Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, LaPerm, and Selkirk Rex are the four main internationally recognized rex breeds.
The German Rex, Ural Rex, Tennessee Rex, Tasman Rex group, and Skookum are among the rarer, less well-known, or developing rex-coated breeds.
Cornish Rex cats have soft, wavy, curly hair; even their whiskers curl. Its coat has the texture of crushed velvet. The breed originated in Cornwall and differs from the Devon Rex, despite the fact that the coat appears similar to the untrained eye. Kallibunker, the first recognized Cornish Rex cat, was born in a litter of barn cats in 1950.
LaMorna Cove, a descendant of Kallibunker, was the first Cornish Rex exported to the United States to produce kittens in 1957. In 1964, the breed was granted championship status by the CFA.
The modern Cornish Rex has a racy, slender body and comes in a wide range of colors and patterns. A minority of people who are allergic to cats may consider the Cornish Rex. While no naturally bred cat can be truly hypoallergenic, Cornish Rex (and Devon Rex) do not aggravate allergies in some cat allergy sufferers.
People who are allergic to the breed are encouraged to visit a breeder to determine their own tolerance for the breed. The Devon Rex is known for its soft, short, curly coat. It has a pixie-like appearance due to its large eyes and ears.
The Devon Rex evolved near a tin mine in Devon and is distinct from the Cornish Rex, despite having a similar coat mutation. Kirlee, the first cat discovered, was discovered in 1960, ten years after the Cornish Rex gene was discovered in Cornwall. Although it was initially assumed that the genes were the same, this was not the case. Kirlee is the ancestor of all Devon Rex today. The first
Devon Rex arrived in the United States in 1968 and was accepted for CFA championship status in 1979. They come in a wide range of patterns and colors. For a small percentage of people who are allergic to cats, the Devon Rex may be a viable option. While no naturally bred cat can be truly hypoallergenic, Devon Rex (and Cornish Rex) do not aggravate allergies in some cat allergy sufferers.
People who are allergic to the breed are encouraged to visit a breeder to determine their own tolerance for the breed. The Selkirk Rex was created from a natural mutation that occurred in a litter of domestic kittens born in the United States in 1987. Today’s Selkirk Rex can trace their roots back to Miss DePesto, a dilute tortie and white. Several North American associations accepted it during the 1990s, and it was accepted for championship status in CFA in 2000. This breed, like the Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex, has a naturally curly coat.
The Selkirk, unlike the other Rex breeds, has a rounded, stocky body type and is available in both longhaired and shorthaired varieties. They have the same body type as a British Shorthair. This breed was developed with the help of Brits, Persians, and exotics. In addition, unlike the Devon and Cornish Rex, this gene is dominant rather than recessive.
The Selkirk Rex is a patient, tolerant, and loving cat who enjoys cuddling. They have the calm demeanor of their three parent breeds. Unlike the Devon and Cornish Rex breeds, the Selkirk Rex is not a good potential alternative for someone who is allergic to cats. They have the typical shedding undercoats of their parent breeds. They can be found in a wide range of colors and patterns, including colorpoint.
The coat should be soft and curly, with “random” curling as opposed to the patterned wave or marcelling pattern seen in other Rex breeds. Interesting breed fact: The breed’s founder originally claimed that she named the breed after the Selkirk Mountains in Wyoming, near where the kittens were born. When it was pointed out to her that the Selkirk Mountains were in British Columbia, she admitted that she had named the breed after her stepfather. As a result, the Selkirk Rex is the
About the rex mutation
The rex mutation is a genetic variation that results in soft curly fur in mammals. Changes in the structure of groups of hairs and the cross-section of individual hairs cause these effects.
Rexed coats are unusual, but they can be found in cats, rats, rabbits, horses, and dogs (and have been preserved).
The infrequent and spontaneous mutations occur in a wide range of genes and genetic regulatory structures.
Variable coat thickness/density and fur length result from the diversity of genetic factors.