The Devon Rex is a wavy-coated breed with large, low-set ears, descended from a kitten born in Devon in 1960. Its curl comes from a different gene from that of the Cornish Rex.
It is playful and highly sociable, and breeders test for an inherited muscle weakness.
The Devon Rex is a small to medium cat with a soft, wavy coat, very large ears and a short, broad face often described as pixie-like. It originated in Devon in 1960.
The founding cat, Kirlee, was a curly-coated kitten born near Buckfastleigh to a stray female. He was at first assumed to carry the same gene as the Cornish Rex, discovered ten years earlier in the neighbouring county, but matings between the two produced only straight-coated kittens, which showed that the mutations were different. The Devon Rex was recognised in Britain in 1967.
The head is a short wedge with prominent cheekbones, a short muzzle and large oval eyes, and the ears are wide at the base and set low. The coat is short and fine, with a loose wave or curl; it has some guard hairs, unlike the Cornish coat, and can be thin on the neck, chest and belly. Whiskers are short, crinkled and brittle. The body is slim but muscular, with a broad chest. All colours and patterns are accepted.
Devons are playful, mischievous and intensely sociable. They like to perch on shoulders, follow people from room to room and share food and beds, and they do not cope well with long hours alone.
The coat is fragile and is wiped with a soft cloth, not brushed. The large ears collect wax and need regular checking. Devons seek warmth and are best kept as indoor cats in cold weather.
An inherited muscle weakness, sometimes called Devon Rex myopathy, appears in kittens; a DNA test allows breeders to avoid it. Heart muscle disease and slipping kneecaps are also seen in the breed.
The Devon Rex is recognised by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy and the international registries, and is by far the most numerous of the rex breeds in Britain, with 277 kittens registered in 2023.