Ural Rex - characteristics of the breed

Origin story

The Ural Rex first appeared - which, however, is already clear from the name - in the Urals and is an indigenous breed.
The first mentions of small cats with curly fur appeared back in the 30s, but after the Great Patriotic War their number was reduced to a few individuals. Therefore, the cat Vaska from the city of Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region, is officially considered the first Ural Rex. It's 1988. At the 1992 exhibition, experienced felinologist Olga Mironova drew attention to the cute curls, found out that the gene responsible for wavy hair was recessive, and systematically began breeding the breed. In 2003, the most comprehensive standard was compiled.

Now this breed is considered rare. There are nurseries only in Russia and Germany.

Ural Rex kittens cannot be called cheap. A healthy show-class individual with all the characteristics of the breed costs about 35-50 thousand rubles. Breed and pet are cheaper: 25-45 and 15-25 thousand, respectively.

Breeding

If you decide to start breeding such individuals, then know that it is not so easy to achieve such a wavy coat when crossing.

It is important to cross only Ural Rexes with your own representative. If crossed with another Rex breed, the curl gene may not work.

It is very difficult to find a representative for breeding. And not everyone is ready to take such a step, because breeding a rare breed is a crucial moment that requires a plan and a successful result.

If you don’t want to back down and are determined, then there are a couple of points that will help you successfully mate.

• Contact where you bought your cat. Those people were also breeding and may have a male or female to breed with. The breeder will also be pleased and have many advantages in his pocket.
• Seek help from experts who study and population this breed. They can help you.

The kittens should be beautifully colored, curly and well-mannered.

Make the first mating at one year or one and a half years. Although the cat will begin to go into heat before she is a year old. Ignore it and don't take any chances.

Choose a cat with the same color as your cat. Healthy and beautiful.

Standard

Rex is a compact, proportionally developed breed with pronounced sexual dimorphism (males are visually noticeably larger than females). The weight of cats is about 6 kg, cats - no more than 4.

Significant disadvantages of the breed:

• too stocky or thin body;
• saucer eyes;
• straight profile;
• large or small ears;
• long and narrow head.

If the Rex's fur is straight or the skin is visible through it, the animal is not allowed to compete.

It is better to buy a kitten not by hand, but through an officially recognized nursery (of course, if the breed is important to you).

Character and behavior

Many can only dream of such an affectionate, playful and trusting cat. There is not a drop of aggression in her, she is patient and obedient, smart and quickly adapts to changes in environment. Cats of this breed quickly grasp information and learn commands with pleasure. They are wise and sensitive to the slightest changes in the owner’s mood: if a person is angry, they will not interfere with him, but will sit on the sidelines, watching him from the side.

They are affectionate and very sad when apart. They love to walk in the fresh air and do not protest against wearing a harness. Curious, but in moderation. They are friendly towards guests and strangers in the house: they don’t hide in corners, don’t try to scare, but come up to get acquainted and sniff hands.

They love children, especially small ones: at every opportunity they try to climb into the child’s crib, touch him with their paws or even lick him. They are real nanny cats: patient, neat, gentle. And both with human children and with their kittens. Their offspring grows up in love and care.

Expert opinion

Dusheba Vera Ivanovna

In 2010, she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine named after K.I. Scriabin with honors, specializing in veterinary medicine. I regularly attend veterinary conferences, congresses, and webinars.

When choosing a kitten, consider not only whether you like it or not, but also some other criteria. Firstly, the kitten must be socially developed, i.e. are not afraid of human hands, play and run with their brothers and sisters, and show curiosity about the world around them. Secondly, be healthy. You may be given a significant discount for physical flaws, but there shouldn't be any serious problems.

Examine the baby’s nose and mouth (does he have snot, ulcers or an unpleasant odor), butt, fur (what if parasites are hidden there), ask for a veterinary passport (by the age when kittens are given to another family, they should have their first vaccinations according to age). Even in babies, the fur is wavy and seemingly thinned, and the shade is gray, grayish.

Thirdly, it would be nice to observe his parents, as well as look through the pedigree.

Character of the Ural Rex

Ural rexes are affectionate and affectionate companions. They love to sit in a person's arms, love to be petted, and prefer to sleep with their owners. They easily adapt to the rules of the house and the rhythm of life of the owners. Often (but not always) one “main” owner is chosen.

They tolerate loneliness very poorly, so they are not suitable for busy people who spend a lot of time outside the home.

Tactful and unobtrusive. They sense the owner’s mood well and understand when it is possible to involve him in the game, and when it is better not to touch him. If they feel that a person is upset, they will try to console him in their own way - for example, by purring. At the same time, they do not like closed doors and will at least try to sneak into the owner’s room unnoticed.

The Ural Rex has a soft voice and they speak it relatively rarely.

The Ural Rex is interested in all the affairs of the owner

They are quite obedient, at exhibitions they do not resist being examined by a panel of judges, and calmly allow themselves to be controlled.

Active and restless, especially in childhood. They love to play hunting, but are not prone to destructive behavior. They get along well with children and in most cases are patient with their amusements: they allow themselves to be dressed up, pushed in strollers, etc.

They get along easily with other cats and non-aggressive dogs. Access to rodents and birds should not be given - the hunting instinct of the Ural rex is very strong.

Very beautiful, kind, affectionate. Can't live without a person. Each family member is greeted at the door.

Elena Ivanova

https://vk.com/uralrexcats?w=wall-47535528_96%2Fall

He won't pester you if you're not in the mood, and will happily spend time with you if you need communication. Of course, I advise everyone to have cats like ours)

Miranda With ice

Read also:  Little Devon Rex elves: cats that do not cause allergies

https://vk.com/uralrexcats?w=wall-47535528_31%2Fall

Care instructions

Caring for the Ural Rex is not difficult.

Eyes

It is enough to wipe your eyes once every 2-3 days, using either a special eye product (cat eyes, not human eyes) or regular boiled water.

Are a cat's pupils the same during the day and at night?

Not really

Ears

Ears - weekly. Soak a cotton pad or piece of cotton cloth in warm water and remove any wax that has accumulated there from the ear. Make sure that no liquid gets inside! Otherwise, the cat will develop ear inflammation.

Claws

If your pet grinds its claws down on its own, you just need to watch it from the side, but if he is lazy, take matters into your own hands. Buy a nail clipper or nail scissors, fix the paw in a comfortable position and cut the tip of the nail without catching the skin or blood vessels.

Expert opinion

Dusheba Vera Ivanovna

In 2010, she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine named after K.I. Scriabin with honors, specializing in veterinary medicine. I regularly attend veterinary conferences, congresses, and webinars.

Many owners are concerned about the issue of tattered furniture and scratched wallpaper in a visible place, so when they hear about the “soft paws” procedure (the medical name is onychectomy), they rush to the clinic for surgery. It is carried out under general anesthesia and is far from being as harmless as it may seem at first glance. Such surgery often causes complications, such as osteomyelitis or inflammation of the tissue on the paw. The cat may not tolerate anesthesia well or may not recover from it at all. Such animals always show changes in behavior: they almost always stop going to the litter box (since they can no longer rummage), they begin to be afraid of veterinary clinics and all procedures (and often the owner, because the healing process is very painful and long). They even begin to move differently. Think: is it worth it?

Teeth

The cat's teeth are brushed 1-2 times a month, using cat toothpaste with mint or meat flavor, and a small brush with soft bristles and a small head.

You cannot use human paste: the cat does not know how to spit out the remains, which means it will swallow it. And this is a direct path to poisoning and disease. If your cat is very stressed or shows aggression, you will have to take it to the clinic for professional laser cleaning once every six months or year.

Wool

Brushing once a week is enough, but if your pet enjoys it, you can do it at least every other day. But it is not recommended to bathe Rexes often: their delicate skin is prone to allergies and inflammation. Once every six months is enough, using special gentle products for cats.

You can't take a kitten away from its mother too early! This negatively affects not only his psyche (making him fearful, vulnerable, intimidated), but also deprives him of immunity (immunity is transmitted to the kitten through mother's milk).

Purchasing a kitten

Buying a Ural Rex kitten in Russia is quite simple. But, like other representatives of rex breeds, Uralians are relatively expensive. The exact cost of a kitten depends on the age, gender, appearance and class of the animal. A kitten for the “soul” (pet class) will cost over 15,000 rubles. A cat for future breeding (breeding class) will cost up to 50 thousand rubles, and for a future champion and title holder you will have to pay more than 50 thousand rubles.

To buy a good Ural kitten, you need to contact only specialized nurseries. The best cattery is an organization that breeds only one breed (even if the entire cattery consists of just one cat). If cats of several breeds are bred in one place, then most likely the goal of these people is to sell kittens that are similar to purebred ones.

The price of a kitten depends on several criteria: class, age, gender

How to choose a good kitten

When choosing a kitten in a nursery, you need to be guided by several criteria:

• appearance (the animal must be neat and well-groomed, without visible wounds, scratches, discharge from the eyes or nose);
• absence of skin parasites (you can part the fur with your fingers; there should be no fleas or their excrement on the skin and fur);
• the kitten’s behavior (the baby should be cheerful, moderately active and friendly);
• availability of documents (the animal must have a veterinary passport indicating all vaccinations: against calcivirosis, panleukemia, etc., as well as a pedigree);
• breed characteristics.

It is believed that all little kittens are alike, but you must be sure that you choose a real Rex. Even the smallest Uralian should show signs of the breed . These kittens are born already curly, however, the curly hair forms into even waves by six months. At the same time, the guard hairs remain soft to the touch (as if thinned). The fur of kittens has a grayish, gray tint. Later, the rex's fur will oxidize and take on a golden hue (especially in black and red rexes).

The Rex kitten has a well-defined cranial part of the head, the eyes are bulging and widely set, and the nose is wide. The kitten's muzzle is an inverted triangle; the high cheekbones are especially visible. Otherwise, the body of the little Uralian differs little from the constitution of representatives of other breeds.

Video: little Ural kittens

Suitable age to purchase

Many people want to adopt a very young kitten, but few dare to tear the baby away from the mother cat. Next to its mother, the kitten feels protected. The cat feeds it, and with colostrum the kitten receives primary immunity. A baby who is separated from a cat too early may be mentally vulnerable, ill, and have behavioral problems. Such animals can damage furniture, walk past the litter box, and generally disobey their owner.

The kitten tries to imitate its mother in everything, which is why it is so important to let the kitten learn all the skills from the cat. This is necessary so that the animal begins to eat properly, go to the litter box, and communicate with its relatives. Only by two months does the kitten begin to sense moderation in play, controlling the force of its bites and not scratching its comrades.

At about 2 months, the primary immunity received by the kitten from its mother begins to decline. At this time, they begin to prepare the baby for the first vaccination. Kittens are not vaccinated until they are 3 months old, and if they are brought into a new home without immunity, the baby runs the risk of getting sick. In unusual conditions, the animal’s body can be attacked by viruses and infections. There was a case in my family when we had to take in a very small kitten who was left without a mother. He fell ill, suddenly began to feel unwell and took ill. Of course, we immediately called the vet, but the cat died anyway. The veterinarian said the cause of death was distemper.

You cannot separate a kitten from its mother until it is 3 months old.

Catering

The wonderful fur of the Ural Rex requires a balanced diet, so breeders advise choosing either high-quality food or trying to prepare healthy and nutritious food for the cat according to all the rules of cat cuisine.

Food must be given hourly, which the animal learns from an early age. Breakfast - at 7-8 am, dinner - at 6-7 pm. In between, you can pour the animal fermented baked milk and yogurt, but it is best not to teach the cat to “bite.”

Natural products

Natural food is convenient because the owner can independently choose quality products and pamper the pet with one dish or another. However, this requires more money and free time.

Ural rexes can eat:

• fresh meat (veal, beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit, horse meat, lamb);
• offal (tripe, liver, stomachs, necks);
• fish (salmon, trout, flounder, navaga);
• boiled chicken yolk, boiled quail eggs;
• porridge (millet, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, semolina);
• fermented milk products (cottage cheese, hard cheese, sour cream, natural yogurt, curdled milk, fermented baked milk);
• vegetables (zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, broccoli, greens).

Prohibited:

• sweet;
• salty;
• sour;
• smoked;
• pickled;
• alcohol and other human drinks;
• dog food;
• bones;
• fat and lard;
• vegetables: eggplant, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes;
• legumes

The cat should be given water only with clean water at a comfortable temperature. The liquid is not poured from the tap, but is purified with a filter or settled.

Recommended food

It’s easy to get confused with the food sold in stores: bright packaging, tempting promotions, loud advertising calls. But you need to listen not to advertising, but to veterinarians and experienced breeders. The opinion of both groups coincides: it is not worth constantly feeding a cat with economy and premium food.

These foods are so cheap because their composition is extremely poor: there is little or no pure meat and fish, no vitamins, no other useful substances and additives. Therefore, of all the feeds, it is better to choose holistic and super-premium feeds: they are more expensive in price, but also better in composition.

• Holistic feed: Orijen, Innova Evo, Farmina N&D.
• Super-premium food: Sanabelle, Savarra, Summit, Superpet.

Below are recommended super-premium foods. Links with the names of the food are clickable, on them you can, within our website, get acquainted with the descriptions of the food and read reviews from owners of Ural Rex cats.

Diseases

Like all other living beings, Ural rexes need high-quality nutrition, good care and physical activity. Vaccinations are also required: against rabies, rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia, infectious peritonitis. These diseases are extremely dangerous and, unfortunately, often lead to the death of animals. The treatment itself is long, difficult and requires a lot of money, and pathogens can easily be brought home on clothes or the soles of your shoes.

2 weeks before vaccination, the cat must be given an anthelmintic. Worms and other parasites reduce immunity and antibody production, which reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine.

The veterinarian must decide whether or not to vaccinate the cat, so bring the animal to him for examination in advance. Pregnant and lactating cats should not be wormed; animals with certain chronic diseases or at the peak of the disease should not be vaccinated.

Ural rexes do not have genetic pathologies. Which, in general, is not surprising: the breed is aboriginal, on which no experiments have been carried out. But they catch cold easily. So make sure that your Ural Rex’s bed is not in a draft, that after bathing it is dried as quickly as possible, and when walking outside in cool weather, it is dressed in a warm suit.

Characteristics of the breed

To stand out among their friends, many people get unusual specimens of cats, which influences the maintenance and stimulation of breeding work, thanks to which many new rare breeds appear. But regardless of the fact that the cost of purrs is quite high, and the care is quite complicated, the animals acquire their own family, and the owners cannot get enough of the furry pets.

© shutterstock

A distinctive feature of the Ural Rex is its unusual coat. The cat's coat has curls with elastic corrugations and a small step between wavy ridges, which are not noted in any of the cat breeds. In addition, the fur of a fluffy cat is considered hypoallergenic, and this is one of the reasons why many cat lovers refuse to have purring pets.

The second distinctive ability of the Ural Rex is considered to be non-standard molting. The cat does not lose hair constantly, forcing owners to clean regularly. At a time when the coat of a fluffy is changing, the hairs remain only in the place of its permanent habitat (bed) or the comb with which the owner combs his pet.

Another pleasant feature of the Ural Rex is considered to be excellent health. Animals do not suffer from genetic diseases, and they are also easy to care for, since their habitat is as close as possible to natural conditions, and therefore the hassle of treatment is usually avoided.

Photo gallery

Below are photos of cats of the Ural Rex breed.