Cornish Rex cat ideal weight and nutrition
The ideal weight for a male Cornish Rex cat is 8 - 10 lbs (3.5 - 4.5 kg) and for a female Rex cat is 5 - 8 lbs (2.0 - 3.5 kg). For the suggested daily intake of dry food, consult the table below:
Table 1.1 - Cornish Rex cat daily food intake
In order to maintain the fit build of the Cornish Rex cat, as well as their active nature, their nutrition must contain high quality protein and reduced fat and also Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to produce muscle tissue over fat and L-carnitine to utilize fat reserves as an energy source. Although cat food companies have not yet developed special food formulas for the Cornish Rex cats, you might want to try meals specially designed for active cats or even better formulas for Siamese cats.
Cornish Rex kittens care
When you introduce cornish rex kittens to your home let them find their own way out of the basket and allow them to explore one room at a time. Make sure that all doors and windows are shut, to prevent the kitten from escaping.
Cornish Rex kittens are very often frightened by children or other pets that are new to them. Children should therefore be recommended to be quiet and wait for the kitten to adopt to the new environment, while other animals should be introduced later, gradually and one at a time. Remember that adult cats might attack to the baby cat, since they confront it as a competitor and therefore as an enemy.
Talk to your kitten and encourage it to play with a toy but do not overwhelm it with extreme attention.
Cornish Rex kittens need warmth. If there is not some form of heating in the room at all times, you had better buy a heated bed from a pet shop.
During the first month of their life, cornish rex kittens should be breastfeeding. This is why you shouldn't separate them from their mother before they are one month old.
At the age of one month cornish rex kittens can start eating kitten food. In the market you will find a wide range of kitten meals, however we recommend dry kitten food. This comes in small kibbles that encourage cornish rex kittens to crunch and help them develop stronger gum and teeth.
For the suggested daily intake of kitten dry food, consult the table below:
Table 1.2 - Cornish Rex kittens daily food intake
Cornish Rex cat grooming
The Rex cat does not moult heavily and its coat is easy to care for. A weekly going over with a baby brush is usually sufficient, while a firm stroking with the hand from head to tail will emphasize the waves of the coat. The brushing movements need to be repetitive, however delicate. Brushing will also improve the blood circulation and help avoid many unpleasant and long-lasting infections and allergies.
Although rex cat coat does not shed considerably during the seasonal change, extra brushing is beneficial at this time to remove any loose hair before your cat swallows it and develops hairballs.
Tapeworms
Tapeworms are parasites that live in the small intestine of cats. They will cause severe diarrhea, poor or extreme appetite, avitaminosis, lethargy, coughing and abdominal distention to your cat.
To find out more, check our tapeworm treatment guide.
Hair ball
When a cat grooms itself by licking its own fur, it will swallow some of its own hair. Most of the hair passes all the way through the digestive tract with no problems. But if some hair stays in the stomach, it can form a hair ball.
To find out more, check our hair ball treatment guide.
Fleas
Even clean cats can pick up fleas, especially during the summer months. They get fleas through the contact with infested pets or through the contact with fleas in the environment (e.g. from an infected bedding).
>To find out more check our flea treatment guide.
Cornish Rex cat care
Cat ears require a great deal of hygiene as they are prone to serious infections. Consult your vet on choosing the proper cat ear cleaning solution and use it to remove the excess of wax, debris and dead tissues.
Cat teeth should be checked periodically and brushed with a special wipe to prevent teeth and gum diseases. In the market there are also a lot of cat toys, specially designed to remove food wastes and prevent teeth irritation.
A litter tray must be available at all times and kept in the same place. Solid matter and wet lumps should be removed from the tray frequently and the litter renewed when necessary. The tray should be washed and disinfected frequently. Rinse thoroughly after disinfecting and allow drying before use. A Rex cat is very fussy and will not use a dirty tray.
Never give a cat any drugs that have not been prescribed for it; many human drugs are poisonous to cats. Seek veterinary advice immediately if you suspect any form of poisoning.
Make sure that cat toys or parts of them cannot be swallowed. Plastic bags and rubber bands can be extremely dangerous, because they do not show up on an X-ray.
Cornish Rex cat health and lifespan
The Cornish Rex cat usually lives up to 12 years, but with the proper care and nutrition can live up to 14 years of age. There are no breed-related health problems with cornish cat. Because of its poor coat, cornish cat might suffer from easy loss of body heat. Other health problems that a Cornish cat might confront are various heart issues and thyroid deficiency.
Cornish Rex cat history
On July 21, 1950 Ms. Nina Ennismore of Bodmin Moor, a rocky, windswept highland in Cornwall, discovered an unusual kitten among her tortie and white cat "Serena's" latest litter. A little cream-colored male, later named Kallibunker, was covered with tight rows of tiny curls, giving him the appearance of a miniature lamb. Nina who had formerly bred and shown Rex rabbits knew that the spiral coat was the result of a mutated gene, a gene also responsible for the curly heads among rats, mice and horses.
As the kitty grew, his difference from his littermates became more dramatic and Nina thought he should be neutered. Luckily, the vet realized that this cat was something special and advised her to consult with noted British geneticist A.C. Jude. Dr. Jude recognized that Kallibunker was a genuine mutation, and suggested that he should be bred back to his mother to perpetuate the look. As expected, two curly kittens were produced in the litter of three.
Nina, thanks to her experience from breeding and showing Rex rabbits, she made the connection in the coat types and named the new cat breed Rex.
The following year, Frances Blancheri of California imported two Rex cats from Ms. Ennismore.
The Cornish Rex cat was a straightaway success in North America. In 1963 the breed was accepted for championship competition by the Canadian Cat Association and the American Cat Fanciers Association. Eventually all the other cat registries in North America recognized the Cornish Rex cat as a separate breed.
For a time, however, the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) did not acknowledge the difference between Cornish Rex cat and Devon Rex cat, despite genetic evidence to the contrary. CFA registered all Rex cats as Cornish Rex cats until 1979, when it finally agreed to create a separate breed designation for the Devon Rex cat.
Cornish Rex cat personality
The Cornish Rex cat is active, affectionate, curious and playful. It is also extremely mild and devoid of aggression, making it ideal for children. It attaches to all households equally, still its cohabitation with other cats depends on those cats’ character, temperament and attitude.
The Cornish Rex cat is highly social and demanding of attention. It needs people and given a choice will spend most of its time with humans. If left home alone, it can become depressed. A second Rex is usually the answer and making life twice as entertaining for you!
A Rex cat does not have a hallmark sound, such as Siamese cats do, but a wide variety of voices, from gutteral rumbling meows to sqeaks and prrrrts.
The Cornish Rex cat is one of the few breeds that enjoy the crowds and excitement found at a cat show. Where other cats are frightened or annoyed by the many onlookers and the noise, the Cornish Rex watch with interest.
Truly a study in contrasts, a Cornish Rex cat is one of the most versatile pets with a mood to match every occasion. The very same Rex who has just been gracefully flying through the air will be very happy to cuddle up on its owner's lap or, even better, right under his chin.
Cornish Rex cat breed standards
According to the Fédération Internationale Féline, the Cornish Rex cat is distinguished by its slender and graceful appearance.
It has a small, egg shaped head. The head is slightly longer than wide, while when viewed from profile, it reveals a flat skull, straight nose and strong chin. A narrow or very broad head is considered a fault, while the whiskers and eyebrows should be crinkled or curved. Furthermore, the neck is more than elegant and slender.
The ears are large, wide at the base and tapering to rounded tips. Well covered with fine hair they are set high on the head and always held alert.
The eyes are oval shaped, of medium size, slanting slightly upward (slanted almond shaped eyes are considered a fault). There are no restrictions regarding the color, nonetheless this should be bright, clear and pure.
The breed's typical body is of medium length and thanks to its fine and delicate bone structure, very elegant. On the other hand, due to its well developed musculature, especially in the hips and thighs, the body is surprisingly heavy.
The legs are long, straight and slender and the paws small, oval and dainty.
The tail is long, fine and tapering, well covered with wavy hair. It shouldn't bare patches nor be bushy.
The majority of the cat breeds possess three layers types of hair in their coats:
· the outer fur or "guard hairs", which is about 5 cm long in short hair cats and 10cm+ long in long hair cats
· the middle layer called the "awn hair"
· the down hair or undercoat, which is very fine and about 1 cm long
A Cornish Rex cat only has the undercoat.
So, Rex are short hair cats, with a non shaggy coat (undercoat), which is slightly plush and dense, lying close to the body. Its waves distinguish the Cornish from the Devon Rex cat. As for the colors and patterns, all of them are allowed, including varieties with any amount of white.
