A New Wave On Our Devon Rex
By Shally Carlson / Kotickee Cattery
(Originally printed in CatBytes, December 1991, Reprinted by permission of author)
When CFA granted the Devon Rex breed acceptance in 1981, the new breed was only about twenty years old -- twenty years from Kirlee, the first Devon Rex displaying the curly coated gene mutation. The early English breeders had worked hard to incorporate further blood lines into Kirlee's descendants. By the time the Devon reached the United States and Canada in the late seventies, most breeders were breeding Devon to Devon exclusively. However, those instrumental in formulating the new Devon standard for CFA also had the foresight to realize that they needed to allow for further expansion of the still quite small gene pool if their beloved breed was to prosper in the future.
One of my first Devon males was FarNorth Black Bear, bred by Becky Curneed. Bear turned eleven years old July 1, 1991 and is still a major contributor to my breeding program. I need to go back only six generations to find the original Kirlee appearing in his pedigree. In 1986, I felt in need of adding an outcross line to my breeding program, so I purchased Sal-J's Jesus El Gato bred by Sally Jones. He was the son of an English import, Ikari Lady Rene who had been sired by English Gr. Ch. Suzerain Caesar, a landmark among Devon at that time. This past year I had the opportunity to obtain an Australian import. I had three English imports at that time, but I felt that one from Australia would provide yet another outcross pedigree to incorporate with my line. When I reviewed the pedigree, I was surprised to see that my Australian female, Bahal Silver Enchantress, had Gr. Ch. Suzerain Caesar as her paternal grandfather! This is an example of how small our gene pool remains.
If we are to provide for a healthy and vigorous Devon breed in future generations, we must begin from a broad genetic base. As we continue to breed and to establish lines producing desirable characteristics, we must have ample cats with different backgrounds from which to choose. All developing breeds find it necessary to cull lines from time to time and to focus on others. If we have a limited gene pool and find it contains undesirable characteristics, then where do we go for new bloodlines? Thankfully, this countries early Devon pioneers had the foresight to consider hybridization a necessity.
The American Shorthair and the British Shorthair were approved for hybridization probably because the first Devon was from a domestic British Shorthair, similar to the domestic American Shorthair in this country. With these outcrosses in mind, the CFA Devon standard incorporated colors that may one-day reflect the use of these other breeds. For example, at that time there were no Devon bi-colors. However, if we were to outcross to a bi-color American Shorthair, we should expect to produce some bi-color Devon since the spotting factor producing bi-color is dominant over other patterns.
The principles of Devon hybridization are quite simple. CFA allows Devon litter registrations on any Devon Rex crossed with either a registered British Shorthair or American Shorthair. The first generation, all registered as Devon Rex, produce normal coated cats carrying the recessive gene for curly coat. Any of these then taken back to a curly coated Devon will produce a litter of Devon half with curly coats and the other half will have the dominant normal coat, but will carry the recessive gene for curly coat. This ratio (1 to 1) of curly to normal coated kittens will continue with all subsequent breedings of hybrid to curly. Once a recessive curly coated Devon is produced, it will be pure for that trait and will never be able to produce a normal coat unless bred to a normal coated cat. All normal coated cats are registered as Devon without any restrictions or indication of coat type. Though these Devons are not eligible for shows since they lack a curly coat, they provide a wonderful opportunity in a breeding program to strengthen and reinforce desirable traits while providing outcross strength and vigor.
Some Devon breeders have been reluctant to undertake a Devon hybridization program feeling they would forfeit type. If the outcross chosen has been carefully selected, this should not be a major obstacle. When choosing either an American Shorthair or a British Shorthair for a Devon breeding program, one does not select by either American or British standards of excellence, but rather those potential outcrosses should reflect desirable Devon characteristics. For example, either an American or British with finer boning than would be required in their respective breed standards, would make an excellent choice for a Devon program since the Devon standard requires a finer boned cat.
GRC Kotickee's Half Moon, a tortoiseshell Devon Rex, is an excellent example of a successful hybridization. Half Moon is an F3 (three generations from the initial American Shorthair outcross). She is an outstanding girl -- dripping in coat and with lovely type. She Granded in four shows with little effort in 1989. She has been an excellent producer and mothers healthy, strong kittens. She is well on her way to a Distinguished Merit title.
GRC Kotickee's Color Print of Cordurex is the first calico Devon Rex to Grand. She was also the Best Devon Rex in CFA last year (1990). Lydia, as she is fondly called by her owner Jill Solly, is a product of one of my first hybridization efforts. I was most interested in producing Devon bi-colors. There had been no curly bi-colors on registry in the early 1980's. I considered myself extremely fortunate in June of 1986 when I was blessed with a curly calico in a litter from a curly tortie female bred to a normal coated black / white Devon male. She was named Kotickee's Ka Li Ko and was the first curly calico Devon that we could document at home or abroad. She is the maternal grandmother of last year's (1990's) Best Devon Rex.
My current hybridization programs consist of working with both a British Shorthair and a classic silver tabby American Shorthair. I presently have an F2 litter from the foundation British Shorthair, a blue / cream female. I have been very pleased with the quality of these kittens. Not only was the litter large and healthy but I had only one normal coated kitten. It was a lovely little blue-eyed white female who has gone as a pet to a friend but will be bred back to a curly male before she is spayed. The coats are exceptional even by Kotickee standards. These kittens were fully coated plus from the minute of birth and never experienced any loss of coat so often associated with developing kittens. They also have lovely head type -- full muzzles, large eyes and head width with a wonderful profile. The next generation breedings will be chosen to emphasize ear size and the package will be complete.
The American Shorthair was selected to introduce the silver gene into my line. A wonderful little American female with extreme American head type and a body too refined and small for a show quality American Shorthair provided the initial outcross. Since my goal was to develop silvers while maximizing type, I chose a black smoke male with exceptional ear size and placement. The F1 litter of three are now six months old. Again, I am most pleased with the results. I have two females, a silver mackerel tabby and a black smoke, as well as a silver mackerel tabby male. All have large ears and lovely type and we've retained the silver gene. The next generation will be selected with regard to color. Without the brilliance of color found in the guard hairs, the Devon has a much more difficult time in definition of coat pattern. I am convinced that until we are able to selectively color breed our Devon, clarity of color and pattern will continue to be hit and miss.
The pointed Devon (we call them si-rex) have appeared in some hybridization programs. Siamese is not a recognized outcross in CFA. However the recessive gene for color restriction has been carried down often unknowingly through many generations. Most originating English lines carried the gene and England sees many si-rex in their registry even today. Again, most of these have not been color-bred. The Burmese also used during the foundation of the breed in Europe complicates the picture. Today when we do see a si-rex it often resembles the coloring of a Tonkinese with the accompanying aqua eyes reflecting Siamese as well as Burmese ancestry. My personal experience working with the pointed Devon is that Devon type is much harder to maintain on this color. Since it is a recessive color pattern, both parents have to display or carry the gene. Doubling on this tends to reduce head and muzzle width. One finds it repeatedly necessary to go back to the non-point carrier for type. Those breeders who are working with the point restricted gene are to be commended. It is a difficult color pattern and a great deal remains to be done, but the rewards are great. Nothing is cuter than a quality Devon si-rex.
One further personal observation regarding hybridization needs to be mentioned. Most people automatically assume that outcrossing will improve coat. I have not found that to be an absolute. I am convinced that the Devon defines coat quality, not the outcross. I also believe that coat quality in the Devon is not genetically a simple matter. I believe there are a variety of factors that contribute to the genetic makeup which produces the final coat type. I have often heard breeders say that all they have to do to improve the coat type is to breed to a cat that has a strong coat. Then why do we still have lines which continue to produce inadequate coats? The early English breeders were convinced there was even a "bald" gene that was displayed in some of the early Devon (Is this the reason Sphynx breeders have had such great success outcrossing to Devon?)
At any event, it is not a simple matter of dominant -- you have coat; recessive -- you do not. Besides the presence or absence of hair, there are all the aspects of coat quality such as texture, density, coverage and wave. Putting good coat on good type is not a simple matter. Using again a personal experience for a case in point, I recall several years ago trying to develop a si-rex producing line. I wanted to be able to produce si-rex from two si-rex parents. I needed a male. My first pointed male was born from English and Dutch lines and completely outcrossed. However, he was very weak coated. I decided to keep him and try to continue the color pattern I desired. I hoped that future generations bred back to well coated cats which I had would correct this particular male's fault. It did not. Every subsequent litter from this male had a proportion of weak coated kittens. Kittens from this male which appeared to have adequate coats when grown and bred produced weak coated kittens. I decided to hybridize. I crossed the weak coated male si-rex with an American Shorthair. I have at present a normal coated si-rex carrier sired by him. She produces weak coated kittens, even bred to males that have produced kittens with exceptional coats bred to other queens! This indicates to me that this female with the normal coat is masking the weak coat gene she received from her father. Hybridization does not automatically correct a coat problem.
Last year the [CFA] Devon Rex breed council requested and was granted an extension of the Devon outcross programs. Litters will be registered to Devon outcrossed to British or American Shorthairs born before May 1, 1998. This no doubt will be the last extension granted (editor's note: on the contrary -- this was extended again in 1997 to May 1, 2003 -- making this as timely advice today as it was in 1991) and therefore our last opportunity to incorporate new genes into our Devon Rex pool. Hopefully by then we will have had a chance to introduce those desirable characteristics we wish to add or to strengthen the gene pool. Once the gene pool is closed we will have to live with the breed we have developed. May it have the strength and stamina to withstand the manipulations of mankind as we strive to perfect what God has given.