The Cornish Rex breed originated in Cornwall, England, in the early 1950s. The first Cornish Rex, named Kallibunker, was born in 1950 in a litter of barn cats on a farm in Bodmin Moor. His unique curly coat, caused by a natural genetic mutation, caught the attention of his owner, Nina Ennismore. She bred Kallibunker with other cats, establishing the breed’s foundation. The mutation responsible for the Cornish Rex’s distinctive wavy, soft fur is recessive, so selective breeding was necessary to maintain and spread the trait.