Devon Rex
This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Size | Small to Medium (5-10 lbs) |
| Weight | Males: 7-10 lbs, Females: 5-7 lbs |
| Lifespan | 12-15 years |
| Temperament | Playful, Mischievous, Affectionate |
| Good with Kids | Excellent |
| Good with Other Pets | Excellent |
| Grooming Needs | Low to Moderate |
| Vocalization | Moderate |
| Activity Level | Very High |
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Pixie face, busy paws
Devon rex cats are small to medium, about 5 to 10 pounds, and often live 12 to 15 years. The coat is a soft down that does not cover every patch of skin. They chill. A warm room matters more than a costume, though many owners use a light sweater in a cold house. They are mischievous, people-focused, and famous for climbing onto shoulders.
They usually like children, dogs, and other cats. Solitude all day is a bad fit. The skin can look greasy because oils have little coat to wick into. A damp cloth does more than a harsh bath.
Knees, heart, muscle
Luxating patellas, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and hereditary myopathy are the three to ask a breeder about. A Devon that tires, breathes fast, or collapses needs a cardiologist. A young cat with a weak neck needs a workup before anyone calls it clumsy. Merck covers hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Open-mouth breathing is an emergency, not a wait-until-Monday symptom.
Devon rex questions
Are Devon rex hypoallergenic?
They shed less because there is less coat. Allergic people still react to saliva and dander. Live with an adult Devon before you believe a shelter ad.
Why are the ears waxy?
Big ears and a thin coat mean you see the wax. Clean only what you can see, and stop if the cat is painful. A swollen ear canal is infection, not normal rex wax.
What is Devon myopathy?
An inherited muscle disease. Neck weakness and an odd gait in a young Devon need a neurologist. It is not the same mutation as the Cornish rex coat.
Decision Guides for Devon Rex
COLQ, the test for the weak neck
Devon rex hereditary myopathy is linked in the published literature to a mutation in COLQ, a finding also reported in Sphynx cats with similar muscle weakness. That DNA test is the breeder question when a young Devon shows a weak neck or tires out of proportion to the play. The coat mutation in the Cornish rex is a different gene, so the two cats only share the word rex. The soft down, a body around 5 to 10 pounds, and a life often 12 to 15 years sit beside luxating patellas and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A cold room bothers a cat with this little coat. A warm lap does the main job, and some owners add a light sweater in a cold house.