The ideal Cornish Rex cat is a curvy, intelligent cat with an extremely soft wavy coat. They are the cat version of a Whippet or small Greyhound. An English cat in origin they are short haired with a coat that is close to the body. They are playful and ideal for someone who likes an active cat to play with.

The standard awards 40 points to the coat, 30 points to body, 5 to color and 25 points to the head structure. Disqualifications include kinked or ‘abnormal’ tail, coarse hairs, lameness, poor health and wrong number of toes. The coat is distinctive and defining of the breed.

The breed comes in a variety of colors including white, black, blue, red, cream, chinchilla silver, shaded silver, chocolate and lavender. “Smoke” colors of white, blue, red, cream, lavender and chocolate are also allowed as well as the “classic”, mackerel or spotted tabby as well as patched, calico and tortoiseshell and white, bi-color, pointed and lynx point. 

The wide variety of colors comes with a history. An English breeder of Rex rabbits found an unusual coat on a kitten that was then raised and bred back to his dam. More of the coat was produced and, due to the knowledge of breeding for coat on rabbits, Nina Ennismore realized this similar recessive coat in cats was unique. A few cats were sent to the US but the original cats were destroyed due to funds. Down to just 2 cats in England there was an occasional kitten born with the cat, while they were outcrossed with other breeds.

The Cornish Rex cat has a lack of guard hairs, leaving just a fine wavy coat that is very soft and silky. The muscle should be hard on the cat, with a heavier body weight then one would think. These are hardy, active cats that don’t normally have a weight problem due to their activity. It’s not unusual for some cats in this breed to be very active.

Due to the lack of guard hairs there is also less shedding than in other breeds. They love attention and are happy with the family or at home looking for things to get into. They should be heavy muscled for their size and are very athletic. Their distinctive large ears and typically soft voices are distinctive in the cat world.

This is a breed that can seem warmer than other breeds due to that lack of coat, and are precocious kittens that seem to often develop quickly. Many Cornish Rex cats will learn to do tricks and sometimes chase or fetch toys. They typically get along well with other pets as well as people. They are typically good tempered cats that are affectionate and need little grooming.

If you enjoy an active, playful long-lived cat and are willing to tolerate their entertaining themselves with whatever isn’t nailed down, look at this breed for an unusual look and entertaining character. A sense of humor and an indoor home is needed due to the coat. If your home is a fit check into this breed!

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