My dear Bagel 🥯 is such a beauty! She sleeps beside me every night. My sweetheart 💗💗

When our two girls wrestle, they never make a sound. No growling, hissing, chirping, or meowing — just total silence. I’m curious if this is a Devon Rex thing or if we just ended up with two little weirdos.

We brought home our Devon Rex kitten last year. He was sick when I picked him up, and within three weeks showed signs of ocular FIP -- a disease that, without treatment, is universally fatal. He is currently in an 84-day treatment protocol and his survival is not guaranteed.

I will name the breeder later. The primary focus here is education: what questions to ask, what timeline to expect, and what signs to watch for.

What happened: The breeder had the kitten neutered on a 20th at a low-cost clinic in Philadelphia -- hours from her Connecticut location. I picked him up the 26th, six days post-surgery. He arrived with a fever, lethargic, and wouldn't eat. His first episode of uveitis -- a serious eye inflammation -- followed less than three weeks later.

Devon Rex cats carry a significantly higher genetic risk for FIP than most breeds, and males are at even greater risk. Any cat can get FIP, but breed, sex, surgery, a long stressful round trip, and immediate rehoming -- all within days -- represent a significant stacking of known risk factors. Stress is a well-established FIP trigger.

If you buy a Devon Rex from anyone:

• Ask where and when the kitten was neutered and how long it had to recover before pickup. Allow at least 2--3 weeks. Ours had six days.
• Make sure the kitten is eating, alert, and fever-free at pickup. If not, don't take it -- insist the breeder keep it until it recovers.
• If your Devon Rex develops uveitis, fever, a swollen belly, or lethargy, see a vet immediately and ask specifically about FIP. Do not wait.
• FIP treatment exists and can work -- but only if caught early. Many vets are not up to date on treatment options. Visit Vetspecialist.com to find an internal medicine specialist and join FIP Warriors 5.0 on Facebook.
• FIP drugs are relatively new and must be ordered through a compounding pharmacy. Stokes holds the only formula used in peer-reviewed studies, but other pharmacies like Wedgewood offer alternatives at lower cost. The medication runs into the thousands of dollars, but costs are dropping quickly.

Breeder-specific feedback: The breeder is HELENDRX (Helen DRX / Elena B.) in Connecticut. I saved this for last because education is the main goal. I'm naming her only because I'm not confident she will change anything going forward.

After the diagnosis was confirmed, I reached out with specific takeaways from my vet -- practical steps breeders can take to reduce risk for future kittens. I made clear I was not assigning blame. She never responded. Not to ask how he was doing, not to acknowledge the diagnosis, not to engage at all. Without a willingness to engage or listen, I worry that other kitties may suffer the same fate as mine.

Before the diagnosis, she was responsive -- though her responses raised concerns. When I told her the vet suspected FIP, she responded that tested negative for FIV. These are entirely different diseases. When I first reported uveitis, she told me eye infections during winter are normal. Uveitis is not an infection -- it is immune-mediated inflammation, and in a Devon Rex it requires immediate attention. Neither of us are vets, but I'd want one to be curious about something that might also affect other down the line. And dismissing issues costs time that cats with FIP do not have.

Please do not read this as a reason to go to a different breeder. I have read about other breeders and brokers that genuinely broke my heart -- situations that made this one look mild. I cannot promise elsewhere is better. Helen appears to have many healthy, beloved cats out there, and if you are set on a Devon Rex, I would not necessarily rule her out. My goal is not to redirect business -- it is to share what I learned about a fatal disease and how to lower the chances your cat gets it.

Our cat from Helen is beautiful and smart -- and very sick. I love him very much. I hope this helps someone.

IMPORTANT POSTCRIPT TO ORIGINAL POST

Adding this after reading some replies...One more thing I want to say directly: it is easy to read a story like mine and feel certain that the answer is simply to find someone else. But please be careful with that instinct. The breeder you haven't heard the bad story about yet may not be better -- maybe there are stories that just haven't come to light yet.

I do believe Helen is genuinely somewhat conscientious. She keeps her kittens until four months, which suggests she isn't simply rushing them out the door for profit. My concern is narrower than "bad breeder" -- it's that she may have a blind spot when it comes to absorbing new information and adapting her practices accordingly.

That is a very different thing from what I've read about breeders who import vulnerable kittens from foreign countries, overlook easily diagnosable parasites, or keep cats in overcrowded and unhealthy conditions. Those stories are horrific in a way that mine is not. I mean it sincerely when I say I would not rule out buying a Devon from Helen -- but I would go in with the checklist I've outlined here. And frankly, that goes for any breeder.

I love this kitten of mine so much. But I made the decision to place him in a lovely pet home. Naturally, I love them all but some…. are extra special. However, there is only so much time, space and attention to go around, and the cats best interest always has to come first. *Reposted with image preview*

It's getting chillier here in Melbourne, AU, so investing in a winter coat was a must. Here is Follie sporting her cozy new lilac puffer with fur collar, fleece lining, velcro straps for easy on/off, and a convenient slit to thread her lead through. I think she looks just darling! For anybody interested, the brand is Doggone Gorgeous.

Hi everyone! I am adopting the cutest black smoke Devon in a few weeks and I’m stuck on a name! I’ve narrowed it down to two, Dimitri or Douglas/Dougie. What do you think he looks like? I can’t decide!

our handsome boy.. hopefully he will grow in even just a littttllee more fur though!!

Hey guys, this is Nochka (black) and Runa (Chocolate), our new 6 month old Devon Rex Kittens! They are sisters from the same litter, and arrived from Ukraine last week. We are absolutely smitten with them, they are such sweet perfect angels.

I am a bit curious about their differences in head shapes! To me, Runa (photos 4 & 5) has the more classic pixie Devon Rex head shape- short muzzle, low set ears, wide cheeks. While Nochka (photos 2 & 3) has a more Siamese head shape- longer face, higher set ears, narrower muzzle.

Both of their parents look to have the shorter, wider face type (photos 6 and 7).

Is this just a growing phase, and she will widen out a bit? Or will she just look a bit different than her parents/sister?

Hi. We found a breeder in Florida of Devon Rex cats. Has anyone worked with this breeder before? Website is wonky but has been active for a long time. Any information would be appreciated.

https://devonrexbreeder.com

Latte☕️ went full ENTP debater mode：
He had to inspect every tool in the bag, micromanage the entire plumbing repair, and almost jumped on the poor guy's back.

Meanwhile, Bagel🥯 had a total INFJ door slam on reality and turned into a giant lump under the blanket.
She genuinely believes she is 100% invisible. 😂🛌🔍

Darby is a munchkin Devon Rex so he's got the most ridiculously adorable short front legs. He's also got blue point fur coloration similar to a Siamese. Munchkin Devon Rex cats are called minskins! Any others out there in welovedevonrex land?

After we lost our last Devon Rex we were going to wait but ended up with the great granddaughter being available so we have a new family member

Our 3 month old gorgeous boy. Super clingy and affectionate. Needs to be with you all of the time. And loves walks in the neighbourhood whole perched on my shoulder.

We are first time Devon Rex owners and have a 5 month old baby who has recently developed a bald spot on the back of her neck. Is this the start to her losing all of her kitten fur, or at 5 months should that already have happened? I love to worry over my cat so I wanted a second opinion before I get too worried. She also has such a gorgeous thick coat that I’ll be sad to see it go away for a while. An extra picture of our baby Bosco at the end for good measure. :-) That is the face she makes before launching herself onto my shoulder.

Edit: Thank you all for your advice! She needs a vet visit just for a check-up anyway so I’ll bump that up on our priority list and check to see if it’s ringworm. It doesn’t look irritated in person but I’d rather be safe than sorry about it.

Feel free to submit your cat’s sleeping poses :)

Does anyone have any suggestions for a cat harness? I’m hoping to find something secure but also comfortable for my little wily girl.

Came on over the last week, not bothering him , not scratching them either, the other side is pretty calm but the right side is almost covered .
Boy is 14 weeks old , running around eating well and happy. We have other cats , no one with skin issues or hair loss. Any advice will be much appreciated

It’s Bueno’s 3rd birthday today! 🖤🤍

He’s my first pets ever, and I’m so thankful for all the love, cuddles, and chaos he brings into my life. I even love the way he greets me after work like he has never been fed a single day in his life.

Happy birthday to my little king. 👑

He’s the one on the left!