Facebook-f Instagram Youtube

Find a Breed

Search

The International Cat Association

Search

Devon Rex

Devon Rex

At a Glance

With their impish looks and mischievous personalities, the Devon Rex are the pixies of cats. Intelligent and highly active, they thrive in a busy household. Leaving them alone for long is unwise as they can become bored and look for things with which to amuse themselves. They are great with children and get along well with other family pets. They don’t require much grooming and in many cases, brushing your hand over the coat is all they needs. Find out more about this breed and if the Devon Rex is right for you and your family.

Attending a cat show

Find a Devon Rex Breeder

All About Cats

Printable Breed Introduction
Breed Standard
Pet Buyer’s Guide
Devon-Rex-Full-Body
Temperament

Playful

Height/Weight Range

Devons are medium-sized cats – with females 5-7 lbs. and males 7-9 lbs.

Adult females
Adult males
Life Expectancy

14-17+ years

Colors

Devons come in all colors.

Similar Breeds

Opposite Breeds

About The Breed

Devons are very people oriented and welcome the attention of friends and family. If you are sitting, they will be in your lap, if you are in bed, they will join you under the covers. They are interested in everything and hate to be left out of any activity. Devons like to stay close to their families and love to be perched on the shoulder of their favorite person. They are very people-oriented and welcome the attentions of friends and family.

They are relatively non-shedding, and some allergy sufferers can often tolerate them with little reaction.

The Devon is a breed of unique appearance. Its large eyes, short muzzle, prominent cheek-bones and huge low-set ears create a characteristic elfin look. A cat of medium frame, the Devon is well covered with short, full-bodied, wavy fur; the fur is of a distinctive texture, as the mutation causing its wavy coat is found in no other breed. Devons may have down on underparts of the body; this is not bareness. Allowances may be made for lack of full coat development on kittens with very good type, over fully coated lesser type. Devon males may be up to 25 percent larger than females. This is not a fault so long as proper proportion is maintained. The Devon is alert and active and shows a lively interest in its surroundings.

View Full Breed Standard

Devons are very intelligent and moderately active. They love their toys and are good at amusing themselves. Puzzle and interactive toys will keep them occupied when they are alone. They like to learn tricks and many will fetch a toy for you to throw.

The active and social Devon Rex is a perfect choice for families with children, other cats, and cat-friendly dogs.

TICA Regions, Clubs & Rescues

Want to connect with fellow cat lovers and those who love the same breed as you?
TICA is a large resource made up of smaller regions and clubs around the world.
Click here to find a club near you and contact information for your regional director and website.

Wherever you are, you’re in TICA’s world!®

Find a Kitten: TICA Breeders

The TICA website is the only place where you can find TICA member breeders who have signed the TICA Code of Ethics.

Find Devon Rex
  • They are often described as resembling the Gremlins from the film of the same name or as a relative of Yoda from Star Wars.
  • Devons are warm to the touch – they feel like soft hot water bottles and are ideal to snuggle up to in winter. They have the same body temperature as other cats but their coat does not provide as much insulation and so they feel warmer.
  • Known as kissing cousins to Sphynx, the mutation that causes each breed is very closely located on the same chromosome.

Breed Information & Characteristics

Devon Rex are the pixies of the cat fancy with their impish looks and mischievous personalities. The Devon Rex have large low set ears and big impish eyes set in a head with a short muzzle and high cheekbones. It is a small to medium sized cat with a muscular body covered with a short, velvety soft coat that ripples with waves. They are often described as resembling the Gremlins from the film Star Wars while the waif-like tousled curls of their coats are reminiscent of Little Orphan Annie’s tousled mop.

Buckfastleigh, Devon, England is the ancestral home of the Devon Rex where a feral tom cat with a curly coat lived in an abandoned tin mine. In 1960, a tortie & white stray adopted by Miss Beryl Cox had a litter of kittens sired by the feral tom. One of the kittens was a brownish-black male with a coat just like his sire’s. Miss Cox kept the kitten and named him Kirlee. Aware of Kallibunker (the first Cornish Rex) and the work to preserve that new gene, she wrote to Brian Sterling-Webb thinking her Kirlee could contribute to that program. However it turned out that the gene creating Kirlee’s curly coat was different to the one producing Kallibunker’s marcelled waves. There were a number of differences in the coat between Kirlee and the CR. While Kalli had whiskers that were bent and curled, the gene from Devon resulted in missing or stubby whiskers. Kirlee had tight curls but not as uniform as those of Kallibunker giving them a windblown appearance. And Kirlee had huge, low-set ears giving his head a pixie-like look that was accentuated by the large, inquisitive eyes and short nose.

Breeders started developing a program to conserve the gene discovered in Devon too. The gene discovered in Cornwall was designated Gene 1 and that discovered in Devon Gene 2. Sterling-Webb (Briarry) now worked to conserve this gene as well along with Mrs. Agnes Watts (Du-Bu) and Mrs. Madge Shrouder (Hassan). All Devon Rex trace their ancestry back to Kirlee who was sadly killed in a car accident in 1970.

Devon Rex are intelligent, mischievous and highly active. They are very playful and want to be involved in everything – and they are powerful jumpers no spot goes unexplored! Expect to find them perching on the top of doors or climbing to some previously unexplored spot. Although they are interested in everything going on around them, Devons are very people-oriented and prefer to share their investigations with you so expect their company no matter what you are doing. They will perch on your shoulder watching you make supper (food is another of their favorite things!), curl in your lap while you read a book, and snuggle under the covers to sleep with you at night. They aren’t particularly talkative but do chirp when they feel they absolutely need you to look at something that has caught their interest. These busy little pixies work well in an active household as they thrive on company but should not be left alone for long periods as they can become destructive if they get bored. They are great with children and get along well with other family pets.

Devon Rex are well-muscled, mid-sized cats weighing on average from six to nine pounds, with males being heavier than females. Their soft, short, curly coats vary from cat to cat – the ideal show coat is an even, full coat of loose curls but individual cats will have coats ranging from a tousled mop of curls to a thin suede-like coat. Some cats may also have almost bare patches as well. The coats often vary over the life of the cat and when molting the coat will often break off so no curl is apparent until the new coat grows back. Kittens often go through this stage. The whiskers and eyebrows are also short and crinkled like the coat.

One of the startling things when you pick up a Devon is how warm they are to the touch – they feel like soft hot water bottles and are ideal to snuggle up to in winter. They have the same body temperature as other cats but their coat does not provide as much insulation and so they feel warmer. They also love heat and will be found basking in the windows or seeking other sources of heat like the top of the television.

Contrary to popular opinion, Devon Rex do shed just like all other cats however the structure of the coat makes the shedding less obtrusive than in some other breeds. For some reason, there is a perception that the Devon Rex is hypo-allergenic however they do produce allergens like every other cat. Some people with allergies to cats are able to tolerate Devons but others are not depending on their personal allergies. If you are allergic and are considering a Devon, you should make arrangements to spend some time in the company of a Devon before acquiring one. Visit with one and wait at least 24 hours to see if they do elicit an allergic reaction and ideally visit more than once. Pixie-like in appearance, the Devon Rex is a small- to medium-sized cat that retains the appearance of Kirlee, the foundation cat. Its sturdy body is muscular, with hind legs longer than the forelegs. It has a modified wedge shaped head with large, inquisitive eyes, broad cheekbones, strong chin and a short muzzle. The ears are large and low set. The compact, supple body is covered with loose waves and curls. These little minxes are friendly, intelligent, curious companions and will make a playful addition to your household.

The Devon Rex is considered an overall healthy breed. However, it is recommended that all Devons be genetically tested for all available genetic markers, including Devon myopathy, and parents should be scanned for HCM.

Devons have a short wavy coat with modified guard hairs and little undercoat. They shed very little. If they have a spot they like to sleep, you will eventually see a fine coating of “lint”. Kittens may molt at around 3 months, and the coat will develop and come in over the next six or so months.

Large ears tend to collect oily buildup and should be cleaned when they look “dirty”. Claws should be trimmed weekly. As with all cats, brush their teeth regularly with a vet-approved pet toothpaste and provide a nice tall scratching pole to help their natural scratching instinct.

Some Devons really love to eat and need to have strict feeding limits, while others are very good at self-regulating. Kittens need to be fed three times a day until they are six months, after that twice a day is optimal. Many Devons are “snackers” and like to have kibble available rather than limited wet food.

As with all cats, it is important to give your cat fresh, clean water daily. Fresh, clean water is best, so cats don’t hesitate to drink. If you worry about your cat drinking enough water each day, here’s a tip from cat behaviorists – place the water bowl at least three feet away from any food. Cats’ noses are sensitive and an overwhelming smell of food may cause them to drink less. Filtered drinking fountains can also be used in place of a water bowl.

Devon Rex Breed Committee (5)

Name Email
Chair: Lyssa Paull manxtek@gmail.com
Ellen V Crockettellen@vicrock.com
Honey Gilmorecatsanhata@gmail.com
Doll Chamnesscurlydolls@gmail.com
Michelle Piattmichpiatt@comcast.net

Register My Cattery

Outstanding Cattery Program