Pet Breeds

All you need to know about Devon Rex cat breed

October 31, 2011

Devon Rex- a cute pet

Many people love animals, especially once they become attached to their owners. Pets provide much needed companionship and love. Research and statistics have shown that most people who live alone tend to have pets and it isn’t easy parting with them. There are a few who prefer unusual pets like crocodiles, snakes and spiders. But among the more common animals are dogs, cats and birds. One such breed of cats is the Devon Rex. Very intelligent and people-friendly, the Devon Rex makes a wonderful pet. Read on to find out all you need to know about this amazing cat.


This unique breed of cat has its origin in Devonshire, England. Its initial discovery was in the 1960s by Beryl Cox who found a litter by the side of a tin-mine not in use. A stray cat given birth to kittens with curly coats. It was initially assumed that it belonged to the Cornish Rex breed but tests conducted found that it was an entirely new breed.

Physical appearance

The Devon Rex has a small head and large, perked up ears. It has a very crinkly coat and an impish face, similar to that of a Cornish Rex. This breed bears a resemblance to Yoda, a character in the Star Wars movie. The fur is curly due to a rare gene and mutation caused by the mating of a Cornish Rex and a German Rex and also due to a kind of gene mutation. Some of the Devon Rexes come with fully covered fur. The Devons, which are of medium sized, are usually called alien cats or pixie due to their odd appearance. Their eyes are very large, and their noses are upturned slightly. They have large ears, which hang on their side of their small heads. Most of the cats have long whiskers, but a Devon Rex is an exception, they have short whiskers and as they curl, it seems like they do not have any whiskers. They have a light built body and the sturdiness in their legs help them to take long leaps. They also come in variety of colors like black, blue, white, caramel, lilac, red and chocolate. Their body is filled with various patterns and markings like tabby, smoke, tri-color, bi-color, pointed and tortie. Their body weight ranges to anything between 6 to 9 pounds.


They are called as “a monkey in cat’s clothes”. This breed of cat is very intelligent and people are pretty successful in training the cat to perform some simple tricks like fetch, jump, and heel and so on. They are very affectionate pets and also vary faithful. Devon Rex loves areas which are warm and can be seen sitting on electronic devices or under the bed covers. Like any other pet animal, a Devon Rex playfully nips the owner and loves to cuddle near the neck or shoulder. As they are very active, they are also good jumpers. A Devon Rex prefers to sit at the highest spot in a particular room. They usually devote their entire affection to one single person and make sure that they do not miss out about anything going around in the house hold.


A Devon Rex is a very fragile creature. So the grooming of the cat has to be very gentle in order to protect its soft and curly coat. Since they have large ears, more attention must be paid to clean as they can attract more dirt. Devon Rex has a very oily skin, so they require bathe daily. Training helps with the issue of giving it a bath. They get used to their baths at a very pretty young age. They also dry very quickly.

Ideal living conditions

A Devon Rex has a sparse coat which is very insufficient to protect the cat from any amount of cold or sun burn. So the most ideal living condition would be indoors.

Life expectancy

A Devon Rex has a life expectancy as that of any other cat which is around ten to fifteen years. They may seem weak, but that is not the case. If only kept in-doors, they can live longer than the generally expected life span of 12 to 13 years.

Health issues

They are basically a healthy breed. But since their body hair breaks off easily, they could cause allergies. Another health issue with a Devon rex is that, it could at times inherit genetic issues like spasticity, luxating patella, cardiomyopathy and hip dysplasia.

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