Cornish Rex

While I've shown Scottish Folds for over 20 years and the occasional Persian or Exotic Shorthair I've often admired those long, slinky type of cats - I just never thought I'd want one. That was, until, I got to handle and play with a friend's Cornish Rex 10 years ago and found out just how incredible they are. Every since then I swore, that one day, I'd have one. As fate would have it, in June of 2003, I bumped into a friend of a friend - who just happened to breed Cornish. She had this wonderful little white Cornish who I just couldn't resist and so it began. I brought Rexdancer's Striptease home and she took one look at my hubby and my dogs and fell in love and just that quickly, I lost my cat. Hubby looked at her and asked what the heck that "rat thing" was... and so RAT was nicknamed. Since she became his and the dogs' cat I decided I needed to get another for myself. Luckily I had a show down near my breeder's home. There I saw this wonderful calico baby and everyone knows that calico ANYTHING is my weakness so CH Taco Kisses - a.k.a RJ (Rat Jr.) came home. That was the beginning of my SMALL Cornish Program, and a love affair with a breed of cats - that while so very different from the wonderful Folds I'm used to, is a breed I can't imagine not having around!

Cornish, like the Folds are a natural mutation and like the Folds the domestic Cornish Rex originated in a barn in Bodmin Moor in Cornwall England on July 21, 1950. The cream colored male who was the "Susie" of the Cornish was called Killibunker. He and is straight coated littermates were born out of tortie and white straight coat girl named Serena. His owner, Nina Ennismore, had bred and shown Rex rabbits and she recognized the curly coat mutation and decided to work with it in the cats. She worked with a geneticist named Brian Stirling-Webb who eventually discovered that there were actually 2 different curly coated genes in effect (the other eventually becoming the Devon Rex). In 1957 Nina sent over a cat, Lamora Cove, to a breeder in California. Two of Lamora's kittens - Diamond Lil of FanTree and Marmaduke of DazZling are the foundation of the Cornish here in the States. In 1963 they were accepted by the Canada Cat Association and The American Cat Fanciers Association and were a big hit in North America. They were crossed at one point, when breeding stock was scarce, with Siamese, which contributed to their racy build, big ears and fine bones.

The Cornish Rex is the "Greyhound" of the cat world... with a racy body (but not tubular), fine boning, long legs, tummy tuckup and a long tapered tail. They should have a long graceful neck leading to a narrow head that should look like a sideways egg with a rubber band around the muzzle area - pinching it into a defined muzzle break. They should have a roman nose, a strong chin and medium to large oval shaped eyes. Their ears are large and sit high on their heads. Yet their most outstanding feature is their wonderful short, soft, silky coat which is wavy. Their coat is often compared to crushed velvet or chenille and really has to be felt to be believed. The waves (or Marcel) cover the entire body from head to tail and should be dense and uniform with a washboard like appearance.

Cornish are energetic cats, never outgrowing their kittenish behavior. They are active and agile yet love attention and are known for being cuddlers and kissers. They are little clowns that are infinitely entertaining and are quite bright and intelligent. They love to play games like fetch and frisbee and will actually pick things up with their front paws, which are almost like little hands, and throw them around to entertain themselves. They will work their way into your lives and hearts - so be prepared.

QUEENS

REXDANCER TILTAWHIRL OF OWHL