The first Devon Rex cat was named Kirlee, discovered in Devon, England, in 1960.
Kirlee was a curly-coated male kitten found near Buckfastleigh. His unusual coat initially suggested he might be related to the Cornish Rex, another British breed with a curly coat. However, breeding experiments showed that the Devon Rex’s coat resulted from a different genetic mutation.
Kirlee became the foundation cat for the Devon Rex breeding programme. The breed was developed for its soft, wavy coat, large ears, high cheekbones, and slender body. Its coat is usually shorter and less uniform than the Cornish Rex’s coat.
A common mix-up is confusing Kirlee with Kallibunker, the first Cornish Rex cat. Kallibunker was born in Cornwall in 1950, a decade before Kirlee appeared in Devon. Although both breeds are British and curly-coated, they are genetically distinct.