General | 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 | All coat colours, patterns and colour combinations are acceptable, including any white markings on any coat pattern. |
Faults: |
- Small ears. - Cobby body. - Lack of firm muscle. - Excessively weak chin. - Short tail that detracts from overall balance. |
Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes: | |
- Too long, too short or straight coat. - Bare or sparse patches and bare or sparsley coated spine line. - Round head, or too long a wedge. - Low ear set. - Undershot or overshot jaw and/or uneven bite. - Any other defect as listed in the preface to this S.O.P. booklet. |
Points | |
Head | 15 Points |
Ears | 10 Points |
Eyes | 10 Points |
Whiskers/Eyebrows | 5 Points |
Body and legs | 20 Points |
Tail | 5 Points |
Coat | 35 Points |