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Cornish Rex Cat Breed Introduction
Cornish Rex originated from Cornwall, UK, and is a domesticated cat breed. It is also called Corny/Cornies, or Rex. This cat breed does not have hair apart from down hair that mostly covers all mammals. Cornies have a fine curly coat with big ears and long flexible tails. They are also commonly known as the greyhound of the cat world due to their long and tuck-up legs. Their face is egg-shaped. These cats have various colors and patterns. It is possible to find Cornies with over 40 colors or patterns.
Cornies have a narrow waist, remarkable arched backs, and long limbs. They are playful cats that can behave like kittens even when adults of more than one year. Cornies enjoy petting and lap naps and are always ready to play whenever everyone else is. They are also quite sensitive to temperatures due to their short coat and may need a sweater or coat during winter. Cornies should also not be under the sun for longer hours since they are prone to getting sunburns. However, Cornies are not recommendable to allergic sufferers since they are not hypoallergenic despite their short fine curly coats.
Origin
The first Cornies were born on a farm in Cornwall, England, UK, from a litter of kittens in the 1950s. These cats result from a genetic mutation that occurred after the mating of an unknown sire and a barn cat. Nina Ennismore, the person who found out about this breed, had bred and displayed rex rabbits, hence she knew that this cat was somewhat special. Nina took the cat into her home and gave him the name Kallibunker. The cat had an extraordinarily fine and curly coat. Kallibunker became the first cat of this breed.
As soon as Kallibunker was an adult, she backcrossed him with his mother after consulting with a geneticist. She got a litter of three kittens with two kittens with a curly coat. One of Kallibunker kitten named Poldhu, a Tom Cat, gave birth to a female called Lamorna Cove who was later taken to America in 1957 and crossed with a Siamese, giving Cornies their big ears and long flexible tails. Moreover, this breed was formally acknowledged in 1967 in the USA and has since gained more fame in the U.S. than in the UK.
They look similar to Devon Rexes in appearance although Devons have guard hairs and Cornies have down hair. Cornies mutation differs from the Devon Rexes mutation since the Devon has short guard hairs while Cornies do not have guard hairs. Breeders tried breeding the two cats since they thought that they could be related. However, the breeding resulted in a litter of kittens that had straight coats. This occurred in every attempt they made to breed the two cats, and it was later discovered that they were two different breeds. Cornies are recognized by various clubs like FIFe, CFA, TICA, and ACFA.
Cornish Rex Life Expectancy
Cornies can live for 11 to 16 years while others can even live for 20 years.
Care
Their short and fine curly coat needs minimum care. Cornies’ coats should be brushed once every week during the normal shedding season and twice a week during their twice-a-year shedding season. Use a soft bristle brush to remove all the dead and loose hair and avoid hurting their skin by using tough brushes. Their coat may become oily, particularly around their paws and chin due to their lack of guard hairs. Therefore, you will need to bathe your cat quite often to prevent them from feeling greasy to the touch.
Bath your Cornies once every month using a suitable cat shampoo and warm water. Rinse them carefully and dry them using a towel. Clean their face area using a wet warm cloth or use wipes with non-irritating substances to wipe their chin and paws when they get greasy. After a bath, brush their hair softly minding their tight curls. Trim their claws once every three weeks using nail clippers and brush their teeth four times every week.
Use a toothpaste and toothbrush designed for cats to brush your cat’s teeth and remove all the plaque and accumulated tartar. Check and clean their ears once every week using ear cleansing wipes or vet-approved ear cleanser with cotton balls soaked in the solution. Also, be on the lookout for any ear infections pests, wax accumulation, and debris.
Shedding
Due to their short, fine, and curly coats, Cornies are low shedders although they shed more during fall and spring
Coat
They have a short, fine, and curly coat and only have an undercoat with down hair. Most cats have three layers of coats including the outer layer, the undercoat, and the middle layer while Cornies only have one coat layer. This makes them quite sensitive to temperatures, especially hot and cold temperatures and may need an extra coat during winter.
Hairless
They mostly appear to be hairless although they are not completely hairless. These cats only have the undercoat which only has the down hair and lacks the middle and the outer coat layer. Therefore, their coats are short, very soft, and curly.
Cornish Rex Cat Hypoallergenic
Cornies are not hypoallergenic cats since they have a protein found in felines’ urine, skin, and saliva that causes allergic reactions in people with cat allergies. Their dander is produced when they shed and frequently sticks on their hair and can even stick on furniture or even become airborne.
Allergies
Although they only have the undercoat and short, fine, curly coat, Cornies are not recommended to people with cat allergies, particularly those with severe allergies. This is due to the production of protein in their dander, saliva, and urine that causes severe allergic reactions like coughing, sneezing, runny nose, itchiness, and might even cause asthma.
Training
Cornies are clever cats that can even be taught various tricks like sitting, waving, shaking, and fetching balls and toys. These cats are also known to pick up items using their paws. Cornies are quite responsive to positive reinforcement training methods. As a parent or trainer, you will be able to teach them some tricks using these methods as they will happily take a treat after doing something right. Teach them command words like fetch, sit, shake a paw, and come. Train your kittens to use the litter box and take them to the litter box every thirty minutes, especially after a feed, game, and nap.
Cornish Rex Personality
– Social.
– Playful.
– Friendly.
– Sensitive.
– Intelligent.
– Affectionate.
– Easy-going.
– Pet-friendly.
– Kid-friendly.
– Energetic.
– Adaptable.
– Athletic.
Exercise
Cornies have moderate exercise needs and require at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. They are very playful cats that love discovering new things. Ensure they have treat puzzles, faux mice, cat trees, and feather toys around the house. They also enjoy interactive play with people, other pets, toys, and kids to help them use up any piled-up energy and for mental stimulation. As a Cornies’ cat owner, it is important to ensure you spend time with your cat at least once a day and engage in interactive plays.
These cats can keep themselves busy when you are not close and even play with other pets around the house. Cornies love wall perches where they can climb, scratching posts for maintaining their claws and stretching, and window perches where they can see birds outside. Ensure you provide them with various zones with scratching posts, wall perches, and window perches around the house.
Meow
They are not usually very vocal cats and will communicate with you with body language and expressive eyes. They are also popularly known for interacting and playing quietly and are generally quiet cats.
Apart from Cornish Rexes, other cat breeds include:
Cornish Rex Cat Size
These cats are 7 – 12 in ( Approx. 18 – 30.5 cm ) tall and weigh 7 – 10 lbs ( Approx. 3.2 – 5 kg ).
Height
They have a height of 7 – 12 in ( Approx. 18 – 30.5 cm ).
Weight
Cornies weigh 7 – 10 lbs ( Approx. 3.2 – 5 kg ).
Health Issues
These cats are quite prone to suffering from some hereditary health conditions as well as other health issues like:
– Congenital hypotrichosis.
– Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
– Progressive retinal atrophy.
– Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
– Sunburns.
– Patellar luxation.
– FIP Susceptibility.
– Vitamin K-Dependent Coagulopathy.
Hair Loss
Cornies are quite prone to get Hypotrichosis, as a result of a recessive genetic defect found in various cat breeds. This condition leads to balding or thinning of hair which mostly forms in patches or patterns on the head or torso. As Cornies’ cat parents, you can use oral minoxidil to treat this condition since it improves hair thickness and density in hereditary hypotrichosis. However, most types of hypotrichosis have no cure.
Eye Problems
Cornies are more susceptible to hereditary progressive retinal atrophy. This condition causes an ongoing loss of atrophy and photoreceptors of the retina secondary to chromosomal mutation. As a result, the retina slowly deteriorates leading to vision loss and eventually blindness.
Names
These cats can be given other names based on food, appearance, drinks, personality, etc. Some of Cornies’ names include:
– Joey.
– Comet.
– Flynn.
– Martini.
– Cocoa.
– Pepper.
– Sherry.
– Olive.
– Ginger.
– Curly.
– Sleepy.
– Angelica.
– Sugar.
– Wooly.
– Bronwyn.
– Pasty.
Kitten
They can litter between 2 to 6 kittens at a time.
Diet
Cornies are quite active cats that love to jump and climb and have quite an appetite. These cats need close monitoring of their diet. Feed them based on a routine rather than when they demand food. Cornies are not choosy eaters and may eat almost anything given to them which may lead to obesity. Choose a diet for your cat that is high quality with high protein.
Feed your Cornies with high-quality cat food and occasionally add treats of veggies and fruits approved by a vet. These can be given as treats or tasty additions to their diet. Monitor your cat’s appetite and activity level and feed them no less than 1/3 to 1/2 cups of dry cat food daily. Ensure that they take in the right amounts of calories a day and give them fresh clean water.
Cornish Rex Colors
Cornies have various colors and patterns including blue point, red point, seal point, blue cream point, seal tortie point, chocolate point, brown, white, orange, lavender cream point, and chocolate tortie point.
Blue
Blue Cornies have a color that appears pale black on their coat. Their ears seem to be black on the inside and have darker noses and mouths.
Orange
Orange Cornies may have a plain orange coat or orange color with a tabby coat pattern on their body, faces, legs, and tails. Others may have an orange tabby coat with white on their chins, faces, neck, legs, or underside.
Black
They have a black color on their body, black nose, and mouth. They might have a gray color above their eyes, inside of their ears, and can have a darker color or a lighter color that looks like white.
White
Pure white Cornies have pink-like ears on the inside, with a pink nose, and mouth. Some have a tail that has another color and pattern on the tip while others may have some color patches on their hips, head, and tail.
Tabby
These cat breeds come in several patterns and colors including the tabby pattern. Cornies with the tabby pattern may have a brown or gray base coat color with black rings, stripes, or blotches around their body, legs, faces, and heads.
Tortoiseshell
They have various patterns including tortoiseshells. Cornies with torties or tortoiseshells have different coat colors with markings that resemble those of tortoises.
Pixel
Pixel is a well-known Cornie cat on the internet. This cat is popularly known for its smiles and facial expressions that make people think he is a possessed cat. Some think he looks like a vampire bat with wide ears and a smiley face.
Eyes
Cornies possess medium-sized oval eyes that come in various eye colors. Their eyes are a bit slanted upwards and almost straight at the top line giving them a preferably sultry expression.
Ears
This cat breed has large ears that are broad at the bottom with rounded ends. Cornies’ ears are often described as almost bat-like or mussel-shell-shaped.
Tail
They have a long and slender tail that resembles a whip. They got their long tail from their Siamese cat parent.
Teeth
These cats normally have good teeth that can be maintained through regular brushing using a cat-friendly toothbrush and toothpaste of your cat’s preferred taste. However, Cornies may suffer from potentially serious dental problems if not brushed regularly.
Nose
They have an aquiline long nose that is one-third the length of their head.
Cornish Rex Sphynx
Sphynx is a hairless cat that originated from Canada and is also referred to as the Canadian Sphynx. Their hairless nature is a result of a naturally occurring genetic mutation. These cats are not recommended to be crossbred with Cornies since they are hairless and Cornies only have the undercoat layer with down hair. Therefore, crossbreeding these two breeds confutes the coat quality requirement for Cornies. The result of their mating will therefore be registered on the reference register.
Cornish Rex Price
These cats are expensive depending on the breeder and can range between $1,400 to $2,000.
Devon Rex Vs Cornish Rex
– Cornies have long legs while Devon Rexes have shorter and muscular legs.
– Devon Rexes weighs 7 – 12 lbs while Cornies weighs 7 – 10 lbs.
– Cornies have a life expectancy of 11 – 16 years while Devon Rexes can live up to 10 – 15 years.
– Devon Rexes have moderate grooming needs while Cornies have low grooming needs.
– Cornies need more baths than Devon Rexes to prevent grease build-up on their skin from lack of guard hair.
– Devon Rexes are more docile and laidback when compared to Cornies.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What Is A Cornish Rex Cat
Cornies are domesticated cat breeds derived in Cornwall, England, UK, that only have the undercoat with down hair and no middle or topcoat layer. These cats have big ears that are wide at the bottom with rounded ends, a long tail, and an arched back.
How Much Do Cornish Rexes Cats Cost
They can cost as much as $1,400 to $2,000 depending on the breeder.
How To Clean Cornish Rex Ears
Use a warm wet cloth, ear cleansing wipes, or a clear ear cleaning solution and cotton balls dipped in the solution and wipe carefully inside your Cornies ears to remove all the dirt and wax.
How Long Do Cornish Rex Cats Live
Cornies have a life expectancy of 11 to 16 years although some can exceed up to 20 years.
Do Cornish Rex Cats Shed
Cornies shed in low amounts throughout the year and a bit more during spring and fall.
Are Cornish Rex Hypoallergenic
No. Cornies are not hypoallergenic since they have proteins found in felines’ saliva, urine, and skin, and produce dander which is all known to trigger allergic reactions in people.
Cornish Rex Quick Facts
- They have long and slender tails that are lash-like.
- Cornies have an unusually arched back, medium-sized oval-shaped eyes, and an aquiline nose.
- They have long legs and big ears that are broad at the bottom and round at the end.
- Cornies only have the undercoat with down hair and lack the middle and outer coat layers.
