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The Cornish Rex Cat
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GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
A curly-coated,
fine-boned cat standing high on its legs. The Cornish Rex is
an elegant, well muscled, alert, medium-sized cat of foreign
type. They are very warm to the touch (approximately
40oC/101oF). |
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The short, soft, plush,
rippling or wavy coat, longish head, large ears and
characteristic tuck up of the stomach are its most
distinctive features. Although Cornish Rex appear deceptively
fragile and light-weight, they have a very powerful
pelvic structure, with extremely well developed buttock and
thigh muscles, that add a surprising degree of substance and
weight that provides them with flexibility and strength for
high jumps, quick starts and amazing speed. Males are
generally larger than females. |
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PERSONALITY:
Affectionate and happy, highly intelligent,
extroverted, well co-ordinated, athletic cat. Very interactive with
their human friends and can be easily taught to fetch and play games.
The kittens are normally active at an early age, and once they begin
to climb out of their box, show a great inquisitiveness for their
environment that remains characteristic of the breed throughout their
whole life. Very much a part of the family, or current activities,
they need to be in the thick of things "helping". Also extremely gentle and
loving and, will sit for hours on a knee to watch TV or just veg
out. They like nothing better than to snuggle up in bed with you and
very quickly adjust their biological clock to match human preferences,
that is, will go to bed with their owner and not wake or get up till their
owner does.
GROOMING:
Rex cats are very easy to groom as they
do not constantly shed hair. Also renowned for their low-allergenic
characteristics - often owned by asthma and hay fever suffers who
are unable to have contact with other animals that have guard hairs
in their coat. Because the Cornish Rex has a finer coat than other
shorthairs - completely lacking in guard hairs (see
Rex
Coat
for a full description) - it is not well protected against
changes in temperature and should not be allowed out in extremes of
weather. In fact, the Cornish Rex is happiest when it can curl up
close on its owner's lap, in bed, or a well protected and covered
box that is free from draughts.
Note:
Cornish Rex generally have a higher metabolic rate than other breeds.
They are also very active cats and thus, tend to require more fuel
to sustain them. In fact, most have voracious appetites and do well
on a diet with regular meals of high energy food. They are grazers,
eating a "little bit, a lot" rather than several large meals a day,
therefore, preferring to "refuel as they go". |
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General Standard |
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BODY:
Slender, hard and muscular. It is medium in length, with
a slight tuck up of the stomach. Giving it a lean, long-limbed
look emphasizing in particular, the powerful rump and thigh
area. |
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NECK:
Elegant,
of medium fineness and flowing smoothly to the body. |
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Double Grand Champion
Koshka Blue Hyacinth
Perfect in silhouette: elegant body.
high set ears, tummy tuck, fine limbs, long narrow tail
and deeply rippled coat |
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TAIL:
Long, fine
and tapering, in proportion to the body and is well covered with
wavy fur. Bulk or thickness at base is not. |
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LEGS:
Long, slender,
straight and in proportion to the body, with the hind legs being
slightly longer than the front, giving the appearance of being
on tiptoes. |
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PAWS:
Small and oval |
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HEAD:
Of good length,
about one third longer than its maximum width. From the front,
it is of medium width across the skull, narrowing to a medium
wedge and a strong chin. In profile, a straight line extends
from the tip of the nose to the centre of the forehead. This
continues into a flat skull, followed by a gentle curve over
the back of the head, flowing into the neck. A muzzle pinch
or whisker break are faults.
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Head Type |
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KOSHKA ZEUS
(7 weeks old)
Born 9/10/2000
Owned
by Heather Mahoney |
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EARS:
Large, and angled slightly
upwards, set rather high on the head, neither low nor flared.
They are wide at the base and tapering to rounded tips, well
covered in fine fur. |
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EYES:
Medium-sized and oval in
shape, angled slightly down to the nose. |
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CHEEKS: Marginally broader than
the line of the wedge.
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JAWS:
Strong, of medium width
and not blunt or pointed.
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CHIN:
Firm. In profile,
of good depth and in a vertical line with the tip of the nose.
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Scale
of Show Points |
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Many governing bodies use a point
system for judging show cats. Each breed is allocated so many
points of a possible total of 100 for points for a number of
specified characteristics. The Governing Council of the Cat
Fancy use the following point system for judging the Cornish
Rex Cat. |
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Head and Neck
Ears
Eye Shape and Set
Body
Tail
Legs and Paws
Coat Coverage, Wave
Whiskers/Eyebrows, Crinkly
Condition |
15
10
5
15
5
5
35
5
5 |
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TOTAL |
100 |
Coat and Colour |
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COAT TEXTURE & LENGTH:
Short,
soft and plushy, without guard hairs and should wave, ripple
or curl. The whiskers and eyebrows are crinkled, rather course
and of medium length. All colours and patterns acceptable: SOLID
COLOURS - black, black smoke, brown, brown smoke, blue, lilac,
red, cream, and tortie. COLOUR POINTS - often referred to as
si-rex because of the "Siamese" type colouring: seal,
chocolate, blue, lilac and tortie. And more recently BI-COLOUR
Rex have become very popular ie black & white/brown &
white. There are no show points awarded for coat colour. Bare
patches are a fault in kittens and a serious fault in adults.
EYE COLOUR:
Any colour acceptable. Clear and bright,
in harmony with the coat colour. Colour MUST be blue in pointed
cats, but Odd-eyed colour with White coats are permissible.
A full description of the Rex Coat and an outline of what
makes it different to the coats of other breeds of cat is
outlined in the
Rex Coat
page. |
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FAULTS |
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- guard hairs, shaggy, coarse or too
short a coat, too
little coverage
- not waved, bare or bushy tail
- straight coat along spine
- lack of muscle tone
- small ears.
- incorrect eye shape
- dip in profile
- whisker break or muzzle pinch
- lack of stomach tuck
- marked arch in back |
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WITHHOLD
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- baldness, bare patches or straight coat
- body which is too fine or too short/thickset |
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Points for the above faults are deducted from the possible total
allocation for each characteristic. The points are then totalled
and overall score is then appointed. The cat which attracted
the highest number of points will win the breed category for
the day. Best of Breed Cats are then judges as a group and an
overall winner selected for Supreme Exhibit in Show.
Adult cats that win in their particular class,
for example, best adult
female or male, are awarded a challenge certificate that counts
toward championship awards. Up to ten of these awards are
required to reach multiple champion status such as Silver
or Gold Champion.
Serious faults as mentioned above, attract a "withhold",
meaning that the cat is not eligible for a Challenge Certificate
or Championship points. |
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