History Of Cornish Rex

Hailing from England in the 1950s, this cat breed takes its name from the Cornwall region. The earliest ancestor to the Cornish rex appeared when a genetic mutation caused a kitten to be born with an unusually curly coat and unique long-limbed body structure that quickly caught attention. The cat’s mother was a British shorthair, while the identity of the father was never discovered.

The kitten’s owner, Nina Ennismore, consulted with a geneticist and decided to breed the kitten—who became known as Kallibunker—back to his mother once he matured. The result was a litter of three kittens; two carried the recessive gene responsible for the curly coat. These early forerunners of the Cornish rex were bred to Siamese, Burmese, and British shorthair cats to widen the genetic pool and develop the breed further.

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In 1957, while the breed was still in development, a pair of Cornish rex cats were imported to the United States. This proved to be fortunate since Kallibunker's offspring nearly disappeared from England in the late 1950s.

Additional crossbreeding in the United States with the American shorthair, Havana brown, and other cats helped to preserve the breed that today has become popular for its appearance, sociable personality, and adorable antics. In 1964, the Cornish rex received official breed recognition from the Cat Fanciers' Association.

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