The Cornish Rex

This month we will be celebrating the incredibly soft and strokable Cornish Rex. One of the most agile and playful cats, this one is hard not to love.

Snapshot

The Cornish Rex has a peculiar curl in his fur due to a genetic mutation that has been continually bred ever since it first occurred. They are very muscular, agile and elegant in stature compared to other cats. With a child-like nature they are the gymnasts and explorers of the cat world. This cat is best for best families due to its friendly nature and ability to keep everyone entertained.

History

Back in 1950, situated on a farm in distant Cornwall in the United Kingdom, a very loveable, spontaneous, genetic mutation took place under the name Cornish Rex. ‘Cornish’ due to its birth place and ‘Rex’ to imply unusual fur.
Rex dates back to King Albert I of Belgium who entered some of his curly haired rabbits into a show. Whilst they fell far from the top breeding mark, no one wanted to offend him so accepted the creatures with ‘Rex’, Latin for King, in their names. Arguably this breed is really called ‘Cornish Kings’ and their aristocratic appearance, intelligence, grace and charm fit with their regal background perfectly. The original Rex was named Kallibunker and had curly hair and whiskers that curled out like springs. One theory for the alteration of coat and characteristics in this cats’ appearance is that it was caused by the radiation from local tin mines.

Characteristics

This cat, literally, is an absolute softy. The Cornish Rex, similar to the Sphynx, has no hair except for down, making it the softest of any cat breed. Most of them flaunt a variety of different hair in their coats, ranging from outer fur (5cms long), shorthairs, and 10cm and over long hairs. The middle layer and down hair is only around 1 cm long. All of this also comes in a wide variety of colours and markings. Whilst newly born kittens are covered in wet curls, they adopt their new coat usually around six to eight week later. The coat reaches its prime, like any king, at full maturity which occurs between 18 months and three years old.

Compared to their ancestors, the Cornish Rex is much more muscular and agile, making them extremely fast and excellent jumpers. They are delicate and slender with long legs and tails but weigh a surprising amount and their ears are distinctly set high on their head like a crown.

Maybe it’s a mouse trap, but these cats often have a slight cheesy smell coming from the sweat glands in their paws. More than just hunters, the Cornish Rex also has a sleek build and a galloping run often compared to greyhounds. Equally dog-like, their playful nature means that they also like to play catch, race other pets and try out the odd bit of acrobatics.

Being adventurous and intelligent creatures, the Cornish Rex will quickly adapt to new environments particularly as they love to explore wherever they can go – be it the dish washer, food cupboards, or a handbag. Curiosity has certainly not killed this cat! As keen as they are to explore, they are also happy to stay close to people, particularly those in their ‘family’. Cornish Rex’s will actively seek out the company of people and are generally friendly to other animals. This quality makes them a great pet for children.

Health

Light hair means the Cornish Rex loves to stay inside, dry and warm explaining why it is typically a domestic cat. They are unfortunately at risk of getting hypothermia in winter if they are not kept warm inside, or wrapped up tightly when outside. Moth-like, these cats love to hang around light bulbs, computer monitors, laps and beds to stay warm. This is clearly a good tactic as Cornish Rex’s tend to have a very long life span in which they remain playful and kitten-like.

Unlike the Sphynx, this lack of hair does not make this breed hypo-allergenic as allergies are due to a protein produced by the skin, saliva and urine. These Cornish kings will clean themselves as much as, if not more than, the average cat and are therefore not a great choice for anyone with an allergy. On the plus-side the fineness of the hair does not show up visibly on carpets and sofas around the house. While some Cornish Rex cats malt so gradually you won’t even notice, others malt all at once and may look completely bald for a period!

Thankfully hand grooming is sufficient for the Rex due to its short hair. However white and bi-colour cats should be washed with a high degree of white before a show as their back legs and tail may get slightly discoloured.

Breeders

Breeders try to cross the Cornish Rex with other breeds as they are initially so inbred. In doing so a larger gene pool is introduced to the species to ensure healthier cats. A lot of care is taken over choosing healthy mates and a compatible blood type; a Cornish Rex generally being an A blood group. Whilst the Cornish Rex’s coat is recessive any kittens produced will carry the breeds’ gene. To access this gene, the kitten can mate with either another Cornish Rex or variant of it and they will produce a number of Rex offspring.

Whilst there are small difference in pure breeds from country to country they still have a strong likeness to the original 1950’s Cornish Rex’s.

If you want to adopt, take a look at these websites:

Cat World

Cats of Australia

Cat Fanciers Association

Cornish Rex Cat Society

Image by Anna-Stina