Devon Rex Breed History
Kirlee -- the first Devon Rex (source: The Complete Cat
Encyclopedia, Pond(ed))
In Buckfastleigh, Devonshire, England, in 1960, a certain Miss Cox
became aware of a curly tom cat living in a deserted tin mine near her home. It therefore
came as no surprise to her then when one day a stray tortiseshell female gave birth to a
curly-haired kitten. She considered him quite beautiful, with lots of curls and even
ringlets on his tail. For the past ten years, the curly-haired "Rex" breed that
was to become today's Cornish Rex had been quite the rage in England, and many English
breeders had been eagerly working with these "poodle cats". Delighted with her
kitten, Miss Cox named him "Kirlee". See also
"What color was Kirlee?"
As Kirlee grew, Miss Cox contacted a Mr.
Brian Stirling-Webb, who was working to establish the curly-haired "Rex" (after
the curly-haired Rex rabbits) cats as a breed, and offered the use of Kirlee as an
outcross, to help increase the size of the Rex gene pool.
Mr. Stirling-Webb and the
other rex breeders were indeed very excited to hear the news. They persuaded Miss Cox to
send them Kirlee to use with their rex program. Kirlee was mated with several rex females
and eagerly awaited the upcoming kittens. To everyone's surprise, the resulting kittens
were all straight-haired!
Kirlee (source: Ashford & Pond)
After several additional
attempts, it was apparent that Kirlee represented a completely separate genetic variation
than that found in the other "Rex" cats (who became referred to as "Gene
I" Rex, as opposed to Kirlee's "Gene II"). Work proceeded apace to
establish both as independent breeds.
The "Gene I" Rex cat became known
as the Cornish Rex, due to their origin in Cornwall, England (quite close to Devonshire),
and has a curly coat with no guard hairs, and awn hair that is difficult to distinguish
from the down. The body type is somewhat reminiscent of the "oriental" breeds of
cats (such as Siamese), and the head is comprised of a series of smooth oval shapes.
Kirlee (source: Ann Gibney - private collection)
Kirlee and the "Gene
II" Rex cats became known as the Devon Rex, and established a look and breed
characteristics distinctly their own. The Devon's coat contains all three types of hairs,
although somewhat modified, and has a larger and looser curl than the Cornish Rex. The
body type is very different as well, stockier and more heavily built, with a broader and
shorter head with lower ears, and the distinctive "pixie" or "elfin"
that has come to be the hallmark of the Devon look.
In 1967, Great Britain's Governing Council
of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) recognized the distinction between the two breeds, and wrote
standards to allow each of them into competition as distinctive breeds of cat.
The Devons became very popular among many
who were attracted to not only their unique appearance, but their distinctive
personalities as well. Alison Ashford, an early Devon breeder writes the following about
her introduction to the Devons:
Broughm (source: Ann Gibney -- Private
Collection)
 "I visited Mrs. Sedgefield of Esher one day in 1962, and
saw Du-Bu-Debbie, a young tortoiseshell, with her litter of Rex and 'plain' kittens. One
kitten jumped into my arms from the floor, and literally refused to be put down. I tried
to turn away, but loud purring and a wagging tail were prelude to another amorous leap.
This was Broughm [image at
left], then six months old. I could not then really afford the price of a Rex
kitten, but I could not leave him. So I rashly wrote a cheque on my housekeeping account
and phoned home to warn my husband to have a bed ready for the new acquisition.
I was given a somewhat cold reception
when I arrived home, but Broughm's charm soon convinced the family that it would be worth
eating bread and cheese for the next month"
(Ashford & Pond, p. 18)
The first Devon Rex were imported into the
United States by Marion White of Austin, Texas in 1968, and had been bred by Mrs. Ashford.
Kirlee during his stud career (source: Ann Gibney - private collection)
Since the late 1960s, breeders in many
countries have been active in working with the Devon Rex, including those from many
European countries, as well as New Zealand and Australia.
The United State's largest cat registry,
the Cat Fancier's Association (CFA) recognized the Devon Rex as a breed eligible for
championship competition in 1979.
Although one of the cat fancy's youngest
breeds, the Devon Rex has made great inroads in stealing the hearts of many cat lovers
worldwide.
Chuck Lawson |
