Devon Rex Cat
Cat Facts

The Devon Rex cat is an unusual cat breed. With its curly coat, large eyes and gigantic ears it has been described as having a 'pixie-look'. The curly coated cat from Devon in England was the product of a mating between a curly coated feral tom cat and a stray female cat. The curly coat is said to be caused by a simple recessive gene.

The Devon Rex cat's body is medium in length, with firm strong muscles, fine bones and a broad chest. It is a slender cat and males are generally larger than the females. Its legs are long and slim and are fine to medium boned. The hind legs are longer than its front legs. The long slender tail that tapers to the tip is well furnished with short hair.

The Devon's head is shaped like a small modified wedge. The front view of the cat's head is delineated by a series of three distinct convex curves starting with the outer edge of the ear lobes, followed by the cheekbones and then the whisker pads. The head is slightly longer than it is broad, with full cheeks, short muzzle and short nose. Whisker pads are prominent with curly harsh whiskers. Their chin is strong and well developed and should not protrude or recede.

The Devon Rex cat has large, oval-shaped eyes. The eyes are set wide apart and set at an angle towards the outer edge of the ear. The color should be luminous. Any eye-color is acceptable, but generally, colorpoints will have blue eyes and aqua-color eyes are seen in mink color cats. The ears are distinctive - very large, cone shaped, very wide at the base and set low on the head. The tips of the ears are rounded. Ears are covered with fine hair with sparse hair inside the ear. Ears can have lynx tips.

The Devon Rex's coat is soft, fine, kinked or wavy and can be with or without guard hairs. Their coat is not as neat as the Cornish Rex's coat and is described as looking more like a poodle or sheep's coat. The coat is medium-short on the legs, tail, sides and back and very short elsewhere i.e. neck, chest and abdomen. Sparse hair is seen on the temples.

The coat will vary between individual cats, ranging from a shaggy mop of loose curls to a suede coat in others. The Devon Rex coat grows slowly. These cats are well covered in fur and balding in adults and kittens is not accepted for show cats, but the coat may vary during the cat's development or seasonally. Their coats reach maturity at around 6 months. All coat patterns and all colors are accepted.

Personality and Temperament

These domestic cats are described as 'monkeys in cats clothing'. They like to be involved in everything and will perch on your shoulder to ensure that they do not miss out on anything.

They are lively, active, playful, incredibly acrobatic and excellent jumpers. Owners call them 'Denise the Menace' and clowns as they are known to swing from curtains and to get stuck into any snack that may lie around.

They are friendly, loving, affectionate and sensitive cats and added to this - alert and inquisitive. These cute cats are people-orientated and ideal companion cats with quiet voices.

Little heat-seeking missiles that love to sneak under bed covers or lounge on anything warm like the top of TV, heater vents or computers. The Devon Rex is suited to apartment living as they are sensitive to cold.

Devon Rex Cat Information

Would they suit a home with Children?

Yes, they adapt well to children provided they are handled gently

Are they Pet Friendly?

Yes, they adapt well to other pets. New pets need to be introduced gradually and owners need to respect the rights of existing pets.

Do they prefer Indoor or Outdoor living?

The Devon Rex cat is suited to apartment and indoor living. They are sensitive to cold. Any indoor cat should be supplied with sufficient toys and cat trees to keep them entertained. A perfect cat for any family.

Cat Grooming and Cat Care

These domestic cats are low shedding, but they do need to be bathed regularly as they tend to sweat and their ears produce a fair amount of ear wax which needs to be cleaned. Our cat care pages provide excellent tips on grooming.

Is the Devon Rex hypoallergenic?

The Devon Rex cat is a low shedding breed, NOT a hypoallergenic cat breed. Some people with allergies to cat hair seem to tolerate this cat, but check before you adopt! Visit our chapter on hypoallergenic cats to find out more about this subject.

Cat Diseases and Health Problems associated with this cat breed

A healthy cat apart from one or two genetic issues:

• Patella luxation
• Coagulopathy

Do consider cat insurance for your cat.

Cat Nutrition and Dietary Requirements

Feed your cat the highest quality cat food you can afford. This can be homemade or commercial dry or canned food.

For great facts and information about cat food visit the chapter on cat nutrition. Avoid cow's milk in you kitten's diet - cat's drink water!

The Average Weight of the Devon Rex

The male cats are larger than the female cats. The average weight for this cat is 2.5 - 4 kg (6 - 9 lbs)

The Life Span or Life Expectancy

The Devon Rex has a long life expectancy of between 10 - 15 years. Find out more about this in our chapter on how long do cats live.

Related Cat Pages:

Devon Rex - the history of the breed

Pictures of Devon Rex - absolutely stunning cat photos

Pictures of Devon Rex Courtesy of:

© Theresa Fouche

Top: Sp Ch Taldi Ma-Bel-Ami, Devon Rex cat female Owner: Dina Freitas Breeders: Johan Groenewald and Ian Taylor

Center: Taldi Tiga Lily, Brown tabby Devon Rex Owner: Dina Freitas Breeders: Johan Groenewald and Ian Taylor

Bottom: Imoya Elgan Black Smoke Devon Rex