Oregon Rex

The Oregon Rex was a small domestic cat set apart by a soft, curly coat that came from a natural genetic mutation. It turned up in the United States in the middle of the twentieth century and was only ever kept as a tiny population. You will not find the breed nowadays, and the few remaining cats carrying the Oregon Rex mutation were in time folded into other rex lines.

The Oregon Rex was fine-boned and light, with a coat that fell in close waves instead of the straight fur most cats have. The people who kept these cats spoke of them as sociable and busy. They were fond of their owners, stayed playful long into adulthood, and took a keen interest in whatever was going on around the house.

The breed is one of several separate rex mutations that cropped up on their own in different places. The Oregon Rex carried its own recessive curl gene, apart from the Cornish Rex and Devon Rex genes, and that is part of the reason the line did not last once breeders put their attention into the more plentiful rex breeds.

Who the Oregon Rex suited

The Oregon Rex suited homes that wanted a chatty, attention-seeking cat close at hand. Its sociable streak meant it did best with people who were around a good deal of the day and happy to play. The fine coat gave little warmth, so the breed was far better off in a snug indoor home than in a cold spot.

The Oregon Rex goes back to a single curly-coated kitten born in the United States in the 1950s. As with other rex cats, the curl came from a chance genetic mutation rather than any planned crossing. That kitten and its offspring made up the start of a small breeding population.

The mutation behind the Oregon Rex was recessive and separate from the better-known Cornish Rex and Devon Rex mutations. Test matings between Oregon Rex cats and those other rex breeds gave straight-coated kittens, which proved the Oregon curl was a gene all of its own.

With such a small population, the breed leaned on a handful of breeders to keep going. Interest and money went instead into the more settled rex breeds, and the Oregon Rex was never widely registered or spread about.

The distinct Oregon Rex line is usually reckoned to have ended by the early 1970s, with the last cats carrying the gene crossed into other rex programmes. The breed lives on today mainly as a note in the record, one of the independent rex mutations that showed up over the twentieth century.

The Oregon Rex was a small, lightly built cat. Its telltale feature was a short, soft coat that curled or waved close to the body, the whiskers included, which were often crinkled. The body was slim and the legs fine, which gave the cat a delicate look overall.

The head was middling in size with large ears set on a fine-boned frame. The coat had little of the thick undercoat you see in straight-haired cats, so both the curl pattern and the cat's outline were easy to make out.

Coat and colours

The coat was the breed's most tell-tale trait. It was thin and curled rather than straight, which left the cat soft and warm to the touch and showed the shape of the body plainly. Coat colour was not tied to one single pattern, so cats came in a range of colours. The sparse coat gave little shelter from the cold, so these cats needed warm surroundings.

The Oregon Rex was an affectionate, sociable cat that went looking for human company. Owners spoke of cats that trailed after them about the house, took to being handled, and stayed playful well past kittenhood. The breed was inquisitive and bright, minding whatever was happening around the home and quick to learn what earned it a bit of notice.

With the family the breed was warm and full of interaction. With strangers it was friendly enough, in keeping with its sociable way, though one cat differed from the next. Around other pets the Oregon Rex generally got on grand when the other animals were calm and brought in slowly.

All that liveliness and attachment meant these cats did not fare well left on their own for long stretches. They wanted company, whether a person or another suitable animal, and did the better for regular play and attention.

Looking after the Oregon Rex came down to its thin, curly coat and its want of company. The coat shed little but was delicate, so grooming stayed light and gentle. Because the coat gave limited warmth, heat and indoor living mattered more here than for most cats.

Grooming

• Stroke or wipe the coat gently with a soft cloth or your hand to lift loose hair
• Steer clear of stiff brushes that could harm the fine, curly fur
• Check the ears often and clean them when needed, as large ears can gather wax
• Trim the claws every few weeks
• Keep up routine dental care to support overall health

Exercise

• Offer daily interactive play with wand toys or chase toys
• Set up climbing posts and perches to use the cat's energy and curiosity
• Swap the toys about to keep a bright cat interested
• Put by regular time for handling and attention

Environment

The Oregon Rex was an indoor cat suited to warm, draught-free homes. Heated resting spots and soft bedding helped it stay snug, since its sparse coat held little body heat. A home with people about for much of the day matched the breed's sociable nature.

As an obligate carnivore, the Oregon Rex needed a diet built around animal protein. A complete and balanced shop-bought cat food, or a vet-formulated alternative, met its core nutritional needs. Portion size hung on the cat's weight, age and how active it was, and fresh water was there at all times.

Treats and supplements

Treats are best kept to a small share of the daily calories so the cat does not put on weight. A cat on a complete diet usually has no need of supplements. Anything extra, such as a supplement for skin or joints, is worth putting to a vet first.

The Oregon Rex generally lived 12 to 15 years with good care. Because the breed was kept in very small numbers and is no longer held as a line, detailed health data is thin on the ground. The one steady practical worry was the thin coat, which left the cat sensitive to cold and exposure.

Apart from that, the Oregon Rex had the same general health needs as any other domestic cat, dental care, weight control and routine vet checks among them.

Preventive care

• Book yearly vet checkups
• Keep vaccinations and parasite control up to date
• Keep up dental hygiene with brushing or vet cleanings
• Watch the weight and adjust food as needed
• Keep the cat warm and indoors to protect the skin and coat

The Oregon Rex was a bright, inquisitive cat that took well to gentle training. Its strong bond with people gave it a reason to join in, and its playful streak made games a handy way to teach. Short, upbeat sessions worked far better than long or forced ones.

Basics

1. Set up dependable litter tray habits from kittenhood with a clean, easy-to-reach tray
2. Provide a scratching post and reward the cat for using it
3. Teach simple cues such as coming when called, using treats and a calm voice
4. Bring in a carrier early so travel and vet visits cause less bother
5. Steer energy into interactive toys to head off unwanted scratching or climbing

The curly coat of the Oregon Rex was governed by a recessive gene, so a kitten had to take the gene from both parents to show the curl. Cats carrying one copy had straight coats but could still pass the trait on. That pattern, along with a very small founding population, made the breed hard to keep going.

Cats reach sexual maturity at a few months old, and queens carry a litter for roughly two months. Litters of small domestic cats usually run to a few kittens. Queens rear and nurse their young for several weeks before the kittens are weaned, and the kittens are best kept with the mother and littermates through early socialisation.

Because the recessive curl gene was apart from the Cornish Rex and Devon Rex genes, crossing an Oregon Rex with those breeds gave straight-coated kittens. The narrow gene pool and the small number of breeders meant the line could not be kept up, and the breed died out as a distinct population.

Registering an Oregon Rex in Ireland

An ISPCA branch or a vet scanning a found Oregon Rex gets exactly as far as her record allows. Give the scan somewhere to land: a free profile with your name, your number, and her photo. Register your cat once and it holds for good.

A chip under her skin with no record behind it is a riddle nobody can solve. Lodge the number with United Pet Club instead: free for life, any brand at all, updates that never cost a cent, and a record that answers scans at home or abroad. Register the microchip, then the free account finishes the profile.