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Cornish
Rex Cat
The Cornish Rex Cat 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. The Cornish Rex
cats
have only the undercoat.
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Cornish
Rex Cat
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The coat of a Cornish Rex Cat is extremely
fine and soft to the touch.
As the coat of the Cornish Rex Cat is not highly
allergenic, the breed is suitable for people with allergies or asthmatic
conditions.
However, their light coat means that they are only suitable for
indoor living in moisture free and warm conditions.
Consequently, these cats
tend to hang around light bulbs, the tops of computer monitors, and other
warm places.
Cornish Rex cats also have a cheesy smell peculiar to the breed.
The Cornish Rex Cat is an adventurous cat.
It is intelligent and, can readily adapt to new situations and engage
in explorative behavior.
Humans often consider this behavior to be
deliberately mischievous, but this is a case of anthropomorphism.
The Cornish Rex cat seeks out the company of people, and is friendly towards other
companion animals. It is a suitable pet for timid children.
The Cornish Rex Cat 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, and he
became the first Cornish Rex cat.
There is another very similar breed — the
Devon Rex. Devon and
Cornish Rex cats are produced by different genes, and crosses between the two
are not allowed in pedigrees. Another hair-deficient breed is the Sphynx
cat.
The word "Rex" implying short or
otherwise unusual fur comes from a rabbit
breed.
King Albert of the Belgians (1875 – 1934) once entered some
short-haired rabbits in a rabbit show. The rabbits didn't meet the breed
standard.
Not wanting to offend the king, the show officials accepted them,
but wrote "Rex," meaning "king" by their names. Links For
"Cornish Rex Cat" The
Cat Fanciers Association, inc
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