German rex

It is thought that the German Rex is the first cat breed with curly or wavy hair. The first subject was discovered in the very beginning of the 1930s by Erna Schneider in Königsberg. She called this cat Kater Munk and it is thought that the parents were a blue Persian mother and a Russian Blue father, however nothing can prove it. In any case, she herself had this blue coat. It is thought that there were also two males from the same litter but which were quickly neutered. It is not known if she had kittens, but she died in 1944 or 1945. Later, in 1951, Dr. Rose Scheuer-Karpin noticed in the garden of the hospital where she worked in Buch (now Pankow) a black and white curly cat. She called her Lämmchen (which means 'little lamb'). She had litters and it was by crossing her with one of her sons that Dr. Scheuer-Karpin obtained other wavy-haired kittens with particularly soft fur. Breeding thus began. Lämmchen died in 1964 or 1967 and left behind a number of curly-haired cats or mixed-breed cats. It is not known if she had a blood relationship with Kater Munk but it is thought to be possible thanks to the strong German immigration of that time. Lämmchen's descendants were often crossed with Cornish Rex to improve this breed which then had skin problems. In 1986, a German cattery bought the last three descendants of Lämmchen to prevent the extinction of the breed. The breed was recognized by FIFé and LOOF under the name German Rex. The CFA, on the other hand, associates it with the Cornish Rex. The breed remains very rare at present, but some German breeders have been working since 1999 to develop this cat. To avoid too much inbreeding, marriages with smooth-haired cats are practiced. There are now breeding programmes in Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands. Rose Scheuer-Karpin, considered the founder of the breed, still lives in Germany.

Unlike other wavy-haired breeds such as the Devon Rex or the Cornish Rex which tend to have a physique close to oriental cats, the German Rex retains a physique close to that of the European. The body is muscular with a broad chest and straight back, the legs are medium length and rather fine with round feet. The tail is fairly thick, medium length and tapers towards the end.