The German Rex cat is a very rare cat. Like all Rex cats, see Cornish Rex and Devon Rex, it has the characteristic of the curled coat. The difference is that in the German Rex the Rex gene is dominant, while in the other two Rex breeds it is recessive. This means that one of the parents with curly hair is enough to give birth to kittens with the same hair.
The history of this breed is quite young, in fact in Germany, thanks to Dr. Scheuer-Karpin, around 1946, it was possible to give birth to kittens with curly hair from different matings. Subsequently, two specimens of this breed were also brought to France by Professor Etienne Letard, but they have never had any success. In fact, very few examples of this breed can still be found today.
The difference between the German and the other two rex breeds, apart from the gene, is the upper part of the coat, which is generally pigmented.
Character of the German Rex Cat
The German Rex cat is very similar in character to its Devon and Cornish cousins, so they are sweet, affectionate and in great need of affection even though they can be independent. He is very attached to his family and especially to the children if there are any. If stimulating games are proposed to him, he is able to entertain himself very well on his own, but he loves to play with his humans and especially with his favourite.
This cat is the classic flat cat, loving to lounge on sofas and beds and enjoy all the comforts provided. However, they are also cats that love to run, jump and climb. Their absolute sociability means that they get on well with other cats and dogs as well as humans. They are also very accommodating with strangers and tend to put even those who are not very familiar with pets at ease.
They are very intelligent cats and can easily be trained to fetch or play simple games.
Appearance of the German Rex Cat
The German rex cat does not resemble the Devon cat in appearance, but rather the Cornish cat, from which it only differs in profile and the size of its eyes. It is a medium sized cat between 4 and 6 kilograms.
The body is muscular and heavy with a rounded chest, thin legs and long in the average, the tail is wide at the base and rounded at the tip. The head is rounded with well developed cheeks, the whiskers and eyebrows are rippled, shorter than usual and curly. The ears are wide at the base, slightly rounded at the tips and with the outside well provided with fine hairs. The eyes are medium sized and well open, with a very bright colour in harmony with the colour of the coat.
The coat is short, soft, velvety and very silky. As far as the colours are concerned, they can be of all varieties of colour and pattern including white.
Care and health of the German Rex cat
The German Rex is certainly a cat that needs to be treated with great care. It is quite delicate and needs appropriate care in various areas. One of these is alopecia, which consists of the total or partial loss of hair and can cause pain and itching to the cat. As it is a very rare cat, no congenital defects or hereditary genetic diseases are listed in the bibliography. However, due to the close relationship with the Cornish, it is easy that it shares some of the genetic diseases of these varieties.
It is a cat that particularly suffers from temperature changes and therefore it is good to cover it if you take it outside in the cold season. It has a life expectancy of around 14 years.
As far as the care of its coat is concerned, it should be brushed frequently, at least a couple of times a week, and instead of a brush, a soft cloth or a glove should be used. It has a tendency to put on weight, so it is best to pay particular attention to its diet.
