Cornish Rex
A domestic cat breed, the Cornish Rex is known for having no hair except for the down; the undercoat which is very fine and only about 1cm long. They do not shed like other cats and only lose only a few hairs at a time. You may also notice a slight curl in the fur which is caused by a mutation and gene of the Devon Rex. The Cornish Rex is often referred to as the Greyhound of cats because of its sleek appearance and the galloping run of the breed. They are playful, like to race, and do acrobatic jumps.
Origin of the Cornish Rex
The story of the Cornish Rex begins on July 21st, 1950 in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall. A woman by the name of Nina Ennismore owned a tortoiseshell cat named Serena. Serena gave birth to a litter of five kittens. There was one kitten that stood out among the rest, it being the only red and white kitten in the litter, with an unusual curly coat. It was named Kallibunker and would become the first Cornish Rex of its breed. She was told to contact a geneticist and then advised that she mate the kitten with its mother. The result of the mother and son mating was a straight coated female and two curly coated males. Only one of the males survived however. The early Cornish Rexes were outcrossed to domestic cats. This is where the history of this particular breed splits.
Cornish Rex makes a great family pet.
Cornish Rex in the United States
In 1956 there was an article published in Life Magazine about Cornish Rexes that brought much attention to the breed. The following year Frances Blancheri of California imported one to the United States. It was a female cat, pregnant by the father that went on to have a litter of four kittens. Then in 1960, almost four years later a woman in Britain claimed to have a curly coated kitten. Miss Beryl Cox who lived in the United States also claimed to have the same; one named Kirlee. She believed that Kirlee carried the Cornish Rex gene and the kitten was sent to Cornwell to be part of a breeding program. When mated with Cornish Rex females however, the offspring came out straight coated. Kirlee's mutation was different that that of the Cornish Rex and the two recessive genes were names Gene 1, Cornish Rex and Gene 2, Devon Rex.
Cornish Rex in the UK
In 1956 due to financial crisis and a large population of cats, Nina Ennismore had several of her cats put to sleep. By the late 1950s she had stopped breeding Cornish Rexes altogether. This left only two male Cornish Rexes with which Brian Sterling Webb continued to work on the breed. Unfortunately due to an unsightly accident only one of the males remained for crossbreeding. The great, great grandson of Kallibunker was imported to Calgary Alberta, Canada and bred by Miss Jeanne Jeffrey. She managed to enable breeders to bring back the Cornish Rex to its original slender type. In 1967 the Rex Cat club was founded.
Temperament
As far as temperament goes, the Cornish Rex is a fairly quiet breed, yet outgoing and active as well. They enjoy being part of a family and even more, love to be included in daily activities. They have a high energy level, are extremely acrobatic and will even play fetch with their owners. They make a great family pet, are intelligent, affectionate, and get along well with children.
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