Devon Rex.

Devon Rex. Devon Rex, breed of wavy-haired cat, the result of a natural mutation (change in breed characteristics that occurred naturally rather than through a selective breeding process). The first Devon rex was a male born near Devonshire, England, in 1960, one of a litter of wild kittens with a wavy-haired father and a straight-haired mother. Breeding this cat with a Cornish rex cat produced only straight-haired kittens; cat breeders then distinguished the wavy-haired Devon rex as a separate breed. The Devon rex is slender, with a muscular body, a broad chest, and a flat abdomen. Males can be up to 25 percent larger than females. The legs are long, and the back legs are longer than the front legs. The small, wedge-shaped head--with prominent cheekbones and large, rounded ears set low and wide apart--gives the Devon rex a pixielike appearance. Large, wide-set eyes are oval and slant up toward the outer edges of the ears. The eyes of the Devon rex are varying shades of green. Coat colors include black, blue, chocolate, red, lavender, and white, which appear in solid, bicolored, shaded, smoke, and multicolored patterns. The short, curly hair makes a dense, soft coat. The fur is shorter than that of the Cornish rex, and not as plush or wavy. The American Cat Fanciers' Association recognized this breed in 1972. All cat associations accept the Devon rex for competition. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.