In order to truly appreciate the unique appearance of the Devon Rex, you must first set aside your preconceptions of what a cat should look like. Devon’s have their own version of the ultimate pixie feline. Low-set oversize ears jut out and away from the sides of an elfin cheeky face with a turned up nose. Large impish eyes suggest a madcap personality and a nimble mind. Whiskers looking more like a five o’clock shadow or the result of a disastrous perm, than those that would normally be found on the face of a cat. A coat of downy fur that curls and ripples covers a deceptively muscular body.
Devons sport a variety of coats that range from a full-rolling loose uneven wave through lessening degrees of density that support a tighter rippling effect all the way to a thin suede-like cover. Kitten coats usually thin out (moult) at about eight weeks of age. Although some kittens escape this moult phase, many juveniles sport a suede look until the adult coat starts to come in. Further moults are sometimes witnessed at about six and ten months of age, although these tend to be less dramatic and of shorter duration.
Devons rarely sit upon a windowsill looking elegant or bored. Devons are seldom elegant and never bored (or boring). They sit upon your shoulders or they lie across the back of your neck and investigate your ear. They lie in stacks like a pile of soft toys in front of heat vents, or pile one upon another until they lay six deep in a cat bed designed for one or two. They may sit upon a windowsill, but only to chirp at possible prey.
Devons do not meander, they favour a purposeful trot. They know where they are going and what they are going to do when they get there. They are skilled food thieves; if it is edible they will steal it, rip it open, try it, chew it, and if it meets their approval make it disappear.
Devons like dogs will follow you from room to room, their tails wagging in anticipation. They chat with little chirrups, chortles and trills, but their purring may drown out their other conversation.
Devons love to retrieve, and often seem to be fascinated by water, many actually getting into the shower or even the bath with their families.
Happily Devons shed their coats at a rate that is barely perceptible to the human eye and nose. And as they are quickly and easily bathed, many people with allergies to cats discover that they can live comfortably and intimately with a Devon Rex. The absence of cat hair in the air, on the pillows and on furniture is a definite plus to allergy sufferers.
When you handle a Devon, you will be surprised at the density of muscle and the sense of weight in such a small animal. The mature Devon female averages 2.5 – 3.5 kg, and the slightly larger males 3.5 – 4 kg. The pleasant warmth of the Devon body will also surprise you. The Devon has the same body temperature as other breeds, but has less fur to insulate your hands from it’s natural body heat. They make superb bed warmers, and they do not go cold in the night!
Devons are very sociable cats; they want to be with you, preferably on you and doing what you are doing, or at least making it difficult for either of you to do it properly. They have a way of weaselling their way into everyone’s hearts, people and other pets alike, and specialize in winning over any non-believers.
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