, taking part in every activity, huge ears cocked in curiosity, large eyes glistening with love, agile paws reaching to tap you if you aren’t paying them full attention. When they’re in a playful or affectionate mood (which is most of their waking hours), they wag their tails with delight. For highly active, inquisitive cats, however, they tend to be even-tempered and adaptable.

In a household of these pixies, you’ll find that the Devons stick together but will readily cuddle with other cats if no other Devons are present. Devons tend to get along well with cats, cat-friendly dogs, and even parrots, say fanciers, as long as the proper introductions are made. They also usually get along well with gentle children and make wonderful family pets. Extraordinarily social and people-oriented, Devons don’t do well if left alone; at least one other cat or other sociable animal companion is needed for those times you can't be with them. But their favorite playmates are humans. Devons are not content to sit by your side or on your lap; they sit on your shoulders or drape themselves around your neck like curly-coated scarves. Some fanciers say Devons believe they are human. They love to play fetch or participate in just about any activity that can be performed with their preferred people.

Devons will keep you laughing. Highly intelligent and keen observers of human nature, Devons are known for getting into adorable mischief. Because of their curiosity and ability to fly through the air with the greatest of ease, no shelf or cupboard is safe from the inquiring mind and agile paws of the Devon Rex.

Devons are not overly vocal, which is a plus; if they spoke their minds the way some breeds do, they might be a bit too obtrusive. But that doesn’t mean they don’t communicate when they have something to say. Their meows are distinctive chirps and twitters, and some are silent meowers—they open their mouths to comment but nothing audible comes out, in the human range of hearing, that is.

Devons are also known for their insatiable appetites—after all, it takes a lot of energy to race around the house without touching the floor. Unless you want your Devon Rex clinging to your leg like a huge, wavy-haired tick, you’d better be on time with the cat food. They also have peculiar appetites and will snack on uncatlike foods such as pasta, corn, cantaloupe and even bananas. Eager to sample what you’re having, they’ll steal food off your plate, your fork, and sometimes even out of your mouth.

One thing the Devon is not, however, is hypoallergenic. The Devon Rex and its cousin, the Cornish Rex, do shed less than cats with ordinary coats, which is great for keeping cat hair off your couch. However, it’s not cat hair that causes the allergic reaction in humans, it’s an allergenic protein called Fel d1 that’s present in the cat’s saliva and is secreted from the sebaceous glands. This protein is spread onto the fur during grooming. Devons groom their fur and produce just as much of this protein as any other breed; they just don’t deposit as much allergen-laced hair all over the place and can be more easily bathed to remove some of the offending allergens. This may help those who are allergic to cats—or it may not. If you are allergic, plan to spend some time with the breed before deciding to bring one home.

The Devon Rex is usually a very healthy breed. However, some lines are prone to the inherited heart disease feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The disease can develop at any age, but is more common in older cats—cats who have already had the opportunity to pass the disease along to offspring. This life-threatening disease is serious since the first symptom of HCM is at times sudden death at a relatively early age. HCM is the most common feline heart disease, and is known in other breeds and in random-bred cats as well. However, in pedigreed cats negative traits can become more concentrated through line-breeding.

Some lines are also prone to an inherited disease that causes progressive muscle disfunction. Called "spasticity" by some fanciers, this disorder is correctly termed hereditary myopathy. The disease first affects the muscles of the neck, but can progress to generalized muscle weakness as the Devon ages. The most common cause of death is airway obstruction due to inability to swallow food. Breeders are working hard to eliminate the disease from the bloodlines, but since the disease is recessive it is proving difficult to eradicate.

Hereditary patellar luxation (kneecap dislocation) is also found in this breed. The kneecap occasionally pops out of its track when the joint is moved and can cause limping, pain, and lameness, particularly if the track in which the kneecap rests is malformed or is too shallow. On rare occasions the kneecap will dislocate permanently. This condition can lead to osteoarthritis. In addition, inherited hip dysplasia affects some lines, which can cause pain and dysfunction, and often crippling arthritis as the cat ages.

Also, like the British Shorthair, both A and B blood types exist in Devon Rex bloodlines, which is only a problem if you plan to breed your Devon. The Devon Rex breed has 41 percent type B, according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania. Fortunately, Dr. Leslie Lyons at the University of California, Davis has recently found the gene and mutation associated with the B blood group. A DNA test has been developed, and cats can be tested at an early age.

Reputable breeders screen their breeding cats for known inheritable diseases and serious conditions. Be sure to talk to your breeder about these and any other health concerns, and buy from a breeder who provides a written health guarantee.

Fanciers say that to fully appreciate your first sighting of the Poodle Cat, you must put aside all preconceived notions of what a cat should look like. The Devon Rex’s large oval eyes, prominent cheekbones, huge, low-set ears and short, wavy fur create an unparalleled appearance. Like all the Rex breeds, the Devon’s wavy coat was created by Mother Nature’s magic wand—spontaneous mutation.

Small to medium in size, the Devon Rex has a hard, muscular body that’s slender and of medium length. Broad in chest and medium fine in boning, the Devon has long, slim legs ending with small, oval paws. The body is carried high on the legs with the hind legs somewhat longer than the front, making the Devon a strong jumper. The tail is long, fine, tapering and well covered with short fur. Males generally weight 8 to 10 pounds; females weigh 5 to 8 pounds.

The head is a modified wedge shape, broad but still slightly longer than it is wide, set on a medium-long slender neck. The face has pronounced cheekbones, a short muzzle, prominent whisker pads and a whisker break. In profile, the nose has a strongly marked stop; the forehead curves back to a flat skull. Whiskers are short, curly and sparse. The Devon Rex’s satellite dish ears are strikingly large, very wide at the base and set low so that the outside base of the ear extends beyond the line of the wedge. They taper to rounded tips and are well covered with fine fur.

The large, wide-set, oval eyes slope toward the outer edges of the ears. Any eye color is acceptable, but the eye color generally complements the coat color. Pointed pattern Devons usually have blue eyes and minks usually have aqua eyes. All coat colors and patterns are accepted.

Often confused with the Cornish Rex, the only real similarity between the two breeds is the rexed coat, and even that is different. While the Cornish Rex coat lacks guard hairs, the Devon Rex’s coat has all three hair types: guard, awn and down. However, the Devon’s guard hairs are fragile and stunted, and the whiskers are often missing altogether.

The Devon Rex’s coat is soft, fine, full-bodied and rexed; a rippled wave effect should be apparent when the coat is smoothed with the hand. The wave is most evident where the coat is the longest. The coat is short on the back, sides, upper legs and tail, and very short on the head, ears, neck, paws, chest and abdomen. The cat is well covered with fur, with the greatest density on the back, sides, tail, legs, face and ears. Bare patches are faults in kittens and serious faults in adults. Slightly less density is allowed on the top of head, neck, chest and abdomen.