One of the newest cat breeds, with a soft curly coat that shines like satin.
The Tennessee Rex comes from the American state of Tennessee. In 2004 a stray cat there had a litter of kittens, and two red boys had a soft curly coat that shone like satin. The breed began with them. It is still very rare and still being developed, so not much is known about it. People who know it call it loving and playful, and it likes a lap.
Often called loving and keen to be part of the family, but not clingy.
By most accounts it likes a lap, the sofa or the bed.
Playful and curious, and happy with toys and puzzles.
Usually moderately active: first play and climb, then settle on a lap.
Mostly quiet, but will ask for food or attention.
Clever and quick to use the litter box. Keep training short and fun.
Can be shy at first, so let it meet new people young and calmly.
A good family cat, when children learn to handle it gently.
Can live with a dog if they get used to each other slowly.
Usually gets on well with other cats.
Copes with some time alone, but prefers company.
A fine indoor cat, even in a flat, with toys and a cat tree.
That shine comes out of a bottle, or it is just oil on the skin.
No. The shine is in the hairs themselves and does not wash off.
T-Rex? Then it must be a very old breed.
No, it is one of the newest. It only dates from 2004, and T-Rex is just a nickname for Tennessee Rex.
A breed that arose on its own has no inherited diseases.
Nobody knows. There are still so few Tennessee Rex that no one has studied them. That no disease is known does not mean there is none.
Several breeds have curls, and their curls do not always come from the same gene. In the Cornish Rex and the Devon Rex scientists have found the gene, in the Tennessee Rex not yet. Breeders say it is recessive: a kitten only has curls when both parents pass the gene on. Only the American registry TICA knows the breed, as a new breed still in development.
A stray cat has a litter at Franklin Whittenburg's home in Tennessee. Two red male kittens have a curly, shiny coat.
Whittenburg asks breeders, a cat geneticist and TICA for advice. The story goes that nobody had seen kittens like these before.
According to breeders, TICA takes the Tennessee Rex on as a new breed. It may be shown, but cannot win titles yet.
Only a few cats are left. A small group of breeders starts again, together with TICA.
TICA gives the Tennessee Rex Advanced New Breed status: the last step before a championship breed.
A medium-sized, muscular cat with a sturdy body. Apart from the coat there is nothing unusual about its build: it is all about the curls and the shine.
A short, curly or wavy coat. The shine and the curls show a little less than on the longhair.
Recognition: The same breed in TICA; we found no separate status.
A long, curly coat that shows the shine and the curls best. It needs brushing more often.
Recognition: The same breed in TICA; we found no separate status.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Red(d)
White(w)
Black tortie(f)
Red and white(d 03)According to breed articles every colour and pattern occurs, also with white. We found no TICA colour list. Red and red and white are seen most: the first two kittens were red.
The breed began in 2004 with a litter of stray kittens in Tennessee, which makes it one of the newest cat breeds.
The whole story starts with two red male kittens born with curly hair and a shine on their coats.
Fans call it the T-Rex, a joke on its name. Luckily it is no dinosaur.
The shine is in the hairs themselves, so a bath will not wash it off.
It is not only the coat that curls: the whiskers are kinked or wavy too.
Breed articles say 12 to 18 years. No study has measured it, and the breed is so young that there are few old cats yet. Take it as a rough guide, as for cats in general.
No disease is known to belong to this breed. That is mainly because there are still so few Tennessee Rex that vets and scientists have not been able to study them. And with so few cats, the parents are often related.
How it is found: There is no DNA test for this breed. A rex test from another breed says nothing about the Tennessee Rex.
Like any cat it can put on too much weight or have trouble with its teeth. Breed articles only name these ordinary cat problems.
How it is found: Weigh it now and then and let the vet check its teeth every year.
Little work. A shorthair needs a gentle brush once a week at most, as curly hair breaks easily. If the coat gets a bit oily, wipe it with a damp cloth. Clean the ears and clip the claws every month.
The shine and the curls show best on a long coat. That needs brushing more often, so no mats form. After a bath the curls often look even better.
No special needs: play together every day, toys, a scratching post and something to climb.
No special diet needed. Give good, complete cat food in measured portions and keep an eye on its weight.
Nobody claims it causes fewer allergies, and no one has studied it. Assume it is like any other cat. If you are allergic, spend some time with one first.
Checked on 23 October 2026
Let's swap links. We list your club here, with logo, a short text and a link. You link to this page. No costs, no contract.
Register your cat with SpotKat for free, with photos and chip number in one place.
