Thinking Of Owning A Devon Rex Cat?

Are you thinking of owning a Devon Rex? If the answer is yes, then you have made the right choice.

Devon Rex's have low set, large pointed ears, often with tufted ends and an endearing wedge shaped face with huge slanted eyes. They are small to medium sized shorthaired cats. Their fur is unusual, as it does not contain as much guard hair like other cat breeds. It consists of down, awn and a few guard hairs. Their soft, downy fur feels warm to the touch. The fur is naturally kinked which creates a rippled, wavy effect. Their whiskers are often curly too.

Devon's are regarded as the hypoallergenic cat. If you are allergic to cats, you might not be allergic to the Devon Rex. Although, they still moult you will not find lots of long cat hairs around your house.

Personality of the Devon Rex

Devon Rex's are the monkey of the cat world and still act like kittens when they are over six years old. Always wear a thick jumper, because they will use you as a tree to catapult onto the top of your wardrobe. These cats really do have thumbs! They use their fifth toe like a thumb to hold things and climb.

They play fetch, demand to be played with and may even bring their favourite toy to you and point at it with their paw. They are not loud cats, but talk with a series of brips and a range of meows. You'll soon learn what each one means. They are cheeky cats with a sense of humour and will jump out at you, play chase, hide at bedtime until you find them and when you do, they will purr like a tractor. Everything is a game.

They do not just check in for food. They love human company and will snuggle on your lap as often as possible. They sleep in piles on the bed or curled around your head, or cuddle in your arms all night long. They are little hot water bottles. You will never need an electric blanket again.

The come in a variety of colours; solid white, black, red and black smoke, tabby, lavender, blue, bi-coloured, red, si-rex, tortoiseshell, calico and harlequin. Eye colour can be green, yellow, blue and odd eyed.

House cat or outdoor cat?

Devon Rex's are a desirable breed and it's worth keeping your cat inside. In fact, some breeders insist on it. There are options of offering walks on a harness and lead. Another option is installing a cat run. If your cat is going to be a house cat, ensure it has plenty of toys and a floor to ceiling cat tree. And what about a second Devon Rex to play with? One is never enough!

Health care

Grooming your Devon Rex is simple. As their fur is short, a few strokes with a softheaded brush is ample. Their teeth need to be cleaned, because like most pedigree cats they could have teeth problems as they age. If you clean your kitten's teeth daily, they will get used to it. Devon's are placid cats and a few brushes each side of the mouth, ensuring you reach the back teeth and a quick brush of the canines takes less than five minutes. It can save vet bills in the future. Most cat toothpaste comes supplied with a special slanted toothbrush. These are ideal as Devon's have small mouths.

Their ears are hair free, which allows for dust and dirt to get in and build up a wax residue. It's another easy job if carried out from kitten hood. Ear cleaning solution such as Epi-optic solution, can be purchased from your vet or online. Put a few drops in each ear and massage until you hear a pop noise. Then clean out the wax with cotton wool. Ears should be cleaned at least once a week.

Like all cats, they need monthly flea treatment, worming and annual booster vaccinations.

Showing your Devon Rex

You will get a good indication if your Devon Rex is show quality from the breeder, especially if it comes from a long line of Grand Champions, but you won't know for sure unless you enter your cat into a show. Winning a first place rosette depends on your cat's personality as well as if it meets the breeding standards. Check if your cat is registered with The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (CCGF) or The International Cat Association (TICA). It is possible to show a CCGF registered cat at a TICA show, but you need to register with TICA.

For information on the next CCGF shows, you can check your local cat club website, Wiltshire & District Cat Club and the Three Counties Cat Society or check the full cat show diary here: http://www.gccfcats.org/showsnew.html. Venues vary from Swindon to Southampton.

Further Information

If you looking for further information on the Devon Rex cat breed, you can read our Devon Rex Cat breed profile, or view all Devon Rex cats for sale on our Pets4Homes website.