| Country of Origin: | England |
| Colors: | White, Blue, Black, Cream, Red, Brown, Frost, Platinum, Fawn, Chocolate, |
| Chestnut, Cinnamon, Lavender, Champagne, Seal | |
| Average Size: | Weight: 8 lbs (3.6 kg), Length: Small to Medium |
| Life Span: | 9-13 yrs |
| Coat: | Rex |
| Personality: | Mischievous, playful, and very people-oriented. |
| Characteristics: | Energy: High Talkative: High Kid Friendly: Yes Allergic: Yes |
In 1960 near the closed tin mine near Buckfastleigh in the district of Devon in England, Beryl Cox found a wild cat with curly hair. A young white street cat of his neighbor mated with the mentioned wild cat, and the result was a grey colored kitten with curly hair that was named Kirlee.
Kirlee’s parents were certainly related because the gene for curly hair is recessive. Because of the earlier publicity that Cornish Rex cat gained ten years ago when they appeared, Beryl Cox decide to mate Kirlee with Cornish Rex cats.
To her surprise – and despite several romantic encounters – not even one curly-haired kitten was born. Only then did she realize that two Rex cats, regardless of the proximity of Cornwall and Devon genes, were carrying totally different mutations, certainly obtained through separate breeding programs.
Although the Cornish and Devonian Rex cats have curly fur, there are considerable differences between breeds. Devonian Rex cat has a special head shape that is unique among cats with pedigree and is based on the shape of the head of Kirlee. Their head is of short wedge shape, with well-defined “termination” of the nose, large oval eyes and prominent mustache pads. Furthermore, this cat has large ears that are very wide at the base and tapering to rounded top. However, the appearance of the face can be deceiving, because the body of Devonian Rex cats, though slender, is really tight, hard and muscular! Broad chest, combined with slender legs, are giving the impression that they look like cat’s “Bulldog”!
Unlike the curly fur of Cornish Rex cats, the fur of a Devonian Rex cat is a masterpiece combination of short, soft and billowing curls, and many crosses give a range of patterns and colors of fur.
Many fans agree that the curly coat of Devonian Rex cats will much more prominently show off the smoky shades of fur than any other breed with straight hair.
