The breed emerged from the natural mutation of the domestic cat. Such mutations were observed in Europe as long ago as in the 1930s and in England in 1950s. Devons were raised in England and in 1967 they were recognised as a distinct breed by GCCF.

Devons have short, fleecy coat, arranged in beautiful locks or waves. Their whiskers are also short and curly. Every colour is acceptable for this breed, yet it is inadvisable to have any bald places on the body. The head is small with a peculiar triangular shape. Low-set large ears and beautiful, equally big eyes, protruding cheeks and a short nose with a so-called stop make a cat look like a creature from outer space. A long neck, muscular body and delicate long legs, prominent chest and a strange posture of a cat add to the picture weird and amazing.

Devon is wonderfully intelligent, energetic, runs perfectly and jumps very high; it does not fall ill, as he lacks unnatural breeding deformations; it does not shed (a notice for people allergic to bristle or saliva ? I have not observed any allergic reaction at anybody in the household).

(http://devon-rex.xtr.pl/devon-rex.htm)

Cats of Devon Rex breed are the ones that cannot be passed without being noticed. They always attract attention not only with their extraordinary look, big head, large ears, expressive, almost human eyes, slightly smiling muzzle and wavy fur, but also with their dignity and perfect character. They emerged from the natural mutation of domestic cat. Such mutations were observed in Europe in 1930s (Berlin, Krolewiec) and then in 1950s in England and Germany.

Devons were bred in England. In 1960, Ms. Beryl Cox, a cat lover from the little town of Buckfastleigh in Devonshire, was feeding cats within the area of abandoned tin mine. She noticed there a strange tomcat with curly fur. After some time, in the garden, one of her females gave birth to kittens. A funny, smoky tomcat with curly coat appeared in the litter. Ms. Cox kept him in the household and named him Kirlee. He grew into a beautiful tomcat with a broad head and a pixie look. Kirlee had a very interesting appearance and besides, a wonderful, almost dog-like character. He could walk on the leash and balance on the tightrope.

Ms. Cox contacted Ms. Stirling-Webb living nearby, who was the owner of the first Cornish Rex, Kalibunker. They mated Kalibunker?s fleecy daughter with Kirlee and received a ?beautiful litter? of domestic cats with straight coat. It occurred to them that Kirlee was not a Cornish Rex. What breed was he then Litters of Kirlee and domestic females showed some curly kittens. He was finally mated with his own curly daughter and this was the beginning of success. A new breed " Devon Rex " was established. These cats were further mated with Birman and British cats in order to improve the breeding material. Since 1965, Devon Rex cats had been presented at cat shows and in 1967, they were eventually recognised as a separate breed by GCCF.

An ideal Devon should have very short, soft and wavy coat, but guard hair may also appear. Its whiskers and eyebrows should be curly and short or of middle-length. The breed allows for all coat colours with unrestricted amount of white. A short head in the shape of a wedge with prominent cheeks, short muzzle with a strong chin, short nose with a clearly marked stop, and a forehead that changes into the flat skull. Big eyes in the almond shape should be placed far from each other and their colour should be clean and shiny. External brinks of the eyes should be directed at base of the ears. Ears large, deeply set should be rounded at tips and covered with delicate hair. The body should be strong and muscular but of delicate built and medium-sized with wide chest, legs long and slim, with front legs slightly bent (o-paws). Paws ought to be small and oval shaped, a neck long and slim and a tail ? long, thin, pointed at the end and hairy.

It is considered a mistake when the coat is not curly or protuberant. Bare areas that appear sometimes are treated as defects at young kittens and very serious defects at adults. It is also undesirable at Devons to have a narrow head, too stocky body, to lack musculature, to have small or high-set ears and a short bare or too hirsute tail. Many Devons present only slight fluff on bottom parts of their body (belly), and some young cats lack hair completely, yet fully haired cats are utterly preferred.

Cats of this breed mature slowly and they are not fully shaped until the age of three. They are in every respect exceptional creatures. Their eerie appearance is often associated with a friendly alien E.T. They are a gorgeous animal for home breeding due to their unusually soft, almost not shedding coat and a wonderful character. They perfectly co-exist with other animals, but always keep the most important place in their heart for people. They become strongly devoted to their owners and remain very insinuating.

Devons are real masters of murmuring. What is even more interesting, they are the only cats that can show their joy by wagging their tails. They are fast learners and they are very clean. They do not require any special care, it is enough to stroke and bath them sometimes. Despite their fragile look, Devons are a very healthy breed. They catch colds very seldom and hardly ever fall ill. They definitely should not be considered a breed, which suffers from unnatural reshaping of their body or from minimizing some organs, e.g. shortening of the nose or excessive slimming, etc.

(http://cat.fs.com.pl/koty/drx/)

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