Devon Rex: Cat Photo, Price, Nature And Description Of The Breed, Owner Reviews, How To Choose A Kitten In The Cattery, Pet Care

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Devon Rex: Cute Elves, Aliens, or Amazing Earth Creatures?

The relatively young breed of cats Devon Rex enjoys the well-deserved love of many people. But despite its many undoubted advantages, not everyone knows about its existence. Therefore, it would be nice to get to know these amazingly companionable and friendly animals better.

Content

• 1 History of the origin of the Devon Rex

• 2 External features of the Devon Rex breed

  2.1 Devon Rex color - photo gallery

• 3 Character and behavior of the Devon Rex
• 4 What diseases do Devon Rex cats most often suffer from?
• 5 How to choose a kitten

• 6 How to care for a Devon Rex

  • 6.1 Hygiene
  • 6.2 Toilet
  • 6.3 Feeding

• 7 Breeding Devon Rex

  7.1 Castration and sterilization

• 8 Features of the Devon Rex breed - video
• 9 Host reviews about the breed

History of the origin of the Devon Rex

The first kitten, nicknamed Kirley, and who became the ancestor of the Devon Rex breed, was born in Devon (England) in 1960. He was born as a result of the accidental relationship of a wild curly cat with a domestic cat and stood out with a brown-black short, curly hair.

The first Devon Rex cat spent 4 years actively working on obtaining offspring, and died at the 10th year of life from injuries sustained in an accident

The owner Beryl Cox decided that the unusual kitten could make a significant contribution to the development of the Cornish Rex breed. Therefore, she decided to give it to the breeder Brian Sterling Webb. But all attempts to use the cat in breeding led to the birth of babies with straight hair. Based on this, it was concluded that the genes responsible for the waviness of the Cornish Rex and Kirley are different. Therefore, breeders began work on breeding a new breed - Devon Rex, and an unusual kitten became its progenitor.

In Russia, the Devon Rex are not very popular. Many people are not even aware of the existence of these amazing cats. Therefore, there are few nurseries where one could purchase an animal.

External features of the Devon Rex breed

Cats of this breed have a very unusual appearance. Many find in them elven features or call them aliens. This is due to the presence of a wide wedge-shaped muzzle with pronounced cheekbones, beautiful, large ears sometimes with tassels at the tips and huge, widely spaced eyes.

An adult cat can weigh 4 to 4.5 kg and a cat can weigh 3–3.5 kg. Their height is 25-35 cm. The animals themselves are small, but muscular and with a wide chest. The neck is graceful and delicate.

They can have any color of eyes and coat, but it is always short and curly. At the same time, even eyelashes and mustaches, which differ in average length, curl a little.

Cats have a rather short, soft, wavy coat that is unable to fully perform the protective function. Therefore, they must be closely monitored in hot and cold weather to avoid overheating and freezing, respectively. At the same time, their wool is characterized by high thermal conductivity, so Devon Rex always seem warmer than other cats. According to the standard, it is shorter and sparser on the head, chest, legs and chest, while the back, tail and sides are covered with longer and thicker hairs. Bald patches and bald patches are not allowed, although a decrease in density is possible.

Although kittens do not look much like adult animals. At an early age, they have smart coachmen who gradually straighten out and fall out. This is considered a normal developmental stage for a cat. Subsequently, by 6–8 months, the coat begins to curl again and change to permanent. It is possible to finally evaluate the appearance of your pet only by the year, since by this period the formation of the coat completely ends.

Representatives of the breed have thin, but strong, well-developed paws. In this case, the rear ones are slightly longer than the front ones. The legs themselves are oval and neat.

The tail is long and thin with a pointed or rounded tip. It is completely covered with short hair.

Signs of non-compliance of the animal with the breed standard are:

• straight, shaggy or too long coat;
• narrow or elongated head shape;
• the presence of bald spots;
• low muscular development;
• short legs;
• high set or small ears;
• short, bald or overly fluffy tail.

But if such Devons can still take part in exhibitions, then in the presence of the following features, they will be completely disqualified. It:

• severe baldness;
• strabismus;
• creases on the tail;
• multi-finger;
• weakness of the hind limbs.

Devon Rex color - photo gallery

White Devon Rex are very common

Golden Devon Rex closely resemble sphinxes

Striped Devon Rex fits perfectly into any home

Gray-black Devon Rex has an aristocratic appearance

Black Devon Rex will bring happiness to its owners, even if it crosses their path

Color-point Devon Rex - a rarity to be treasured

The character and behavior of the Devon Rex

Devon Rexes are active, playful and inquisitive, preserved until old age. Most of all, they like to communicate with the owner and children, and also often draw attention to themselves with loud meows. But often they completely give their heart only to one of the family members and are able to follow him with their tail all day.

Devon Rex are excellent learners, so they are easy to train and teach easy commands. As a result, you can get a pet who will gladly bring slippers to the owner in the evening, like a faithful dog.

Representatives of this breed are very big hunters for climbing. They spend the lion's share of the time on specially built complexes for them or simply on the closets and shoulders of households.

In addition, the great advantages of animals are:

• the ability to easily adapt to any new environment;
• lack of desire in cats to mark territory during sexual activity;
• friendliness towards other animals.

But they are very attached to their family and it is extremely difficult to endure separation from her. Complete loneliness for Devon Rex is a living hell. Therefore, you should not have such a kitten if the owner is often forced to go away on business trips or lack time to communicate with a pet.

What diseases do Devon Rex cats most often suffer from?

Representatives of the breed are distinguished by quite good health, nevertheless, they also have a tendency to develop certain diseases. Typical for them is the occurrence of such diseases as:

• Dysplasia of the hip joints - displacement of the head of the femur, resulting in limited mobility of the animal. You can diagnose pathology after six months.
• Congenital hypotrichosis - hair loss caused by the presence of genes from the Canadian sphinxes. The disease is not treatable, but does not affect the quality of life of the cat.
• Cardiomyopathy is a hereditary pathology of the cardiovascular system, as a result of which an animal can suddenly die. To detect it, it is necessary to take a clinical blood test and undergo an ultrasound scan once a year. But in any case, it is completely impossible to cure the disease, the forces of drug therapy can only slow down its progression.
• Myopathy is muscle dysfunction that can be found in kittens as early as 3 weeks of age. Typical for her are spasms, tremors, inability to chew and swallow food, as well as keep her head upright. These animals are doomed to die because there is no effective therapy.
• Coagulopathy is a pathology accompanied by a violation of blood clotting, which is fraught with severe bleeding. For prevention, you need to carefully monitor the cat's diet and provide its body with all the necessary substances.
• Malassezia dermatitis is a fungal disease in which hair loss and severe itching are observed. The impetus for development is the occurrence of an allergic reaction or a decrease in immunity. If you contact your veterinarian in a timely manner and start complex therapy, the coat will fully recover.
• Tartar is a dental problem that can lead to loosening and premature tooth loss. It can be prevented by regular brushing of the animal's teeth, as well as annual professional cleaning in the conditions of the veterinary office.

As a rule, such pathologies are hereditary and are detected at an early age. But in general, animals have strong immunity and rarely get sick. Therefore, with proper care, they are able to please the owners with their friendship and attention for 18 years.

How to choose a kitten

It is recommended to buy kittens from breeders or nurseries, where you can get acquainted with the documents of the animals, their pedigree and see their parents. When choosing, you should first of all pay attention to the activity and uniformity of the coat. Be sure to check your eyes and ears for any discharge.

It will not be superfluous to look under the tail, it should also be clean there. The ideal age for acquiring an animal is 3–3.5 months.

A Devon Rex kitten has thick wavy hair up to two months old, but after a month it begins to actively fall out. Therefore, by the time it comes time to take the animal home, it looks more like a sphinx than a representative of the curly breed. From 3 to 6 months, wavy hair can be preserved only on the legs and tail, and the whole body is usually either naked or covered with light down. These signs should not scare the future owners, as they are a distinctive feature of Devon Rex kittens and do not allow them to be confused with similar Cornish Rex.

Since the adult coat is only formed by six months, when choosing a kitten, it is advisable to see him before 2 months of age. Then it will be difficult for the owner to determine what color he buys.

Distinctive features of Devon Rex kittens are also:

• triangular head shape;
• long legs;
• large ears with a wide base.

A healthy kitten will be active, playful and will easily make contact with humans

There are quite a few breeders and nurseries of Devon Rex in Russia. In this regard, the price of a kitten with a pedigree and a full package of documents will be about 40 thousand rubles. An important factor affecting the cost is the color of the animal. If it is rare, and the wool curls strongly, this can increase it up to 50-70 thousand rubles.

A kitten without documents can be purchased for 20 thousand rubles. But deciding on such a step, you need to understand that the purchased pet may turn out to be sick or unclean.

How to care for a Devon Rex

To satisfy the needs of your pet for entertainment and comfort, he must definitely purchase:

• a lot of different toys, including interactive ones;
• scratching post;
• house;
• game complex;
• tray;
• bowls for food and water;
• brush;
• shampoo for sensitive skin, etc.

Playground for Devon Rex is an irreplaceable thing

Hygiene

Due to the fact that the Devon Rex coat is unique, it requires special care. Since the skin of animals produces a fairly large amount of oil, the hairs quickly become dirty and stick together. Gradually, they are covered with dust and dirt, as a result of which the cat begins to look untidy. Therefore, in order for the animal to always be pleasing to the eye, it must be bathed regularly.

Some breeders advise doing this once a week, others once a month or less. But it is impossible to give unambiguous recommendations in this matter, since all cats are different. It is necessary to monitor its appearance and carry out bathing as the wool becomes dirty.

For this purpose, special shampoos for sensitive skin should be used. They teach the cat to water procedures gradually, showing due patience. You can't scold and shout at your pet, otherwise the process of getting used to bathing will take a long time. If you first wipe the animal with a damp towel, then wash it in the sink with a small amount of water and only later move on to more serious procedures, it will surely love them and get real pleasure.

The Devon Rex should be combed once every 2 weeks. Since they do not fade, you can adhere to this regime throughout your life.

The weakest point of this breed is the ears and eyes. Therefore, they need to be given special attention, otherwise the possibility of the development of the inflammatory process is not excluded. The eyes should be rinsed with a clean damp swab once a week, and the ears should be washed once every 2 weeks.

Restroom

The litter box and litter are one of the first acquisitions when planning your cat's arrival. Today, you can choose from traditional pallets, houses, automatic models, etc. In this matter, the owners must fully rely on their own taste and financial capabilities.

Each toilet has its own advantages and disadvantages. So, houses and automatic devices better retain odors and prevent filler from scattering on the floor.

But since the Devon Rex are distinguished by their uncommon intelligence, they can even be toilet trained. For this purpose, you need to buy a special device in the form of a lid with a grid.

To train a cat to the toilet is quite simple, using a special device and gradually increasing the hole in it.

If you choose classic trays, then the filler should be selected in accordance with the preferences of the animal itself. Pressed sawdust works well for a kitten, and for older cats it is more convenient to walk in clumping silica gel or silicon fillers.

After a kitten appears in the house, it must be immediately taken to the tray and given time to familiarize yourself with it. Also, the animal should be immediately carried to the toilet if signs of anxiety appear. Usually, when kittens want to relieve themselves, they start looking for a nook. After successfully completing the task, you need to praise the baby and then getting used to the toilet will pass quickly and easily.

Feeding

Devon Rex are real gluttons, but at the same time they are rather picky about food. Cats can eat natural food or prepared industrial food. But in any case, it is necessary to ensure that the nutrition fully satisfies the animal's needs for proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, etc.

When choosing a natural way of feeding, the diet should be dominated by:

• lean beef (pre-frozen and defrosted);
• boiled chicken or turkey breast;
• chicken hearts and navels;
• sea fish;
• dairy.

When choosing dry food, preference is given to super-premium products or holistic. It is imperative to make sure that the cat always has clean water in the bowl. Whereas the plate of food is removed immediately after feeding. If overeating is allowed, the Devon Rex can face obesity and pathologies of the cardiovascular system. To avoid this, feed your pet in small portions, but often.

Breeding Devon Rex

Animals reach sexual maturity by 7–8 months. But it is better to plan the first mating after the 2nd or 3rd heat. This will have a beneficial effect on the health of the young cat.

Pregnancy lasts 65–66 days and is usually uneventful. If you breed animals of the same breed, the female, as a rule, gives birth independently and without problems. Each litter usually has 3 to 5 kittens.

Mating with representatives of other breeds is unacceptable, since even when two purebred Devons are crossed, not all kittens can turn out with impeccable characteristics. When choosing a partner, it is imperative to check the documents and show both animals to the veterinarian before mating, as well as find out their blood groups. This simple test will avoid the sudden death of part of the litter as a result of blood incompatibility between kittens and nursing mothers.

Castration and sterilization

Castration is a medical procedure to remove the testes or ovaries. After it, animals not only completely lose their ability to reproduce, but also lose their sexual instincts, since the production of hormones stops. Such cats will not mark territory and scream, as well as dramatically lose weight or go bald.

Sterilization is a slightly different procedure in which the seminal ducts or fallopian tubes are ligated. Since the internal genital organs remain in the body, they continue to produce hormones, so cats retain the desire to have an active sex life, but are deprived of the ability to reproduce offspring.

Deciding on castration solves many problems. This protects animals from diseases caused by lack of sexuality and taking special drugs, and the owners from heart-rending screams and an unpleasant smell.

Therefore, if a pet is bought for the pleasure of family members and its participation in exhibitions or further breeding is not planned, timely castration will be the most correct option. It is recommended to carry out this procedure at 7-9 months.

Features of the Devon Rex breed - video

Reviews of the owners about the breed

Thus, Devon Rex will fit well both in a family with children and are perfect for older people. But, choosing such a kitten, you need to take into account their activity and the urgent need for frequent communication.