Cornish Rex

Lean cats with a curly coat

Cornish rex is a cat breed famous for its curly coat consisting of exclusively down hair.

Country of origin:	Great Britain
Personality:	Extroverted, Friendly, Intelligent, Affectionate, Curious.
Coat:	Shorthair
Colour:	Blue, Lilac, Cream, Red, Chocolate, Black, White
Characteristics:	Curly hair
Life expectancy:	from 15 to 18 years

Cornish rex kittens

Cornish rex is a breed of very agile and energetic cats. They love any type of physical activity. Cornish rex kittens are intelligent and known for their fast learning. Kittens of this breed tend to adapt well to new situations and surroundings. They are communicative, friendly towards people and animals, curious and often can be found snooping around the house. Positive reinforcement training is known to show the best results in kitten training. Tasty snacks are a great motivation and a tasty reward for your kitten. Kycklingfile or Tuna Recipe will work wonders in training with your kitten. Provide your cornish rex kitten with a healthy and well-balanced diet. Kattunge is a dry kitten food formulated to suit all the dietary needs of a cat in the 1st year of his life.

Cornish rex nutrition

Cornish rex is a breed of active cats with a significant appetite. Increased level of physical activity requires a higher caloric intake, but many times with cornish rex cats their appetite greatly surpasses their actual daily caloric demand. Never overfeed your cat and do not refill the bowl every time your cat licks it clean. Have your cat eat on a schedule and stick to a recommended daily food portion based on your cat’s body weight. Cats are not too fond of drinking still water and they get the majority of their fluids from their meals. Wet food should be the maintenance diet, especially in the case of physically active cats. If your cat prefers dry food you can add some snacks such as Tuna Recipe or Exclusive Aptit to enhance the palatability and increase the fluids intake in your active cat.

Recommended for Cornish Rex cats:

Exclusive Kattunge | Balanced dry food for kittens & mother cats

Exclusive Kattunge is recommended for kittens from weaning to 12 months with high content of animal protein and fat to support healthy growth. Also suitable for pregnant and nursing cats.

Protein: 34%

Fat content: 21%

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Exclusive Lyster Care | Complete nutrition for adult cats

Exclusive Lyster Care is a recipe with a high energy content for cats with sensitive skin and higher energy requirements.

Protein: 32.0%

Fat content: 21.0%

Check it out

Detailed description of Cornish rex

Cornish rex is a medium-sized cat breed with a curly coat. The coat of cornish rex cats consists of only down hairs that provide the cat with limited protection against cold.

Genesis

The first-ever cat with curly and fine hair was born In 1950 on a farm in Cornwall. Curly coat appeared on a single cat in the entire litter so the owner decided to backcross the kitten to his mother which resulted in the litter of cats with unusual, curly fur. Later on, curly-haired cats have been crossbred with Siamese cats, which resulted in the next litters of cats with curls in their fur taking after Siameses, especially in regards to their lean bodies, skinny tails and triangular heads adorned with huge ears. The usage of the word “rex” to imply some aberration originates from a rabbit show in Belgium, to which King Albert I of Belgium supposedly brought two curly-haired rabbits. Though the animals did not meet the breed standard, judges and show officials did not want to risk offending the king, so they accepted the animals and wrote the word “rex” (Latin for king) beside their names.

Appearance

Cornish rex cats have quite a bit in common with siamese cats, with which the ancestors of the modern breed have been crossbred. Cornish rex cats have muscular but lean bodies, long and lean legs that make cats appear tall. The long, skinny tail is the cherry on top for the lean appearance of the cornish rex cats. Triangular head with big and wide ears set high atop it seems small. Cornish rex cats have medium-sized and almond-shaped eyes, usually in a bold and vivid colour. But the most important feature of the cornish rex cat is most definitely the fur. Cats of this breed have dense and short hair with a pronounced curl to it. Cornish rex cats' coats lack guard hair and awn hair - it can lead to a quick loss of body heat, especially during winter. Fur that lacks the guard hair has a tendency to become greasy, mostly on the chin and paws.

Behaviour

Cornish rex are very active felines that love any physical activities, such as jumping, running around and more. This intelligent cat breed is very quick learners and can easily adapt to new surroundings or situations. Cornish rex cats can be extremely communicative and social - you can expect that your cat will gladly accompany you during any everyday tasks, many times loudly meowing to get your attention. Cornish rex cats are known for being very curious about their surroundings and friendly towards other pets. They get along well with children too. Due to their coat lacking guard and awn hair they do best as indoor only cats - they can quickly lose body heat which can even lead to hypothermia.

Requirements

Cornish rex cats do best as exclusively indoor cats - in the warm home or apartment it is easier for them to maintain their higher body temperature. Provide your cat with a ton of warm and cozy places to lounge around, especially during winter, when even the warmest places can get colder than usual. As an active and playful breed cornish rex cats need a proper amount of physical activity. Cats of this breed love the company of their humans, so prepare yourself to spend some quality time with your cat every day.

Daily care

Curly coat of the cornish rex cats has no other hair except for down - it is fine and light and has a tendency to get greasy rather quickly. Cornish rex cats do require more baths than other cat breeds. Once a week brush your cat, but remember to be gentle - putting too much pressure on light and curly hairs can disrupt the hair structure and ruin the curls. Trim your cat’s nails regularly, check the ears and clean them if needed. Always use care products made specifically for cats that are made to suit the pH balance of their skin.

dr Anna Plummervet and blogger