| Q... |
What are Cornish Rex cats? |
| A... |
Cornish Rex are one of the breeds of cats that
resulted from a naturally occurring or spontaneous
mutation. The hallmark of this breed is the unique
curly-coat. The Cornish Rex is a small to medium cat with
a slender, arched body, large eyes and large ears set
high on the head. The long neck, high cheekbones and
aristocratic profile give it a look of pure elegance. Its
coat is extremely short and silky, lying close to the
body in washboard waves. |
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| Q... |
Are Cornish Rex cats those hairless cats? |
| A... |
Sphynx cats are the hairless breed of cats however
even Sphynx are not completely bald. |
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| Q... |
What cats do you breed together to produce the
Cornish Rex? |
| A... |
You breed Cornish Rex to Cornish Rex; there are no
allowable outcross breeds. |
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| Q... |
When and where was this breed first discovered? |
| A... |
In 1950 the first Cornish Rex cat that was used as a
foundation for this breed was discovered in a litter of
"Barn Cats" born on a farm near Cornwall,
England. |
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| Q... |
What can you tell me about the mother, father, or
other kittens in this litter? |
| A... |
The mother’s name was Serena, a tortoiseshell
and white shorthair cat, that lived her life in a normal
every day way on Mrs. Nina Ennismore’s farm. In this
litter there were five kittens. Kallibunker, a cream
colored male, was one of the kittens in this litter but
was very special because he had a curly-coat. Nothing
much is known about the father of Kallibunker save that
he lived somewhere in the general vicinity of the
Ennismore’s farm. |
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| Q... |
About how many Cornish Rex are born every year? |
| A... |
In 1995 as reported in the 1997 March issue of the
"Cat Fanciers’ Almanac" there were 1,515
live births recorded by the Cat Fanciers’
Association, also known as CFA. |
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| Q... |
What is the average number of kittens in each litter? |
| A... |
According to CFA the average litter size is three
with males and females being approximately equal in
number. |
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| Q... |
Aside from being curly, how does the Cornish Rex coat
differ from other shorthair cats? |
| A... |
The Cornish Rex cat is an ultra shorthair that has
just the downhair or undercoat whereas the Devon Rex has
the both the middle length of fur, the awnhair, as well
as the downhair . A normal shorthair cat, such as the
Siamese, has three lengths of fur, downhair, awnhair and
guardhair in their coat composition. |
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| Q... |
Are those cats fragile, they look delicate? |
| A... |
Many people think that the Cornish Rex cats look
fragile however quite the opposite it true. If you get a
chance to hold one of these cats you will be very
surprised at how much they weigh compared to the small
size; they are very muscular and agile. |
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| Q... |
Do Cornish Rex cats have any genetic defects or
faults? |
| A... |
No. |
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| Q... |
Do you need to set your thermostat higher to help
keep these cats warm in winter? |
| A... |
Cornish Cats always seem to find the warmest places
to rest in all seasons but do not require the master of
the house to have the heat turned up high to live
comfortably. |
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| Q... |
Could these cats survive outside in winter? |
| A... |
It is this author's opinion that all cats should
remain inside however Cornish Rex cats live outside on a
regular basis in cold climates such as are found in the
Netherlands. |
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| Q... |
How much do they weigh? |
| A... |
For adults the range falls somewhere between four and
one half pound to nine pounds. |
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| Q... |
Cornish Rex cats look a little like Poodles. Does
their fur feel coarse? |
| A... |
These cats have fur that is softer than any other
breed of cat and is in no way coarse or rough. |
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| Q... |
Do Cornish Rex cats come in all colors? |
| A... |
These cats come in a veritable rainbow of cat colors:
calicos, bi-colors, tri-colors (properly called calicos),
stripes, alas, not plaids. Cornish Rex can even come in
the colors and patterns of the Siamese or Colorpoint
Spectrum. |
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| Q... |
Are Cornish Rex cats hypoallergenic and do these cats
shed fur all about the house? |
| A... |
Popular folklore maintains that Cornish Rex cats are
non-shedding and hypoallergenic. In fact, they do shed
just as any live animal with hair must shed to renew its
coat. Due to the extremely short length and fine texture,
the hairs may be hard to see. Since cat allergies are
usually caused by the proteins in the cats’ saliva,
when cats are grooming themselves they coat their fur
with saliva which can become airborne when any fur is
shed. One thing to remember is that no two cats are
alike, nor are the people that are involved ever the
same. Some people with allergies to cats can tolerate a
Cornish Rex but may or may not be symptom free and others
are just as allergic to these cats as to any breed of
cat. Like many things in life, the best way to test for
an allergic reaction is by the time tested method of
trial and error. |
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| Q... |
What is the activity level and general personality of
this breed? |
| A... |
Cornish Rex cats are affectionate, active, and
gregarious. They are agile, athletic, and intelligent,
the Cornish Rex cat is wonderful for people that enjoy a
fun-loving pet with a high level of activity. While they
enjoy being a lap cat, they also delight in resting on
your shoulder or surveying their domain from high places.
Some people say that Cornish Rex cats act like kittens
all of their adult lives. Their active, playful and
affectionate nature make them ideal companions. |
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| Q... |
Did you cut or perm the hair on your cat to create
those waves? |
| A... |
Cornish Rex cats are born with curls. After a few
days the curls will disappear but the kittens will start
to coat up again when they are three to four months old.
This is not to say that young kittens are bald. Their
coat is just short and void of any curls. |
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| Q... |
Because of those curls do Cornish Rex cats require
any special type of grooming? |
| A... |
This is one of the reasons that Cornish Rex cats are
so popular because they need little if any grooming. Of
course like any cat they need their nails trimmed, a
Q-tip to clean ears, a wash cloth to wipe the face and
chin, and the coat should be brushed with a ribbed rubber
brush or a soft-bristled baby brush once or twice weekly. |
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| Q... |
Those cats look a little thin are they hungry? |
| A... |
All cats should be feed a quality diet of cat food
such as Iams, Nutro Max Cat, or Hills
Science Diet and Cornish Rex are no different. It is
a good idea to read the label on the food package and
follow the guidelines so as not to over or under feed
your cat. This breed is known for its hard muscular body
but are slender in appearance somewhat like Greyhounds.
Cornish Rex cats have very excellent appetites; if you
are not careful you can over feed your Rex because they
are so friendly and quite adept at asking for more food
than they require. |
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| Q... |
Are there any books about Cornish Rex cats? |
| A... |
Yes, but they are all out of print. |
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| Q... |
What are the main reasons that people fall in love
with the Cornish Rex? |
| A... |
Many like these cats because they shed a whole lot
less than other breeds and that they require little
maintenance or grooming. Others enjoy their Cornish Rex
cats because they are always playful like kittens. Rex
cats also are very people oriented and often follow their
owner all around the house wanting to be involved in
everything that is happening in the home. |
In English