Welcome to our Cornish Rex page! Here you will find everything you could ever want to know about Cornish Rex cats and a complete list of all the Cornish Rex catteries we have located in the USA.

The Cornish Rex is one of the newest breeds.  While it is still rare enough for there to be waiting lists for purebred kittens, this strange-looking but affectionate and long-lived cat is popular as a pet as well as a show cat.  Its friendliness and athletic beauty make it an ideal fit for individuals or families who are looking for a cat that is entertaining and enjoys being around them all the time.

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Cornish Rex

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Cornish Rex Cat Breed Information

The Cornish Rex is all long legs, short wavy fur, and curves.  Its big oval eyes peer at you quizzically from underneath huge, bat-like ears.  Cornish Rexes look regal but like to stick their round little noses into everything.  It is easy to groom, but its level of activity is higher than some people may want.  Cornish Rex cats look fragile but are generally quite robust, though they carry a blood type that may cause problems in breeding.  This cat is friendly and makes a wonderful family pet.

The Cornish Cat’s History and Origins:

Cornish Rex cats are so new that we know exactly how the breed was founded.  It struggled at first but has now been registered for 50 years or more with all the major cat fancier associations.

Cats with short, curly, plush coats were occasionally noted in Europe during the early 20th century but nobody tried to establish them as a breed until 1950.

On July 21, 1950, in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, Mrs. Nina Ennismore found an odd-looking male kitten in her barn cat Serena’s most recent litter.  Unlike its short-haired brothers and sisters, little Kallibunker had a wavy, very short undercoat.  He lacked the long overcoat that his litter mates had.

When she took the kitten to be neutered, the vet told Mrs. Ennismore to consult geneticist A. C. Jude.  Dr. Jude told her Kallibunker was a true genetic mutation and suggested backcrossing him with Serena to create a new cat breed.

After this was done, two kittens with the same short coat were born.  Mrs. Ennismore  named the new cat breed the Cornish Rex, after the rex rabbits that she also raised.  These have a similar short wooly coat because of a gene mutation.  They are called rex because King Albert of Belgium collected this type of rabbit for show soon after they were found in 1919.

In the 1950s, it turned out that Mrs. Ennismore’s Cornish Rex cats had a recessive gene.  This means that both parents have to have the gene for the kitten to inherit it.  Even if one or both of the parents have normal fur and appearance like Serena, as long as they carry the right gene, there is the chance for the offspring to display the recessive trait.

Hands across the Sea Help Establish the Breed:

In 1956, Life Magazine did a story on the beautiful Cornish Rex cats, alerting international cat fanciers to the new breed.  A year later, an American bought two cats from Mrs. Ennismore.  These were Kallibunker’s son Pendennis Castle and his granddaughter Lamorna Cove, who was pregnant.  Pendennis Castle never sired any kittens, but Lamorna Cove gave birth to two kittens.  The entire line of Cornish Rex in the United States is descended from those kittens.

The breed almost wasn’t established. Mrs. Ennismore ran into financial difficulties and had to put down all of her cats except two males, one of whom was accidentally neutered.  There were so few fertile Cornish Rex cats anywhere that fanciers had to outcross the line to other breeds.  This changed the body shape, but it also brought a healthier genetic mix into this inbred line of cats.

And just when it was most needed, an odd-eyed cat with short, curly hair turned up at a cat shelter in California.  No one knew where she came from, but she had the Cornish Rex gene mutation.  She was named Mystery Lady and joined the Cornish Rex breeding program in the United States.

By the mid-1960s, the first major cat fancier associations had begun to register the Cornish Rex breed.  Today  the Rex is recognized everywhere and the online Rex Cornish Portal has 325 international Cornish Rex catteries on its list.

Size and Physical Characteristics:

The Cornish Rex looks like a fragile space alien, but it has plenty of muscle and loves to run around and leap on things.  However, the first thing anyone notices is its unusual but pretty fur.

The Rex Coat:

At first British breeders tried to get short and straight hair on the Cornish Rex, but the tight waves favored in the United States eventually won out as the breed standard.  Today this Rex cat carries a close-fitting, uniform set of waves from its head down across its body all the way to the rounded tip of its tail.  While each cat’s wave pattern is unique, most Cornish cats have very wavy hair on the underside of their chins and bodies.

Cornish Rex fur is what would be called the undercoat on most other cats.  Unlike those cats, the Rex has no long overcoat of guard hairs.  Instead, its wavy fur is soft, dense and wooly.  It is much too short to provide insulation for the cat’s normal body temperature of a little over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is why Cornish cats feel very warm when you hold them (and they love to be held).

Due to the outbreeding early in the Cornish Rex history, its fur can be any color, including points (a dark face mask, as well as dark fur on the feet and the tip of the tail like a Siamese cat).

General fur color groups in this breed are any solid color, silver or silver mixed, smoky, tabby (with distinctive dark stripes, swirls, or other markings), mixed colors, calico, and points.

The Cornish Rex Head and Body:

The Rex has a fine-boned, triangular face with high cheekbones. Huge bat-like ears are set high on its head. There is a gentle break in its profile where the straight Roman nose juts out a little bit as it tapers down in front to a rounded tip.  The cat’s chin is strong and squared.

Cornish cats have oval eyes that are slightly slanted, like a Siamese, and set wide apart.  They are usually a brilliant gold, although solid white cats might have blue eyes, or one gold and one blue eye.  Silver tabbies most often have green, hazel, or gold eyes, while the eyes of calico or bicolored Rex cats may be green, blue, hazel, or gold.  Cornish Rex cats that have color points like a Siamese also usually have a Siamese cat’s blue eye coloration.

The Cornish Rex is built for racing and leaping.  Its long body is all curves.  Its legs are powerfully muscled.  The cat uses its oval paws for gripping when rounding a corner or for tossing toys around and opening drawers and doors.  Yes, they are smart enough to figure out how a doorknob works!

The slightly longer hind legs on this Rex cat give its back a curved appearance.  Its chest is deeply curved, rather than broad or boxy, and it has a sleek tummy tuck between the back of its rib cage and its hips.

Personality and Temperament:

Cornish Rex cats are sociable and active.  They may be independent, but they also are very affectionate and fit well into most families and lifestyles.  They stay very active and kittenish all their lives.  Life with a Cornish Rex is never boring.

These cats follow you around like a shadow.  Your Cornish Rex will sleep with you and then expect to chat with you when it’s time to get up, though it’s not quite as vocal as a Siamese.  It will follow you to the bathroom and wait for you to get out of the shower.  It will help itself to your breakfast and then help you make the bed (by hiding underneath the sheets).

Cornish cats enjoy attention and personal interaction.  They are snugglers. They also have a sense of humor, and will play practical jokes while you’re doing something else.

That said, if you must spend a lot of time away from home, this independent breed won’t pine away from loneliness.  It will easily find something else to do.  Bring Kitty along on vacation – they love to travel and see new places (as long as the destination isn’t the vet’s office).

Their sociability extends to the whole household and to any pets, including dogs, that may be around.  The Cornish Rex is good with children and makes an excellent family cat.  It also will bask in the attention of your guests.

The Cornish Rex may appear regal, but it never outgrows its kitten-like behavior.  At 15 years, it will have the same vigor it had at 15 months.   This cat has two speeds – overdrive and sound asleep.

This cat pokes into everything.  Strong legs allow it to leap up onto any cabinet or shelf, no matter what the height.  Basically, when a Cornish Rex moves in, you will need to “child-proof” your home, even if there are no children around.  The Rex also eats everything it sees and doesn’t know when to stop, so you will have to lock up anything edible all the time.

The positive personality traits – friendliness, humor, and companionship – far outweigh the care that’s required for such an active cat.  Still, owning a Cornish Rex does take a lot of time and patience, so it may not be the ideal pet for everybody.

Grooming and Upkeep:

A Cornish Rex hardly sheds sat all, and its short fur needs little care.  It is a fairly low-maintenance pet.

Cornish cat fur is soft and wooly, but it is so delicate that combs and brushes can damage it.  Just petting the cat will remove most of the dead hair left after the animal grooms itself.

Some Cornish Rex cats get by with weekly paw and ear cleaning and a bath every few months.  Others secrete a lot of oil from their skin and therefore need a bath every week.

Either way, the cat should be trained to accept bathing while it is young, because if you don’t, you won’t get your cat into the tub.  It is very difficult to force these independent and muscular cats to do anything against their will.

Cat fanciers wash their cats a day or two before a show.  Washing cleans the Rex but gives it a fluffy dry coat that won’t win show points until a little time has passed for it to regain the light oil layer that keeps the fur in smooth, tight waves.

For all Cornish cats, pet or show, the paws and ears need the most attention and cleaning. Those huge ears tend to pick up debris and irritants.  They should be checked frequently and, if necessary, gently wiped out with a cotton ball that has been soaked in a cat-safe cleaner.

Besides ear and fur care, the Rex will need to have its claws trimmed weekly or monthly as the veterinarian recommends.  Dental disease can lead to gingivitis and other health problems, so the cat’s teeth should be brushed daily, if possible, or at least once a week.   This is especially important for the Cornish Rex because the vet has to use general anesthesia for dental cleaning, and this breed is sensitive to many anesthetics.

Nutritional and Exercise Needs:

These athletic animals burn off a lot of calories.  They are unlikely to become overweight, but Cornish Rex cats will eat anything and everything – they do need some watching.   Generally, though, if you provide the balanced nutrition and the room it needs to exercise properly, the cat will take care of the rest.

A balanced diet and plenty of water

Your Rex is a carnivore, like any other cat, though it doesn’t mind adding in vegetables, bread, fruit, and anything else that might be available.

Carnivores eat meat, and cats especially need to meat because their bodies metabolize protein better than fat or carbohydrates.  Since they are all descended from a desert cat – the African wildcat – Kitty seldom takes a drink even when it needs one.  Cats get most of their water from their prey.

In that yard where Serena gave birth to the first Cornish Rex, the typical rat or mouse that barn cats preyed on provided a lot of protein, as well as some fat, but very little carbohydrate.  About 70 to 80 percent of the prey was water, so prey was also a good water source.

House cats need that same diet balance and water supply.  Commercial cat food that meets guidelines set by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has the right balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as other nutrients that the animal needs in small amounts.  It can also be adjusted for the Cornish cat’s stage of life and other special requirements.

Cats can live on either canned or dry cat food alone, though many owners find a mix of the two works best.  Canned cat food is about 75 percent water, which is nice.  If C. Rex is just eating dry food, it’s especially important for there to be plenty of fresh water available, too.  Both food and water dishes should be cleaned daily.

Lots of energy to burn off

Cornish Rex cats need enough secure space to run and jump around in, but they otherwise have no special exercise needs.

Keep an eye out for the safety of both the cat and your belongings.   A Rex will jump on the counter, for example, knocking some precious china cups off and shattering them on the floor.  Then it will walk across the stovetop towards something that has attracted its attention, not knowing that the burners are hot until it burns its paw.  Or it might mistime a leap and pull a loose cupboard down onto its small body.

These lively cats need their owner’s full attention and vigilance at first.  After a while, though, safety and space issues will become second nature to both you and your Cornish Rex.

Characteristics Unique to the Breed:

The Cornish Rex was the first cat breed to have a Rex coat.  It looks like a Devon Rex but these are two different breeds.  The Cornish Rex inherited some of its most beautiful features from the Siamese.

Cornish Rex vs. Devon Rex

In 1960, a Rex-coated cat from Devon was added to the Cornish breeding program, but none of its kittens developed the right coat.  Experts eventually discovered that this was because the rex gene comes in two “flavors.”  The Cornish Rex has gene I.  The Devon Rex has gene II; therefore, while it may resemble Cornish cats, it is really a different breed altogether.

There are a few other differences, too.  Cornish cat fur is tighter and wavier than Devon fur.  Its waves all go in the same direction, but the Devon cat’s fur pattern is all over the place.  The Devon Rex also has short guard hairs in addition to its short undercoat.

The Cornish Rex has an egg-shaped head that is about three times as long as it is wide, but the Devon Rex has a wedge-shaped head that’s only a little bit longer than it is wide.

Both breeds have huge ears, but Cornish Rex ears sit high on the cat’s head.  On a Devon Rex, those bat-shaped ears are low-set.  Cornish cats have hollow cheeks and curved whisker pads.  A Devon cat has full cheeks and plump whisker pads, as well as shorter and much more brittle whiskers than a Cornish cat.

Cornish Rex vs. Siamese

The gene mutation that gives Cornish cats their coats also affects their body shape but it needed some help to give us the beautiful Cornish Rex cats we have today.

Kallibunker, the original Cornish Rex, had finer bone structure than a typical barn cat.  His legs were a little longer than normal.  However, except for the unusual fur, Kallibunker’s overall body shape was more like a typical short-haired cat than like one of the modern Cornish Rex cats.

Outbreeding, especially with Siamese cats, made all the difference.  Today, Cornish cats have a very long, whip-like tail, like the Siamese.  Their legs are finely boned and long, again, like the Siamese.  The modern Cornish Rex also has the exquisitely high cheekbones and angular facial structure of a Siamese.  Sometimes its fur even has Siamese points.

Of course the coats themselves are different.  Cornish Rex cats are also smaller than the Siamese, and much more independent.

The biggest difference is breed origin.  The Siamese cat breed has been refined by humans, but it first appeared naturally.  All Rex cats, including the Cornish cat, are the result of a gene mutation.

Health and Wellness:

The gene mutation that creates the rex coat doesn’t bring any hereditary health problems along with it.  Cornish Rex cats are generally quite healthy.  If kept indoors and well cared for, they will often live into their mid to late teens or longer.

Routine health maintenance

Rex care is the same as for other cats. It needs the core vaccinations for rabies, feline distemper, and upper respiratory viruses, and then regular updates after that. The rabies vaccination requirements vary according to locality.  Your vet can tell you if any other shots are needed for your cat’s health and lifestyle.

Unless they will be used for breeding, all Cornish Rex cats and kittens should be spayed or neutered (females are spayed, males are neutered).  Kittens as young as eight weeks can have this surgery. Ideally, it should be done by six months of age, but spaying or neutering can be done any time with a vet’s okay.  Females probably shouldn’t be spayed if they are in heat, as that makes them more prone to blood loss.

Like other cats with long legs, older Cornish Rex cats might slip a kneecap and have trouble walking.  Cats also sometimes develop an enlarged heart that can cause sudden death.  This condition, called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, is the most common cardiac condition in any cat.  If you are concerned, the vet can screen for it with an echocardiogram.

Specific Cornish Rex health problems

A Cornish Rex needs special treatment whenever it must have surgery.  Rex cats in general are very susceptible to certain anesthetics and some have had fatal reactions.  Veterinarians are aware of this and always use special care if your Cornish Rex needs surgery.

There is a problem with blood type, too.  Cats everywhere have the feline AB blood group.  Usually either type A or type B is dominant.  Most cats have type A.  Cornish cats have either type A or type B.  This isn’t a blood disease.  It’s only a problem if you plan to breed the cat or if it needs a transfusion (type A blood will kill a cat with type B blood).

Cornish Rex breeders worry about feline blood type because of “fading kitten” syndrome.  When a type B female is bred with a type A male, their kittens will be either type A or type B.  Sadly, the type A kittens then die within 72 hours because they have picked up antibodies that the mother’s body produced against type A blood.  A DNA test now exists that can type the blood of any cat before it mates.

Other than anesthetic sensitivity and blood type issues, Cornish cats have no special health problems.  That beautiful short fur does make them vulnerable to the cold as well as to sunburn.  Besides keeping them indoors and out of the sun, they need to be kept warm, especially during and after a bath.  However, don’t use a blow dryer on one – it could easily burn the sensitive fur and skin.

Interesting Facts about the Breed:

• An orc is a Cornish Rex that has any other color besides those listed in the Cat Fanciers Association breed standard. Don’t call the Tolkien Society, though.  These Cornish cats aren’t goblins.  The word “orc” just stands for Other Rex Color.
• Many people think the Cornish Rex is hypoallergenic because of its short, wooly fur. Unfortunately, it isn’t fur that causes cat allergies.  People are allergic to a protein in cat saliva and cat dander.  The cat licks its coat while grooming, and the resulting mixture of saliva and cat dander eventually dries and ends up as dust someone breathes in, triggering a reaction.
• Even the whiskers and eyebrows of a Cornish Rex are curly.
• Less than 1% of domestic cats in the US have type B blood. More than 30% of Cornish Rex cats in the US do have type B blood.
• The Cornish Rex loves to play fetch. The only real question is whether you’ve trained it to retrieve or whether this intelligent cat has trained you to throw.