CORNISH REX CAT BREED
Cornish Rex Cat Breed – CtasPlace.org
History
The first known Cornish was discovered on July 21, 1950, on a farm in Bodmin Moor, Cornwall, England, where Serena, a tortoiseshell and white domestic, gave birth to five kittens. The litter contained one curly-coated orange and white male kitten, which Nina Ennismore, Serena’s owner, named Kallibunker.
Kallibunker was noticeably different from his littermates. His hair was short and curly and, instead of possessing the cobby body like that of his littermates and mother, Kallibunker’s body was long and lithe. He possessed large ears, a slender tail, and a foreign wedge-shaped head.
Ennismore, interested in this mini-mutant mouser, got in touch with a British geneticist, who agreed that the fur of Kallibunker was similar to the Rex rabbit’s fur. On the advice of the geneticist, Ennismore backcrossed Kallibunker to his mother. This mating produced a litter containing one straight-coated kitten and two curly-coated kittens. A second breeding was arranged for Kallibunker and Mom, and again curly-coated kittens were produced. The name Cornish Rex was decided upon for the new breed because of the breed’s resemblance to the curly-coated Astrex rabbit.
Two Cornish Rexes arrived in America in 1957, courtesy of fancier Fran Blancheri. One died shortly after arrival, but the other, LaMorna Cove, who was pregnant by Poldhu (one of the kittens sired by Kallibunker), survived and produced a Rex litter. LaMorna and family became the foundation cats for the Cornish Rex in America.
Since the gene pool was small, breeders outcrossed to other breeds to maintain genetic diversity. Siamese, Havana Browns, American Shorthairs, and domestic shorthairs were among the breeds used. This not only provided genetic diversity, but a wide selection of colors and patterns from which to choose. Outcrossing has since been disallowed because there’s now enough diversity to keep the breed healthy. The CFA accepted the Cornish for Championship in 1964; all the North American registries now accept the Cornish.
General: The Cornish Rex is distinguished from all other breeds by its extremely soft, wavy coat and racy type.
Body: Small to medium; torso long and slender, not tubular; back is naturally arched; shoulders well knit; rump rounded and well-muscled.
Head: Comparatively small and egg-shaped; length about one-third greater than width; definite whisker break; oval with gently curving outline; muzzle narrowing slightly to rounded end; cheekbones high and prominent; nose Roman with high prominent bridge.
Ears: Large and full from base; erect and alert; set high on head.
Eyes: Medium to large; oval, and slanting slightly upward; a full eyes width apart. Color should be clear, intense, and appropriate to coat color.
Tail: Long and slender; tapering toward end; extremely flexible.
Coat: Short, extremely soft, silky, and completely free of guard hairs; relatively dense; size and depth of wave may vary.
Color: All colors and patterns, including “Si-Rex” the unofficial name for Cornish Rex cats with the Siamese coloring and pattern.
Disqualify: Kinked or abnormal tail, incorrect number of toes, coarse or guard hairs, signs of lameness in the hindquarters, signs of poor health.
