A curly – coated, playful, sociable acrobat

The first Cornish Rex was a male named Kallibunker born to Serena, a tricolor housecat, in 1950 on the Ennismore` s farm near Bodmin in Cornwall, England (hence the name Cornish Rex). His curly coat resembled that of Rex rabbits discovered on a French farm in 1919. In order to preserve this recessive mutation, the breeding program combined inbreeding with outcrosses to Siamese, British Shorthairs, and Burmese. In 1967, the Cornish Rex was officially recognized in England.

In 1960, Professor E. Letard brought Rex couple from Germany to France. Only the green-eyed male Marco, survived the trip. He was mated with a Burmese queen. The kittens were black and straight coated, proving that the gene responsible for the Rex coat was indeed recessive. Letard the mixed-breed offspring and in 1962, finally obtained a male Rex Lisko, a descendant from the French Rex line. In the United States, a breeding program began in 1957. Crosses with Siamese and Orientals resulted in a lighter, oval-headed cat, while the English Cornish Rex was heavier and had a more triangular, rather than long, head. This breed is highly prized in the United States and Europe.

.
Characteristics

This playful, lively, rather eccentric acrobat is always in motion. The good –natured Cornish Rex enjoys other cats and dogs, and dislikes solitude.

This affectionate, gentle cat makes a loving companion, albeit with a rather strident voice. The Cornish Rex enjoys indoor living, particularly since he tends to be cold-blooded. Females cycle frequently and are quite prolific. Their appetite is phenomenal, and kittens develop rapidly. Weekly brushing will maintain the wavy coat. This breed hardly sheds.