Cornish Rex Cat

Cornish Rex cats owe their unique short-fur to a genetic mutation that occurred in a cat in a Cornish barn litter in the 1950s.

Cornish Rex Behavior/Personality

Source: Wikipedia

Cornish Rexes are said to love adventure, enjoying exploring and climbing on everything. However, because of their very light fur coats, they cannot tolerate the cold. In fact, many people claim to notice the cats hanging around radiators, light bulbs-even computer monitors-in search of warmth. Otherwise, Cornish Rex cats are generally thought to be companionable animals and good with children.

Note that Cornish Rexes are not exactly hypo-allergenic, since they still have some cat dander, though perhaps they do not shed as much as other breeds.

Cornish Rex Breed Standard/Physical Description

Here are some facts on the Cornish Rex breed based on information in Wikipedia

Perhaps the most striking physical feature of the Cornish Rex cat breed is that the cats have no fur but down, which would be the undercoat in most cats. As in most other cats, this down fur is very short, only about one centimeter long. This coat is also quite fine and soft.

The Cornish Rex breed is also said to have a distinctive smell: a mild cheese-like smell resulting from scent glands in the cats' paws.

Cornish Rex History

Source: Wikipedia

The Cornish Rex cat breed began with a genetic mutation, like a number of today's cat breeds, such as the American Curl. Also like many of today's breeds, the Cornish Rex breed originated in the post-WWII period, particularly the 1950s. The first ever cat of the breed was named Kallibunker and was born to a littler of barn kittens in Cornwall (hence the name) in the UK. When brought to North America, the breed was cross-breed with Siamese cats.

The Cornish Rex cat breed is very much like the Devon Rex breed. The word "Rex" is used to describe the unusually short fur of these animals. The use of the word "rex" this way comes from King Albert of Belgium who entered short-haired rabbits in a rabbit show. The show officials wrote "rex" next to the animals' names.