Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Devon Rex
open-in-new
<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p class="note">See also: <a href="/facts/Cornish_Rex/z5CpeHQV">Cornish Rex</a></p> <h3>Origin</h3> <p>Beryl Cox came across a novel curly-coated kitten in <a href="/facts/Buckfastleigh/mJBVD07h">Buckfastleigh</a>, <a href="/facts/Devon/go3z9lDW">Devon</a> in 1960 whom she decided to name <i>Kirlee</i>. Originally, Cox believed the cat's gene to be related to the <a href="/facts/Cornish_Rex/z5CpeHQV">Cornish Rex</a> 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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="appearance">Appearance</h2> <p>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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="health">Health</h2> <p>Hereditary <a href="/facts/Myopathy/eklaDeY6">myopathy</a> 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.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> 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 <a href="/facts/Laryngospasm/JnTFdtPj">laryngospasm</a>, after obstructing their larynx with food. <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>The Devon Rex was found to be predisposed to <a href="/facts/Atopic_dermatitis/DvmdVwWu">feline atopic dermatitis</a> in a retrospective study of cases of the disease.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p><p>The Devon Rex is predisposed to <a href="/facts/Hypotrichosis/uEPKUafl">congenital hypotrichosis</a> and <a href="/facts/Malassezia/3uoNQqbL">Malassezia dermatitis</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="gallery">Gallery</h2> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Cornish_Rex/z5CpeHQV">Cornish Rex</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/German_Rex/lT8Ic8Xo">German Rex</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/LaPerm/rwQHWjou">LaPerm</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Selkirk_Rex/Mya1LIkc">Selkirk Rex</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Sphynx_cat/PCgb9D7P">Sphynx cat</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li> The dictionary definition of devon rex at Wiktionary</li> <li> Media related to Devon Rex at Wikimedia Commons</li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Puisis, Erica. "Devon Rex". The Spruce Pets. The Spruce Pets. Retrieved 26 January 2024. <a href="https://www.thesprucepets.com/devon-rex-cat-breed-profile-4693660" target="_blank">https://www.thesprucepets.com/devon-rex-cat-breed-profile-4693660</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Devon Rex Standard" (PDF). Governing Council of the Cat Fancy. Retrieved 26 January 2024. <a href="https://www.gccfcats.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DevonRex.SOP_.Template.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gccfcats.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/DevonRex.SOP_.Template.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Malik, R.; Mepstead, K.; Yang, F.; Harper, C. (November 1993). "Hereditary myopathy of Devon rex cats". Journal of Small Animal Practice. 34 (11): 539–545. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.1993.tb03544.x. Retrieved 26 October 2022. <a href="http://felinegenetics.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hereditary-myopathy-of-Devon-rex-cats.pdf/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1993.tb03544.x" target="_blank">http://felinegenetics.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hereditary-myopathy-of-Devon-rex-cats.pdf/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1993.tb03544.x</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Malik, R.; Mepstead, K.; Yang, F.; Harper, C. (November 1993). "Hereditary myopathy of Devon rex cats". Journal of Small Animal Practice. 34 (11): 539–545. doi:10.1111/j.1748-5827.1993.tb03544.x. Retrieved 26 October 2022. <a href="http://felinegenetics.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hereditary-myopathy-of-Devon-rex-cats.pdf/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1993.tb03544.x" target="_blank">http://felinegenetics.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hereditary-myopathy-of-Devon-rex-cats.pdf/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-5827.1993.tb03544.x</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Martin, Paul; Shelton, Diane; Dickinson, Peter (December 2008). "Muscular dystrophy associated with alpha-dystroglycan deficiency in Sphynx and Devon Rex cats". Neuromuscular Disorders. 18 (12): 942–952. doi:10.1016/j.nmd.2008.08.002. PMC 2646259. PMID 18990577. Retrieved 26 October 2022. <a href="https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC2646259&blobtype=pdf" target="_blank">https://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC2646259&blobtype=pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Gandolfi, Barbara; Grahn, Robert; Creighton, Erica (16 September 2015). "COLQ variant associated with Devon Rex and Sphynx feline hereditary myopathy". Animal Genetics. 46 (6): 711–715. doi:10.1111/age.12350. PMC 4637250. PMID 26374066. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4637250" target="_blank">https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4637250</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Ravens, Philippa A.; Xu, Bei J.; Vogelnest, Linda J. (2014). "Feline atopic dermatitis: a retrospective study of 45 cases (2001–2012)". Veterinary Dermatology. 25 (2): 95. doi:10.1111/vde.12109. ISSN 0959-4493. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" target="_blank">/wiki/Doi_(identifier)</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Hnilica, Keith A.; Patterson, Adam P. (19 September 2016). Small Animal Dermatology. St. Louis (Miss.): Saunders. ISBN 978-0-323-37651-8. <a href="978-0-323-37651-8" target="_blank">978-0-323-37651-8</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>