The Cornish Rex:The Racy Borzoi of the Cat Fancy!

Amanda BrightJune 2011

Agenda

History Origins Curly Coats Galore!

Standard Head Body Coat

Handling Presentation Summary Quiz

History

July 21, 1950 on Bodmin Moor, Cornwall

Tortoiseshell Serena: 5 kittens

Kallibunker

Mrs Nina Ennismore & Miss McAllister

A C Jude

Poldhu

Origins Poldhu

Blue Tortie & White male

Lamorna Cove

Brian Sterling-Webb

Champagne Chas

Origins Lamorna Cove & Pendennis Castle

Blue female

Mrs Frances Blancheri, San Diego CA

Diamond Lil of Fan-T-Cee

Marmaduke of Daz-Zling

Origins

Rio Vista Kismet (blue)

Jeanne Jeffries, Alberta, Canada

Bred to Annelida Curly Coon

Ashford import to regain foreign type

Outcrosses

Origins: Timeline1948: Serena born

1950: 21st July, Kallibunker born

Early 1952, Mrs Ennismore talks to her vet about Kallibunker, who advises her to contact A C Jude

July 1952: A C Jude publishes an article on the Rex.

1952: 27th August, Poldhu (Kallibunker's son) is born.

1954: 15th August, Lamorna Cove is born.

1955: 5th June, Champagne Chas is born. He is the half brother of Lamorna Cove & is Cream & White.

1956: Kallibunker & Serena are put to sleep.

1956: Brian Sterling-Webb purchases Champagne Chas.

1957: Lamorna Cove who is pregnant at the time, and a sibling are sent to the USA.

1957: February-Our Cats notes that A C Jude's article which was published in Our Cats in 1952 has been published in the Journal of Genetics.

1959: Brian Stirling-Webb founded the Rex Coated & Any Other Variety Club.

1959: September. Kirlee (Devon Rex) is born, but is unknown at this time.

1965: Mrs Alison Ashford imports Rio Vista Kismet from Canada to the UK.

1965: Brian Sterling-Webb dies.

Curly Coats Galore!

Standard Coat/Color/Pattern (32): Texture (26): Fine, soft hair should have distinct ridges giving it a wavelike appearance. Like

velvet pile on head & legs. Length (4): Short. Color (2): Recognized in all colors.

Body (29): Torso/Shape (8): Long, with full & deep rib cage. Trunk follows upward curve of back bone forming a tuck-up with rounded hips that are somewhat heavy in proportion to rest of body. Small to medium in size, males proportionately larger. Boning (8): Very fine. Musculature (7): Hard & muscular. Tail (4): Long, slender & tapering from body to end. Covered with fine dense hair with waves preferred, but no penalty for baldness on upper surface of tail. Abnormality of the tail should not be confused with a slight natural curve of the last vertebrae found in some Cornish Rex. Feet (2): Small, oval.

Head (29): Ears (6): Large. Deep conical shape with a modified point. Set high, but not so high as to suggest donkey ears. Usually naked on outer surface. Shape (5): Medium, egg-shaped with a pronounced occiput, accentuating the oval. Longer than wide, but not extremely long. Eyes (5): Medium-sized, oval in shape. Set an eye's width apart & slanting slightly upward. Color in keeping with coat color. Muzzle (4): Definite break. Profile (4): Roman, with a high, prominent bridge. There can be a very slight change of direction, even with the eyes, separating two convex curves or one continuous convex curve. Chin (3): There should be a straight line from nose to chin, neither receding nor protruding, & in keeping with the rounded egg-shape. Neck (2): Slender & medium in length.

Other (10): Balance (5): Overall physical appearance of the cat should be a distinctive combination of fine bones & firm muscles with each part in proper proportion to the whole animal. The Cornish Rex has a very alert & athletic look. Condition (5): Hard & muscular with no indication of obesity or emaciation. Abdomen tight. Eyes bright & clear. Coat with healthy sheen. An overall appearance of health & vitality.

Allowances: White lockets or buttons are permitted. Penalize: Lack of a definite muzzle break. Extreme wedge-shaped head. Bareness on large portion of the body, except

ears & tail. Withhold All Awards (WW): Presence of coarse hairs

Comparison: Head & Profile

Upper row: Head shape – Cornish, Devon, Selkirk Lower profile: Profile – Selkirk, Devon Cornish (2)

What do all of these have in common?

Head: Ears (6)

Large. Deep conical shape with modified point. Set high, but not so high as to suggest donkey ears. Usually naked on outer surface.

Too flared

Narrow ears & head

Too small & rounded

Too pointed

Head: Shape (5)

Medium Egg-shaped with a pronounced occiput accentuating the oval

Back of the head or skull Longer than wide, but not extremely long

Too short

Too wedged

Too long

Too round

Occiput too flat

Head: Eyes (5)

Medium-sized Oval in shape Set an eye's width apart Slanting slightly upward Color in keeping with coat colorWrong

color

Too large & too close

Too far apart

Too round level-set

Level-set, too small Flat top

Too small, too almond, too slanted

Too small, too almond

Head: Muzzle (4) & Chin (3)

Muzzle: Definite break.

Chin: Straight line from nose to chin Neither receding nor protruding In keeping with the rounded egg-shape

Chin slightly receding

Bulbous

Lacks definite break Very slight breakBreak too extreme Thin chin

Chin slightly protruding

Square muzzle

Head: Profile (4)

Roman, with a high prominent bridge. Two allowable profiles:

One continuous convex curve Slight change of direction even with the eyes separating 2 convex curves

Marked direction change

Double Roman

Single Roman

Below eye level

Below eye level

Marked change -- stop?

Not Roman

Pronounced Roman

Head: Neck (3)

Slender Medium in length

Too long & slender; wasp-waist at shoulders

Thick & short, little occiput

Thick & short, large occiput Too slender? Too long?

Comparison: Body

SR: Long slender body, deep rib cage, tight tuck-up, arched back, fine boning, small oval feet

DR: Slender body, medium length, broad chest, high on legs, hard musculature, medium-fine boning, small oval feet

SR/SL: Cobby, semi-rectangular, slight rise towards hindquarters, substantial boning & musculature, large round feet

Body: Torso/Shape (8)

Long Full & deep rib cage Trunk follows upward curve of back bone forming a tuck-up Rounded hips, somewhat heavy in proportion to rest of body Small to medium in size, males proportionately larger

Odd arch, weak tuck-up; heavy hip

Little arch, no tuck-up

Arch, tuck-up but no hip

Odd arch, weak tuck-up; weak hip

Body: Boning (8) & Feet (2)

Boning: Very fine

Feet: Small, oval

Heavier boning, shorter legs; heavier bodyBroader chest; thicker neck.

Heavier boning, shorter legs

Heavier boning, broader chest, shorter legs

Heavier boning, lightweight hip

Heavier boning, thicker.shorter legs; thicker chorter neck.

Heavier boning, thicker.shorter legs; shorter & thicker body.

Body: Musculature (7)Balance (5) & Condition (5)

Hard & muscular. Distinctive combination of fine bones & firm muscles. Very alert & athletic look. Hard & muscular with no indication of obesity or emaciation. Abdomen tight.

Body: Tail (4)

Long, slender & tapering from body to end. Covered with fine dense hair with waves preferred but ...

No penalty for baldness on upper surface of tail. Do not confuse slight natural curve of last vertebrae with a tail abnormality.

Marcel for length of tail

Marcel stops part way down length of tail

Wave on tail; no marcel. No wave on tail;

no marcel.

Coat (32)

Texture (26): Fine, soft hair Distinctive ridges providing wave-like appearance Like velvet pile on head & legs

Length (4): Short Color (2): Recognized in all colors Penalize: Bareness on large portion of the body, except ears & tail Withhold All Awards: Presence of coarse hairs Note: Tight marcelling comes in at 6-7 months

Coat (32)

Texture (26): Fine, soft hair Distinctive ridges providing wave-like appearance Like velvet pile on head & legs

Length (4): Short Color (2): Recognized in all colors Penalize: Bareness on large portion of the body, except ears & tail Withhold All Awards: Presence of coarse hairs

Loose wave

Loose wave, no ridges

Loose wave; overall, blends CR & DR type

Marcel lacks definition

Overly heavy marcel

Handling

Agile, athletic cats

Let them show off chasing a toy or climbing a sisal post

Stack cat on all four feet to see arch & tuck-up, heavy hip

If marcel not in clear or in un-ordered rows, stroke the cat in a downward motion to see if you can groom the curl in

Tendency to curl bodies & wrap tail round your arm, be careful! If something scares the cat, you may get badly raked with a cat's claws or bitten.

Presentation Wet bathing

Bathe the day before the show Use shampoo of choice appropriate for color Use cream conditioner to soften the curls of the coat

Dry bathing Bran bath to remove grease Warm bowl of bran in oven Work bran into coat Remove bran with gentle brush Stroke coat with hands to bring out curl and shine

Day of show Use small amount of Pet Silk Rub downward with soft cloth to bring out curl The harder you rub, the tighter the curl Polish with piece of soft chamois or silk

Summary

Long body; trunk follows upward curve of back bone.

Tuck-up.

Rounded hips somewhat heavy in proportion to rest of body.

Full & deep rib cage.

Small to medium in size, males proportionately larger.

Very fine boning.

Hard & muscular.

Long, slender tail tapering from body to end. Covered with fine dense hair, waves preferred, no penalty for baldness on upper surface of tail. Do not confuse abnormality of tail with a slight natural curve of the last vertebrae.

Large. Deep conical shape with a modified point. Set high, but not so high as to suggest donkey ears. Usually naked on outer surface.

Medium, egg-shaped head with pronounced occiput, accentuating the oval. Longer than wide, but not extremely long.

Medium-sized eyes, oval in shape. Set an eye width apart & slanting slightly upward. Color in keeping with coat color.

Definite muzzle break.

Roman profile, with a high, prominent bridge. Very slight change of direction allowed, even with the eyes, separating 2 convex or 1 continuous convex curve.

Straight line from nose to chin, neither receding nor protruding

Small, oval feet.

Neck: Slender & medium in length.

Short, fine, soft hair; distinct ridges; wavelike appearance.

Coat like velvet pile on head & legs.

References Ashford, Alison & Grace Pond. Rex, Abyssinian and Turkish Cats. Copyright 1972 John Gifford Ltd,

Published 1974 Arco Publishing.

CFA Yearbook Articles

Rex The King – Helen Weiss (1965)

Journal of Heredity 76:137-138 1965. Fertile Male Tortoiseshell Cats – Roy Robinson

TICA Cornish Rex standard

Quiz Instructions The next slides have no voiceovers

It is your voice we want to hear now discussing the various features of the following cats

There are 6 slides but you don’t have to do them all

Each slide has a picture

Discuss the picture

Make a list of what you discuss

When finished, click to compare analyses

You can discuss points as they enter the slide

There is no right or wrong answer

When you have evaluated all 5, rank them from 1-5

It is your assessment just like the ring

But based on the previous discussion

Cat 1

Cat 2

Cat 3

Cat 4

Cat 5