| Cornish Rex | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Information | ||
| Origin | ||
| Breed Standard | ||
| FIFe | ||
| CFA | ||
| TICA | ||
| GCCF | ||
| AACE | ||
| ACF | ||
| ACF | ||
| CCA | ||
| Cat (Felis catus) | ||
| List of Cat Breeds | ||
A Cornish Rex is a domesticated breed of cat, with downward facing hair on their back that keeps that section warm and clean. Cornish Rexes only have one undercoat. The curl in Cornish Rex fur is caused by a different mutation and gene than that of the Devon Rex.
Information[]
The coat of a Cornish Rex has an extremely fine marcel curl, the softest of any cat breed. However, their light coat means that they are best suited for indoor living in warm and dry conditions, they might get hypothermia if they stay in cold weather.
Their body temperature is slightly higher than most cats, and these cats tend to hang around in warm areas, including humans. Some Cornish Rexes also have a mild cheesy smell peculiar to the breed; this odour comes from scent glands in the paws. Keeping the toes clean from gunk will also help odours.
Often the breed is referred to as the Greyhound of the cats, because of the sleek appearance and the galloping run characteristic of the breed.
The Cornish Rex is considered to be the fastest domestic cat. The extreme long legs and strong hind quarters as resembling the Greyhound & other race dogs gives them a huge distance edge over any other felines.
These cats tend to stay playful and kittenish throughout their long lives. 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.
Cornish Rex cats come in a wide variety of coat colours and patterns, outlined in the standard: solids, including white, black, chocolate, orange and the dilutes blue, lilac and cream; all forms of tabby including classic, mackerel and ticked tabbies, bicolor "tuxedo" coat in many colours, tortoiseshell, "smoke" colours and the elegant colour-point pattern standard in the Siamese breed.
History[]
The Cornish Rex is a genetic mutation that originated from a litter of kittens born in July, 1950 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 Cove 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 from 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.
Profile view of a white Cornish 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 cats in a cat 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.
Cornish Rexes do not tolerate certain veterinary anesthetics. Therefore, veterinary medical advice errs on the side of caution, recommending the use of special milder anesthetics for surgery.
Hypoallergenic[]
Despite some belief to the contrary, the Cornish Rex's short hair does not make it non- or hypo-allergenic. Allergic reactions from cats are not the result of hair length, the true culprit is a glyco-protein known as Fel d1, produced in the sebaceous glands of the skin, saliva, and urine. Most people who have cat allergies are reacting to this protein in cat saliva and cat dander: when the cat cleans its fur, the saliva dries and is transformed into dust which people breathe in. Since Cornish Rex cats groom as much as or even more than ordinary cats, a Cornish Rex cat can still produce a reaction in people who are allergic to cats. However, it is widely reported to cause lesser to little allergic reaction. It is recommended a potential owner visit a cattery to check their own tolerance. Note that, for more serious allergies, there are several breeds theorized to lack or produce less of the offending protein, see Cat allergy.
Colours[]
Black, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Cinnamon, Fawn, Red, Cream, Tortoiseshell, Blue Tortoiseshell, Chocolate Tortoiseshell, Lilac Tortoiseshell, Cinnamon Tortoiseshell, Fawn Tortoiseshell
+ Tabby (Mackerel, Classic/Blotched, Spotted, Ticked)
+ Smoke, Golden/Silver Tabby/Shaded/Chinchilla
+ Colourpoint/Mink Point/Sepia point
+ White spotting
In any combination
As well as solid White