Devon Rex Cat Names, Names For Devon Rex Kittens, Page 4

Every Devon Rex traces back to a single curly-coated kitten named Kirlee, born on 15 July 1959 in Buckfastleigh, Devon, in southwest England. The sire was a feral tom living in an abandoned tin mine; the queen was a stray adopted by a woman named Beryl Cox. Initial breeding tests confirmed that the Devon mutation was a recessive distinct from the Cornish Rex gene already known elsewhere in England, which is why Devon and Cornish Rex remain two separate breeds despite the shared county-name pattern. Kirlee died in a car accident in 1970, but his line was already established. GCCF recognised the breed in 1967, the first cats reached the United States in 1968, and CFA granted Championship in 1983.

The Devon Rex looks like nothing else. TICA's profile uses three direct descriptors — pixie-like, Gremlin-like, elfin — for the breed's combination of large low-set ears, oval eyes, prominent cheekbones, short muzzle, and slender neck. The coat is wavy with sparse guard hair, ranging from loose curls to what TICA calls a "suede-like texture." Because that coat provides minimal insulation, Devons "feel like soft hot water bottles" — the cat's normal body temperature reads through the thin fur in a way other breeds don't.

The temperament matches the silhouette. Devons are mischievous, perch on shoulders, sleep under covers, and — TICA puts it directly — "are interested in everything and hate to be left out of any activity." They cannot be left alone for long periods without going destructive.

Names split between two registers. Pixie, Puck, Sprite, Faye, Elf for the elf-coded line. Ember, Mochi, Bun, Cozy for the hot-water-bottle line. Honour Kirlee directly for lineage weight. Dartmoor, Buckfastleigh, Exmoor for Devon geography. Which register does the kitten in front of you wear?