Devon Rex Distinguished Merit

Distinguished Merit is the title given to a cat which has produced the required number of Grand Champions, Grand Premiers or Distinguished Merit Cats (5 for females and 15 for males).

The First Devon Rex DM

Excerpt from “CFA’s First Distinguished Merit Cats” by Marianne Clark which appeared in the December 2005-January 2006 issue of the CFA Almanac.

The first Devon Rex DM was a gold-eyed white female, GC Ardee Kathryn S.W. Luoar, DM. “Kathryn’s” sire also became a Distinguished Merit: Kotickee’s Raoul, DM, bred and owned by Dr. Shally Carlson. Kathryn’s owner, F. Jill Solly, had been trying to purchase a female Devon Rex for her male, taking two years to acquire Kathryn from breeder Rosaline Dolak DeDan. Kathryn was Jill’s foundation female, and her offspring later served as foundations for other Devon Rex catteries such as Lilac Hill, Elegance, Razaby and many more. She was Jill’s first show cat and always a joy to show. Jill relates here were trying times when she was shown right after the Cornish Rex class and some of the judges would have to be corrected. CFA had at one time grouped both as Rex cats and they were judged with the same standard. Many times Kathryn was the only Devon in the show, making finals was the only means to acquire her Grand Champion title. Amazingly, she did this in eight shows. She also received a regional award as 11th Best Cat and was Best Devon Rex nationally, in 1988-89.

Kathryn earned her DM honors in 1991-92. Three of the grands were from Jill’s first litter of Devons registered in CFA. Kathryn produced many more litters and was seven years old when finally spayed. Like many of our beloved show kitties, she went to a pet home where she could be number one and not upset other cats as sometimes happens with spays. Jill states, “It was a hard time for me to place her as she was a very special Devon in my life, but her happiness was my happiness.”

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