© RCA 2003/04/05/06/07/08
All Rights Reserved.
Cornish Rex
Standard Of Points for Cornish Rex (33)
General Type Standard
Cornish Rex is a short haired breed of elegant foreign type,
well balanced with particularly long slender legs and tail, they stand high as
if on tiptoe. The head is a medium wedge with gentle lines and high cheek
bones. Their large almost 'mussel shell shaped' ears are very expressive
and have an important effect on the overall appearance of the head being set
rather high but not vertically. The coat is the distinguishing feature
that differentiates Cornish Rex from all other breeds, it is short, dense and
solky without guard hairs, and has neat, even and well defined waves, especially
over the back and sides. The cat should be of medium size and in excellent
physical condition.
Head
Medium wedge with high cheek bones. Head length
about one third greater than the maximum width, narrowing to a rounded muzzle
and strong chin. In profile a flat skull curving gently at the
brow and continuing in a straight line to the tip of
the nose.
Ears
Large, set rather high on head but not vertical, wide
at base, tapering to rounded tips .
Eyes
Oval shaped, medium in size. Top line set almost
straight with a slight slant to the outer edge of the ear. Any colour acceptable.
Neck, Body and Legs
Elegant neck. Body hard and muscular, slender and of medium length. Legs
long and straight, giving an overall appearance of being high on the legs. Paws
small and oval.
Tail
Long, fine and tapering, well covered with wavy fur.
Coat
Short, dense and silken in texture, without guard hairs
and of even length on the body. The coat must
curl, wave or ripple particularly on the back, sides and tail, waving may also
extend down the legs, the coat on the head and neck, over the
shoulders and on the legs and paws is sometimes too short to wave.
Rexing in these areas is desirable but absence of it is not a
withholding fault. Due to the lack of guard hairs some allowance should be
made for slight stud tail in males and females providing it is clean. Whiskers and eyebrows crinkled and of good length.
Colours
Colour and pattern are irrelevant and carry no points therefore a cat should not
be penalised if apparently wrongly registered.
Scale of Points
Head
15
Ears
10
Eyes
10
Whiskers and Eyebrows 5
Body and legs
20
Tail
5
Coat
35
Total
100
Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes:
1. Too long, too short or straight coat.
2. Bare or sparse patches and
bare or sparsely coated spine line.
3. Round head, or too long a wedge.
4. Low ear set.
5. Undershot or overshot jaw and/or uneven bite.
6. Any defect as listed in the preface to this S.O.P. booklet.
Faults:
1. Small ears.
2. Cobby body.
3. Lack of firm muscle.
4. Excessively weak chin.
5. Short tail that detracts from overall balance.
Back to Top
Breeding Policy for Cornish Rex (33)
Introduction
This document is seen as a way of ensuring breeders observe what is considered 'best practice' in their involvement with Cornish Rex and particularly in their Cornish Rex breeding programmes.
The Cornish Rex gene is inherited as a simple recessive.
The Cornish Rex is a shorthaired breed.
Cornish Rex, unlike most breeds, owe their origin to one cat - Kallibunker. Inbreeding was carried out in the early generations in order to produce the three generations of Rex to Rex breeding needed to obtain breed recognition. This practice of inbreeding has continued. Some Cornish Rex do have Devon Rex ancestry due to the initial breedings that took place between Kirlee (the original Devon Rex) and Kallibunker's female descendants when it was assumed Kirlee resulted from the same mutation as Kallibunker.
Two blood types have been confirmed in Cornish Rex - type A and type B. Type A is dominant over type B. This means that a cat with type B blood is homozygous for type B. Type A cats can either be homozygous for A or Heterozygous (carrying the B gene). Cats with type B blood have strong antibodies against type A red blood cells. These anti-A antibodies can cause two serious problems: Neonatal Isoerythrolysis (fading kitten syndrome) and transfusion reactions.
Aims
It is vital regular selective outcrossing be introduced and maintained to increase the gene pool and maintain stamina and health. This is 'best for the breed' in its ongoing development.
Guidelines
Breeders and owners of Cornish Rex and Cornish Rex Variants are recommended to blood type test all their cats but more especially all breeding stock. Blood type A kittens resulting from a mating between a type A stud and a type B queen may die within the first few days of life if allowed to suckle their mother's colostrum. It is also important to know that cats with the relatively rare type B blood can die if given a transfusion of the common type A blood.
All cats used for outcrossing should be thoroughly researched, of sound temperament and free from any hereditary defects. In the case of British Shorthairs, only cats which have been certified clear under the FAB/PKD screening scheme should be used as outcrosses.
Breeders should ensure, to the best of their knowledge, any Cornish Rex or Cornish Rex Variants from which they breed are of sound temperament, free from any hereditary defects, (including those listed in the GCCF Standard of Points), and conform as closely as possible to the Standard of Points (excluding the coat description where variants are concerned).
Cornish Rex are not compatible with Devon Rex, Selkirk Rex or LaPerm. Such matings are therefore highly undesirable. The product of such matings will be registered on the Reference Register and cannot be considered to be variants. They cannot be used in either Rex breeding programme and should be placed on the non-active register. It is considered to be in the best interest of the Cornish Rex breed to keep it entirely separate from other incompatible Rex mutations.
Under no circumstances should any cat with Sphynx ancestry be introduced into the Cornish Rex breed. Selection for hairlessness contradicts the coat quality requirements for Rex cats. The product of any matings between Sphynx and Cornish Rex will be registered on the Reference Register. They cannot be considered to be variants nor be used in any Cornish Rex breeding programme and should be placed on the non-active register.
Breeders are recommended not to breed from Cornish Rex or Cornish Rex variants with Long Hair. The longhair gene has been present in the breed since its accidental introduction in 1959/60. It is considered in the best interest of Cornish Rex coat quality not to perpetuate this factor. Outcrosses made to breeds with Long Hair ancestry should be undertaken with caution. Where possible Breeders are urged to use only cats proven not to be carriers of the longhair gene.
Breeders shall ensure that any Cornish Rex or Cornish Rex Variants from which they breed shall be registered with the GCCF in accordance with the Rules in force at the time. It is recommended that the progeny from any matings that are not required or Cornish Rex breeding should be placed on the Non-Active Register, to avoid the introduction of the Cornish Rex gene into other varieties of pedigree cats.
The majority of matings are most likely to be between Cornish Rex x Cornish Rex and Cornish Rex x Cornish Rex Variant, but to ensure maximum benefit from outcrossing Cornish Rex Variant x Cornish Rex Variant matings are necessary. Normal coated progeny from Variant x Variant matings cannot be considered variants as this can only be proven by test matings.
Breeds which have been approved for use in outcrossing are: Abyssinian, Asian Shorthair, British Shorthair, Burmese, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, Russian Blue, Siamese, Tonkinese.
All other breeds are listed as non-approved.
Breeders will be encouraged to take advantage of any relevant official scheme, which may be devised by the Joint Rex BAC to test the soundness of the Cornish Rex breed.
It is recommended where the colour of a cat is in question a DNA test, (where such a test exists), be arranged.
Back to Top
Registration Policy for Cornish Rex (33)
Breeds which have been approved for use in outcrossing are: Abyssinian, Asian Shorthair, British Shorthair, Burmese, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, Russian Blue, Siamese, Tonkinese. In addition, American Shorthair and European Shorthair are permitted in the pedigrees of imported cats.
All other breeds are listed as non-approved.
*All Rex breeders please note that Please
note that the Tabbies will in future be registered by pattern: 30 Spotted, 41
Classic, 44 Mackerel and 45 Ticked with the addition of the letter ‘s’ to denote
silver tabby. This will not be extended to tabby and white coat patterns, which
will continue to be registered using 31 with the letter “t” to denote that the
cat has a tabby pattern.
Full Register
Cornish Rex which have within the preceding three
generations only Cornish Rex.
Supplementary Register
Cornish Rex which have within the preceding five
generations only Cornish Rex, Cornish Rex Variants, Abyssinian, Asian Shorthair,
British Shorthair, Burmese, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, Russian Blue, Siamese
or Tonkinese. In addition, American Shorthair and European Shorthair are
permitted in the pedigrees of imported cats.
Reference Register
1. Cornish Rex Variants which have within the preceding five generations only Cornish Rex, Cornish Rex Variants, Abyssinian, Asian Shorthair, British Shorthair, Burmese, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, Russian Blue, Siamese or Tonkinese shall be registered on the Reference Register with a Cornish Rex Variant breed number. In addition, American Shorthair and European Shorthair are permitted in the pedigrees of imported cats.
2. Cornish Rex and Cornish Rex variants which have within
the preceding five generations any non-approved breeds, including non-pedigree
cats, shall be registered on the Reference Register as normal or rex coated of
Cornish type.
NB When kittens with one or both parents registered on the Reference Register
are, under this Registration Policy, eligible to be registered on the
Supplementary Register it is recommended that the person registering these
kittens requests such registration and encloses documentary evidence of the five
generations required. If this is not done the kittens may be registered on the
Reference Register.
3. Normal coated cats produced from variant x variant matings will have no breed number, only colour description, and will be over-stamped 'may carry the Cornish Rex gene'.
4. All cats resulting from matings between Cornish Rex and any other rex coated breed will have no breed number and will be over-stamped 'not recommended for breeding'. Their progeny will remain permanently on the reference register.
5. Any cats of Cornish Rex appearance, either Rex or normal coated, with Sphynx ancestry will be registered on the Reference Register and be over-stamped 'must not be used for Cornish Rex breeding'. No progeny will ever be recognised or registered as Cornish Rex or Cornish Rex Variants.
6. All cats resulting from matings between Cornish Rex and any longhaired breed will be overstamped 'carries the longhair gene'. Their progeny will be overstamped 'may carry the longhair gene'.
NOTE :
Before the registration of any white Cornish Rex or white Cornish Rex Variant, a
certificate of freedom from deafness for the white parent(s) must be supplied to
the GCCF.