Cornish Rex History

Kallibunker

     The story of the  Cornish rex breed began on the 21st July 1950, in an old farm house on bodmin Moor in Cornwall south west of England.  An ordinary  farm cat had just given birth to a litter of kittens, among them a red tabby male.  Instead of being covered in short, scanty baby hair like his litter mates, the little fellow boasted tiny, tightly rolled curls.  The owner thought that the curls were due to the birthing fluid but when it dried out the curls remained.  As the kitten grew, it's unique appearance became more striking.  The red little male was long and slender with a whipping tail, huge ears and a narrow head.  His tight curls gave way to smooth, silky waves over his body and even his short whiskers were short and crinkly.
     His owner thought he would make an unusual pet. The veterinarian recognised the kitten for what it was, a true mutation, and persuaded the owner to propagate this new breed.  Geneticists examined hair samples, which found the hair to be very similar to that of the rex rabbit; and so it was suggested that the cat be described as a REX.  With the help of geneticists and Kallibunker, the red curly male; he was mated to his mother which resulted in a litter of three kittens, two of which were curly coated.  The mating was repeated and the result, more Rex kittens arrived.  Sadly, Kallibunker died quite young and his son Poldhu carried on the line. Only by breeding the remaining male to other breeds such as Burmese, Siamese and the domestic shorthair did the Cornish Rex breed survive. 
     Due to the gene pool being very small in the 1950s-1960s the Cornish Rex was a endangered species.  At this point, out crossing to other breeds like Siamese, Havana  Browns, Russian Blues, American Shorthairs and British Shorthairs  was the only hope.  Not only did this provide essential genetic diversity, but is also provided the wide selection of colours and patterns available today.  A rare event in feline history did take place, and now the Cornish Rex is one of the healthiest feline breeds available today.
    Ten years after the discovery of Kallibunker, the Cornish Rex breed was well established and publicised, which is recognised by the Cat Association world wide.