The Devon Rex is a truly unique feline, captivating admirers with its distinctive “elfin” appearance. This breed is characterized by its large, expressive eyes, a short muzzle, prominent cheekbones, and exceptionally large, low-set ears. These features combine to create an unmistakable and charming look. With a medium-fine, muscular frame, the Devon Rex is covered in a soft, wavy coat that sets it apart from all other feline breeds due to the specific mutation responsible for its distinctive texture. Alert, active, and keenly interested in their surroundings, Devon Rex cats are known for their engaging personalities.
Head and Facial Features
The head of a Devon Rex is best described as a modified wedge. When viewed from the front, this wedge shape is clearly defined by three distinct convex curves: the outer edge of the ear lobes, the cheekbones, and the whisker pads. The head should be broad, though slightly longer than it is wide. The face is characterized by full cheeks and pronounced cheekbones, along with a distinct whisker break. In profile, the nose features a strongly marked stop, and the forehead curves back to a flat skull. It’s important to note that allowances are made for the natural development of jowls in adult males.
The muzzle is short and well-developed, featuring prominent whisker pads. The chin is strong and well-developed, aligning vertically with the nose when viewed in profile, meaning it should be neither undershot nor overshot.
Eyes are a striking feature of the Devon Rex. They are large, wide-set, and oval in shape, sloping towards the outer edges of the ears. While any eye color is acceptable, and no specific points are assigned to eye color in the breed standard, it’s worth noting that colorpoint Devons typically have blue eyes, and mink variations usually present with aqua eyes.
The ears are remarkably large and are set very low on the head. They are wide at the base, extending beyond the line of the head’s wedge. The ear tips are rounded, and the ears are well-covered with fine fur. The presence or absence of earmuffs or ear-tip tufts is permissible.
Body and Structure
The body of the Devon Rex is hard and muscular, possessing a lithe and medium length. It features a broad chest and medium-fine boning, supported by legs that are medium fine yet sturdy. The cat is carried high on its legs, with the hind legs being slightly longer than the front. As with the head, allowances are made for larger size in males, provided that good overall proportions are maintained.
The legs are long and slim, with paws that are small and oval-shaped. Devon Rex cats have five toes on the front paws and four on the hind paws.
The tail is long, fine, and tapering, well-covered with short fur.
Complementing the body structure, the neck is medium in length and slender.
Coat Characteristics
The coat of the Devon Rex is a defining characteristic of the breed.
Density: The cat should be well-covered with fur. The densest fur is found on the back, sides, tail, legs, face, and ears. A slightly lesser density is permissible on the top of the head, neck, chest, and abdomen. While bare patches are considered a fault in kittens and a serious fault in adults, the presence of down on the underparts of the body should not be mistaken for bareness. Sparse hair on the temples, in front of the ears, is not a fault.
Texture: The coat is characterized by its softness, fineness, and fullness. It possesses a distinctive “rexed” quality, meaning it appears to be without guard hairs.
Length: The coat is short on the back, sides, upper legs, and tail. It is very short on the head, ears, neck, paws, chest, and abdomen. Kittens may have very short fur all over. Even if not long enough to show significant wave, the kitten’s coat must cover it evenly, with no evident bare patches.
Waviness: A rippled wave effect should be apparent when the coat is smoothed by hand. This wave is most noticeable where the coat is longest, typically on the body and tail.
Color and Patterns
The Devon Rex breed recognizes a vast array of genetically possible colors and patterns, including any combination thereof. For clarity and consistency in judging, specific guidelines are in place for various colors and patterns. These include solid colors (White, Black, Blue, Red, Cream, Chocolate, Lavender, Cinnamon, Fawn), various tabby patterns (Classic, Mackerel, Spotted, Ticked, Patched), and combinations with white (Bi-color, Van Bi-color). Furthermore, the breed embraces complex patterns like Shaded, Smoke, Chinchilla, Tortoiseshell, Blue-Cream, Calico, Dilute Calico, and their respective “Van” variations.
Special attention is given to patterned cats. For example, in Brown Tabby, the ground color should be brilliant coppery brown with dense black markings. Nose leather should be brick red, and paw pads black or brown. In Silver Tabby variations, the ground color is pale clear silver with dense black markings.
The breed also accommodates Pointed, Mink, and Sepia patterns, each with distinct characteristics regarding color contrast, eye color, and other specific features. For instance, Pointed cats must have blue eyes, while Mink cats typically have aqua eyes, and Sepia cats can have yellow/gold, green, to blue/green eyes.
The ODRC (Other Devon Rex Colors) class is designated for any other color or pattern not otherwise defined, including smoke patterns and various point-restricted colors.
Penalties and Disqualifications
Certain deviations from the breed standard incur penalties or lead to disqualification.
Penalties are applied for heads that are long and/or narrow, or taper in a “V” shape. Flared ears, round heads, or those resembling a mixed breed are also penalized. Extremely short muzzles, misaligned bites, small or high-set ears, short or bare tails, straight coats, and bare patches are also considered faults.
Disqualifications are reserved for more severe issues. These include extensive baldness, excessively long and/or shaggy coats, long hair on the tail, kinked or abnormal tails, incorrect number of toes, crossed eyes, weak hind legs, or any evidence of illness or poor health.
Allowable Outcrosses
For breeding purposes, allowable outcross breeds for the Devon Rex are the American Shorthair or British Shorthair. It’s important to note that as of May 1, 2028, kittens may only have Devon Rex parents, signifying a move towards breed purity.
