Rex Care

Allergies

The Cornish Rex is a good potential choice for people who are allergic to cats. While no cat can be truely hypoallergenic, the Cornish Rex does not aggravate allergies in many people with cat allergies. Allergic people are encouraged to visit a breeder to determine their own tolerance for the breed. Where as a normal cat has three layers of hair, the Cornish Rex have only the down hairs (undercoat), which will ease the degree of suffering for people who are allergy sufferers, and for people who don't like alot of cat hair lying around the house. The Cornish Rex cat shed the least, so they deposit less allergen laced hair around the house. Many people who are allergic to cats can tolerate a Rex. This does not mean, however, that the breed is "hypoallergenic". Some people also have a reaction to the Rex coat. The very short hair does not hold dust, dander and saliva as well as a normal coat does. Whether or not a reaction occurs probably depends a great deal on the type and severity of the allergy. Often a mild reaction can be prevented by having another person bathe the cat regularly. We recommend that a person with allergy problems spend some time visiting with and handling Cornish Rex before deciding to try to live with one. Diet

Cornish Rex can eat the same high quality cat food as any other cat. Show cats may need a little extra fat in their diet to keep the coat in top shape. The major problem with feeding in this breed is that Cornish Rex are greedy and they dearly love to eat. They will attack food as if they were starving when they ate only minutes before, and they never know when to stop. For that reason, the Rex diet must be controlled by the owner or the cat will soon become very fat, and a fat Rex is not a pretty cat. A healthy adults cats teeth are white and clean. The gums are firm and pink. Encourage you rex to chew chopped up meat, chicken wings etc. to assist in the prevention of plauque.

Coat The Cornish Rex coat is what usually attracts people to them first. It consists only of soft down hairs (the "undercoat"). There are no hard long outer guard hairs like on a normal coat. The soft, warm feel is luxurious. The coat requires very little routine grooming. Just petting removes the few loose hairs. Rex do shed like any other animal, but the short, fine hair is hard to see. And you never get long hairs all over your clothes and furniture like with other breeds. Because of the lack of guard hairs a Cornish Rex coat gets wet very quickly. For that reason, as well as many others, this type of cat should never be an outdoor cat. Grooming and Maintenance

Grooming can be a pleasant experience for both of you if rex is trained to tolerate grooming when still young. Rex's will come to expect and even enjoy grooming sessions with you. A regular grooming programme is also good for a cat's health. Grooming removes dead hair that can form hair balls in a cat's stomach, gets rid of dead skin and dander, stimulates the skin , tones muscles, and encourages blood circulation. A simple session of hand grooming when your Rex comes and sits on your lap will do the trick.

Bathing is hardly ever required unless your Rex got into something she/he wasn't supposed to. The coat can be damaged by too-frequent bathing or too harsh a shampoo, so be very careful in what you choose.

Some Rexes have excessive earwax because they do not have the longer hair protecting their inner ears. It is a good idea to clean the outer ear of the Rex at least once a week, with a damp tissue or ear bud, but be very careful not to poke too far in.

Don't panic if you notice that your rex has something that looks like blackheads on the top of its tail. That's exactly what they are, and this conditon is called "stud tail." Male and females Rexes get this, especially those with a thinner coat. A medicated wipe can fix this problem. This in a common condition in uncastrated males. The male cat, under the influence of the male sex hormone testosterone, produces an oily secretion from glands at the base of the tail. This can result in an unsightly, greasy patch of hair, or hair loss in the gland area at the base of the tail. This is particularly noticeable in light coloured cats, and in particular the rex cat desexed or not desexed due to having no guard hairs. This usually does not concern the cat unless the area becomes irritated or infected. Treatment: Wash the area with a medicated shampoo, a baby shampoo or a mild soap to degrease the area and eliminate the stain. This may need to be repeated daily especially in the breeding season. If infection occurs, your vet may advise the use of antibiotics. Another option is to use Almond oil. A few breeders have used Almond oil with great results.

Vacciantions prevent some of the most common feline diseases. While no vaccination is one hundred percent effective, vaccinations have saved countless feline lives. Make vaccination part of your Rex's basic health care. Vaccination boosters are recommend once a year.

As part of your Rex's routine health care, get him or her desexed at the appropriate time. Preventing unwanted pregnancies is the most important reason to desex, but it has behavoural and physical advantages as well. Desexing means a cat will not display the restlessness, yowling, spraying and other sexual behaviours of intact cats. Undesexed females have a seven times greater risk of mammary cancer than desexed females. Desexing of females also elimates uterine infections and the risk of ovarian and uterine cancer. Desexed males have a lower risk of certain types of cancers as well. One of biggest desexing benefits in males, though, is the reduction of the hormone levels that prompt spraying.

If you decided to own a lighter coloured Rex, becareful of the Sun. You have several options, let your Rex out under supervision when the sun isn't in full shine or put sun tan cream on the nose and ears of your rex to prevent skin cancers. Rexes are drawn to the sun, just remember you might have to be crewl to be kind. If you decide never to let your rex outside, this is another option. A cat won't miss what it doesn't know about.