Ural Rex: The Very Rare Curly-Haired Russian Cat
We tell you all about Ural Rex cat.
The Ural Rex in brief
- Life expectancy: 13 to 15 years
- Weight: 3.5 to 5.5 kg (female), 4.5 to 7 kg (male)
- Size: around 30 cm at the withers on average
- Silhouette: semi-foreign (midline)
- Hair: short or medium, curly
- Dresses: all
- Character: calm, affectionate, sociable
- Origin: Russia
- Cat breed recognized by the LOOF: no
History Of The Ural Rex Breed
The Ural Rex comes, as its name suggests, from the Ural region, a mountain range in Russia, close to Kazakhstan. The official origin of the breed dates back to 1988, when Vasily, a wavy-haired kitten, was born to Ludmila Semenovna Podurovskaya. 6 years later, he was mated with a short-haired cat, Mura, and gave 2 young: Bars and Murka who became the founding cats of the breed.
Initially, crosses in consanguinity were practiced to check that no defect was associated with the race. The cats were then bred to European Shorthairs to expand the gene pool and bring in new blood.
It is in 1997 a second breeding was launched in Moscowby TS Emelyanova who took 3 cats (1 male and 2 females) from the cattery of Ludmila Semenovna Podurovskaya.
10 years later, in June then August 2007, two German breeders continued work in Europe with a female cat named Dorothea Uralochka (Iset’s cattery) and her brother Dimka (Gut Mannewitz cattery). These subjects are the foundation cats of the breed on the European continent.
Unfortunately, the Ural Rex remains very confidential, since there are only about 200 subjects in the world. These remain mainly within the Russian and German borders. This cat is not not recognized by the main feline authorities such as the TICA (The International Cat Association), the CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association), the FIFé (International Feline Federation) or the LOOF, the French association (Official Book of Feline Origins).
Only the WCF (World Cat Federation), headquartered in Germany, has recognized the breed since 2006.
Physical characteristics of the Ural Rex breed
The Ural Rex is distinguished by its curly coat, which can be short or mid-length. Its curls are tight and elastic, which brings fantasy and charm to this cat. His figure is muscular and mediocre, he is said to be semi-foreign. His body is of medium size.
Her head also medium in size, is slightly rounded with soft contours. Their eyes, slightly inclined, are particularly expressive. They are medium to large, almond shaped and well spaced. Her cheeks are well developed, the muzzle is rounded and the chin is rather strong. As for Ring, it is straight, well developed and with a regular line, without breakage or excessive curvature. Its color varies according to the coat. His face returns a lot of sweetness and charm. Ears, on the other hand, are medium to large and placed vertically. Quite apart, they are wide at the base and rounded at the end.
Its paws are of medium length and lead to round and compact feet. Finally, tail is medium to long in length, proportionate to the body, and tapers at the tip.
The colors of the Ural Rex
All colors are allowed. The Ural Rex can therefore be plain or striped (tabby), with all the possible variations: smoke, silver, with or without white, tortoiseshell… The color of the eyes must match the coat, as with most purebred cats with a few exceptions. So a brown cat, for example, cannot wear an azure look.
The wide color palette adds diversity to this cat with its original coat.
Character of the Ural Rex
It is said that the Ural Rex is a friendly and very calm cat. He is also very confident towards his family members and shows them a lot of affection. Close to his humans it is a companion easy to live. He attracts attention gently, with cuddly and delicate gestures, without meowing. Indeed, he is not very talkative. Also, he doesn’t like to be left alone. It is an animal that needs interaction and contact. Besides, he is sociable and playful. It can therefore quite bring a ball like a dog.
Each animal is different. These character traits are common, but it can happen that a subject does not have them all, which does not exclude him from Ural Rex cats.
Ideal living conditions of the Ural Rex
The Ural Rex is rather a apartment cat due to his calm temperament. He does not like loneliness and must therefore rather live with a family present at his home. Sociable, he gets along well with children, provided they are not too noisy, as he likes peace and quiet. It is therefore as suitable for a family as it is for a single person.
Friendly, he also generally gets along well with other animalsdogs and cats.
In the house, he will have to benefit from a secure garden so as not to find himself alone outside. Indeed, he is overconfident and could be robbed.
Ural Rex Grooming and Maintenance
Maintenance is not very complicated. Indeed, the Ural Rex is a cat that does not tie knots. However, it is important not to alter its beautiful waves. It should therefore not be brushed with anything, because its hair can be damaged by a conventional brush. It is therefore advisable to wipe his coat gently and from time to time with a damp cloth or wipe. The humidity helps to plump up the curls and restore the hair’s pep without damaging it.
Each ear and each eye also deserves regular cleaning with lukewarm water or a special cat solution (about once a month).
Main health problems of the Ural Rex
We do not have enough hindsight to know the health problems associated with the breed. It is too recent and too underdeveloped. However, he does not seem to have any dispositions to certain diseases, nor hereditary pathologies for the moment.
The Ural Rex, must of course be vaccinated against typhus, coryza, and, in some cases, leucosis, even rabies. It must also be wormed several times a year.
Feeding the Ural Rex
A balanced diet, made mainly of animal proteins and fats, meets the needs of this small carnivore. Top-of-the-range croquettes, as well as pâtés, if they do not come from a supermarket where quality is less sought after in favor of price, are perfect for everyday life.
Some owners prefer the BARF or the household rationwhich they consider closer to a natural diet, but these two modes require good knowledge of animal nutrition.
The Ural Rex must also always have a water bowl available.
Ural Rex price
In France, the Ural Rex is not recognized by the LOOF. It is therefore not considered a purebred cat. The price of a cat sold without pedigree is that of its mandatory identification and its vaccines.
The Ural Rex is sold mainly in Russia. It is found around 60,000 to 90,000 rubles (i.e., depending on the period, between 700 and 1,000 euros).
Anecdotes around the Ural Rex
The kittens are born with curly hair, then, around a month, lose their waves. They begin to come back slightly around 3 to 4 months, but their atypical coat is not really definitive until around 6 to 7 months.
How to tell an Ural Rex from a Cornish Rex?
If these cats both have curly fur, the Cornish Rex is longer and thinner, because its morphological profile is said to be oriental, while the Ural Rex is medioline. In addition, the tail of the Cornish takes the form of a whip while that of the Ural is thin and rounded. Finally, at the level of the head, it is longer in the cousin from England than in our cat from the Urals.
How to differentiate the German Rex from the Ural Rex?
In both cases, we are faced with cats with a semi-foreign silhouette and curly hair. However, they can be distinguished by the shape of the head which is longer than wide in the German while it is short in the cat from Russia. Similarly, the Germanic cousin has rounded eyes of medium size while they are large and oval in the Urals.
Adopting a Ural Rex is almost impossible in France, except to bring it from Russia or from across the Rhine. When such a cat enters a home, it brings calm and fills the house with a peaceful soul. Its characteristic curly hair adds a touch of fantasy and softness.
