Cornish Rex

A Cornish Rex is a breed of domestic cat, with no hair except for down. Most breeds of cat have three different types of hair in their coats: the outer fur or "guard hairs", which is about 5 cm long in shorthairs and 10cm+ long in longhairs, a middle layer called the "awn hair", and finally the down hair or undercoat, which is very fine and about 1 cm long. Cornish Rexes have only the undercoat.

The coat of a Cornish Rex is extremely fine and soft to the touch. However, their light coat means that they are only suitable for indoor living in warm and dry conditions. Consequently, these cats tend to hang around light bulbs, the tops of computer monitors, and other warm places. Cornish Rexes also have a mild cheesy smell peculiar to the breed - this odour comes from scent glands in the paws.

The Cornish Rex is an adventurous cat and is very intelligent. It can readily adapt to new situations and will explore wherever it can go, including such excursions as jumping into the refrigerator or checking out the washing machine. Humans often consider its antics to be deliberately mischievous, but this is a case of anthropomorphism. The Rex is extremely curious, seeks out the company of people, and is friendly towards other companion animals. It is a suitable pet for timid children.

Origin

The Cornish Rex is a genetic mutation that originated from a litter of kittens born in the 1950s on a farm in Cornwall, UK (hence their name). One of the kittens, Kallibunker, a cream colored male, had an extremely unusual, fine, curly coat -- the first Cornish Rex. The owner then bred Kallibunker back to his mother to produce other curly-coated kittens. Cornish Rexes were later brought to America and crossed with Siamese, which gave them their long whippy tails and big ears.

There is another very similar breed the Devon Rex. Devon and Cornish Rexes are produced by different genes, and crosses between the two are not allowed in pedigrees, nor will they produce a cat with the short wavy fur if mated together. Another hair-deficient breed is the Sphynx cat, which has no hair but may have a very light coat of fuzz.

Though some people believe that the short hair of the Cornish Rex makes them non- or hypo-allergenic, this is not the case. Most people who have cat allergies are allergic to cat dander and cat saliva. Since Cornish Rex cats groom as much as or even more than ordinarly cats, a Cornish Rex cat will still produce a reaction in people who are allergic to cats. However, because of the fine, light fur that is shed from these cats, people with only mild allergies may experience fewer symptoms with a Rex.

This article is licenced under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cornish Rex".