Cornish Rex vs Devon Rex

In this article I compare the Cornish Rex with the Devon Rex and the lesser-known Selkirk Rex. I have included the Selkirk Rex as I consider these three the core Rex cats in the cat fancy. I also believe that you will find that the Devon Rex is the best known and most popular followed by the Cornish and then the Selkirk Rex.

You can make a choice: (1) stay on this page to see a comparison in photographs by the celebrated Helmi Flick, one of the world's best cat photographers together with a summary of the differences or (2) go to a full-blown description of each cat breed:

1. Cornish Rex
2. Devon Rex
3. Selkirk Rex

There is also a Selkirk Rex longhair. All Rex cats have curly hair. That is what makes them Rex cats. The whiskers are brittle and break.

Photos strictly copyright Helmi Flick - violations reported to Google (DMCA)

Overviews

Cornish Rex - This cat has a greyhound-like body conformation. The hair is "marcelled" - wavy or rippled to you and me. The ears are huge and the head small and egg-shaped. This is an unusual looking cat and completely different in general appearance to the Devon Rex. This breed dates from 1950 in Cornwall, England, UK. A farm cat produced a litter of kittens, one of which was to become the founder of this breed: Kallibunker. The breed was exported to the USA in 1957 in a pregnant Cornish Rex cat whose two kittens founded the breed in America. In cat fancy terms the body is "oriental" in conformation (slender). The tummy is tucked in like a greyhound. This cat is medium sized and slim and comes in a wide range of colors and patterns. The cat in the picture is a bicolor black and white. Temperament: active, talkative.

Devon Rex - Pixie faced cat of considerable charm. Wavy hair and bat sized ears! A sweet little charmer. This breed dates from 1960 in Devon, England, UK. Devon is adjacent to Cornwall in the south west of England. It is a place of farms, retired people and tourists. The breed was imported into the USA in 1968. This cat has large eyes, set wide apart. There are prominent cheek bones and huge ears. This is a slender cat "semi-foreign" type. As for the Cornish Rex the rexed coat is due to a genetic mutation. This cat breed has a wide range of colors and types. The hair can be sparse, which is normal and due apparently to hormonal changes. Temperament: kleptomaniac! Friendly, charming and easygoing.

Selkirk Rex - "Cat in sheep's clothing", is the well-used description. This cat certainly does have the appearance of a sheep. This breed dates from 1987 in the United States (Wyoming shelter cat). The genetic mutation is dominant. Wide range of colors and patterns. This cat is much stockier in appearance - called "semi-cobby" than the other two. The head is round and the ears normal sized. They have a similar structural appearance to the British Shorthair or perhaps traditional Persian. You could say that the Selkirk is less extreme in appearance than the Cornish and Devon Rex cats.  The fur is thick but made up of loose individual curls. There is a shaggy look to the coat, which is soft and dense. Temperament: gentle, loyal and sweet

Hope this helps....

Devon Rex Picture

This is a fine studio photograph of the pixie-like or elf-like Devon Rex by professional photographer, Helmi Flick.  Big ears that are low set and high cheek bones on a square face give us this appearance. Like the Cornish Rex it has a coat that ripples or is wavy. The coat can sometimes be patchy. I have even heard of hairless of partially hairless Devon Rex cats. Breeding has improved the coat quality, apparently. The places of origin of both the Cornish and Devon Rex are neighbors in the south west of England, UK. That is a nice part of the country. This is quite a slight cat. It looks cute and vulnerable. See Devon Rex and please click here if you would like to see a comparison between the Cornish, Devon and Selkirk Rex cats.

Cornish Rex Picture

Cornish Rex - Photograph copyright Helmi Flick

A startling cat picture of the Cornish Rex purebred cat by the celebrated American professional cat photographer, Helmi Flick. This photograph would have been taken in America, perhaps at a cat show. This is not the sort of domestic cat that we are used to seeing. One of the Rex cats, the coat has a wavy, tight texture as you can see. The first Cornish Rex, Kallibunker, was born in the county of Cornwall in England in 1950. His mother was Serena. The town: Bodmin. This is a greyhound-like cat that is said to be acrobatic! A relatively rare cat breed. They come in a wide range of coat types and colors. The cat above is a black and white bicolor. Click here to see a comparison between the Cornish, the Devon and Selkirk Rex cats and here to read and see more about this designer cat. As for most purebred cats, the Selkirk Rex has been selectively breed to emphasize the physical characteristics of the founding cat.