Devon Rex – Mixed Cat Breed Characteristics & Facts

The Devon Rex enjoys social interaction and is friendly to both friends and family.

The traits of Devon Rex cats are listed below.

Devon Rex Mixed Cat Breed Picture

Devon Rex – Mixed Cat Breed Characteristics

Vital Stats:

History

It was initially believed that Kirlee, a kitten born in Devon, England, in 1959, shared genetic characteristics with the Cornish Rex, a breed created a decade earlier in nearby Cornwall. However, test breedings quickly revealed that Kirlee was unique and the product of a natural genetic mutation. Kirlee had a wavy coat, just like his name would imply. His ancestry is poorly understood.

His father was believed to be a roving tom with a curly coat, and his mother was a stray. Kirlee was the first of a new breed called the Devon Rex, which was named for both his Devonshire birthplace and his curly coat’s texture, which was similar to that of a rex rabbit. A Devon Rex immigrated to the US in 1968, less than ten years later. The breed received full recognition from the Cat Fanciers Association in 1979.

Size

5–10 pounds are typical Devon Rex weights.

Personality

The Devon’s preferred perch is directly above head height, on his favorite person’s shoulder. He shows a keen interest in everything that is happening and won’t allow himself to be excluded from any activity. You can rely on him to remain as close to you as possible while sporadically expressing his opinions in a low voice. He enjoys the attention of both friends and family because he loves people.

This cat is intelligent and moderately active. He doesn’t move all the time, but he enjoys playing fetch and learning new tricks. His creative mind will be delighted by puzzle and interactive toys, which will keep him occupied while you go out and earn money to buy more of them. The Devon will attempt to eat in the dining room with the rest of the family because he believes that you have made special food for him.

If you don’t carefully monitor his food intake, he will snack himself into a few extra pounds. He prefers to sleep under the covers. He hunts down the warmest areas he can, like a missile seeking heat. Choose a Devon if you want a mischievous, agile cat to hang out with and won’t be alarmed if you catch a glimpse of him planning his path to your shoulder from the top of a door.

Health

Pedigreed and mixed-breed cats both have varying rates of health issues that could be genetic in origin. Although Devon Rex dogs are typically in good health, the following ailments have been reported in the breed:

• Hereditary baldness, also known as congenital hypotrichosis, is most likely caused by an inherited recessive gene. The Devon Rex has a very fine coat by nature, but individuals who have less hair than is typical for the breed are referred to as hypotricotic.
• Some cat breeds, like the Maine Coon, are predisposed to a form of inherited heart disease known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In the Devon Rex, heritability has not been established.
• Antifungal medications are used to treat Malassezia dermatitis, a single-celled yeast that causes itchiness, greasy skin, and ear infections.
• Hip dysplasia is a hip socket malformation that results in laxity in the hip joint.
• Prednisolone and essential fatty acids are used to treat the dermatological condition urticaria pigmentosa, which results in crusty sores on the body.
• Spasticity, or Devon Rex myopathy, is an inherited condition that first manifests between 3 weeks and 6 months of age. The cats become easily exhausted as a result of generalized muscle weakness. The severity of the condition varies, and there is no available treatment. It might stay steady or move slowly.

Care

The Devon’s curly coat is simple to care for. Gently groom to prevent breaking the fine hairs. Often, all it requires is for you to brush your hand over the coat. The fact that a Devon Rex coat sheds little and has fine fur that is barely perceptible on clothing and furnishings is its best feature. Unless the cat is white or has a lot of white on its coat, baths are rarely necessary. If those cats aren’t regularly bathed, they may start to look dirty.

After a bath, the coat dries quickly. To prevent periodontal disease, brush your teeth. Although daily brushing is preferred, once a week is still preferable to never. To get rid of any discharge, wipe the corners of your eyes every day with a soft, damp cloth. To prevent the spread of any infection, use a different area of the cloth for each eye.

Each week, check your ears. If they appear to be dirty, clean them with a cotton ball or soft, damp cloth dipped in a 50/50 solution of warm water and cider vinegar. Cotton swabs shouldn’t be used because they can harm the ear’s interior. Maintain a spotless litter box. Devon Rex cats are extremely picky about bathroom cleanliness, just like all cats. a Devon Rex is always looking for warmth even though he feels warm to the touch.

He is likely cold if you are. Purchase him a sweater or two to help him keep warm. A Devon Rex should only be allowed indoors to avoid contracting illnesses from other cats, being attacked by dogs or coyotes, and other risks that face cats who venture outside, like being hit by a car. Going outside exposes Devon Rex to the risk of being taken by someone seeking to keep such an unusual cat without paying for it.

If at all possible, construct a sizable outdoor enclosure for your Devon Rex so that he can jump and climb securely. Apply cat-safe sunscreen to your Devon Rex’s body to prevent sunburn if he has an outdoor enclosure where he can sunbathe.

Coat Design and Maintenance

The Devon is frequently compared to an elf due to his elongated ears, prominent cheekbones, and captivating eyes. His soft, wavy fur, however, is what sets him apart. His head, a modified wedge shape with convex curves forming the outer edge of the ear lobes, cheekbones, and whisker pads, is where his curved body begins.

The Devon has strikingly large ears that are positioned low on the head and large, wide-set, oval-shaped eyes. The tips of the ears can occasionally be tufted with soft fur. The harsh guard hairs that are typical of the majority of cat coats are absent from a “rexed” coat, which is soft and fine. The cat’s body is completely covered in fur, with the back, sides, tail, legs, face, and ears having the thickest coats.

While some Devons have loose, shaggy curls, others have more delicate, suede-like coats. The cat should never have any bare patches, even though the hair on the top of the head, the neck, the chest, and the abdomen is slightly less dense and may even look downy. With a gentle hand motion, you can create rippled waves on the coat.

It is available in every color, pattern, and combination of colors and patterns that is genetically possible, including solid white, black, blue, chocolate, cinnamon, lavender, and red; smoke patterns, which have a white undercoat that is strongly tipped with a particular color; and various calico, tabby, tortoiseshell, and pointed patterns. Unless the cat has been sneaking too many snacks, a Devon’s medium-sized body is deceptively lean.

His body ought to feel powerful and hard. Long and slender legs are supported by tiny, oval paws. The end of a long, fine tail that is covered in short fur tapers.

Kids and other animals

the social and active For households with kids and canines who get along with cats, Devon Rex is a great option. He can play fetch just as well as any retriever, picks up new tricks quickly, and enjoys the attention from kids who are kind to him. To ensure that they learn to get along with one another, introduce pets gradually and under controlled conditions.

Creator: PetsCareTip