Start inside, because a Devon Rex hides brilliantly
Before you run outside, search the house as if your Devon Rex never left it. This breed is slender, warm-seeking, and famously good at squeezing into places an owner would not think to look: inside a recliner mechanism, behind a washing machine, on top of a wardrobe, or buried in a pile of warm laundry. Open every cupboard, look under beds with a torch, and check the tumble dryer and any open suitcase. Call softly, then be quiet and listen, because a scared Devon Rex often stays silent rather than answering. Shake a familiar treat packet in each room and pause. Many apparently lost indoor cats are found in this first sweep, frightened but unhurt, within metres of where they were last seen.
Move outside slowly and search low
If the indoor search comes up empty, take a torch and walk your garden and the nearest pavements slowly, looking low. A Devon Rex that has slipped out is unlikely to have run far in the first hour; frightened cats hug walls, crouch under cars, and freeze in hedges close to home. Check under decking, inside open sheds, behind bins, and up in dense shrubs. Call in your normal voice, not a panicked shout, and stop often to listen for a faint reply. Avoid chasing if you spot your cat, because a bolt can carry it further away; crouch down, speak calmly, and let it come to you with food as encouragement.
Put scent and food at the escape point
While one person searches, another should set up the home beacon. Put your Devon Rex's bedding, an item of your worn clothing, and a small amount of strong-smelling familiar food beside the door or window it most likely used. Cats navigate partly by scent, and a familiar smell trail gives a disoriented cat a target to return to. Keep that door watched, ideally with someone quietly present, rather than leaving it wide open and unattended. Refresh the food if it dries out, and note the exact time you last saw your cat, what it was wearing, and any distinguishing marks such as its ear shape or coat pattern, because those details matter for every alert and poster you make next.
Alert neighbours, vets, and shelters in that same hour
Knock on neighbours' doors and ask them to check garages, greenhouses, and sheds themselves while you wait, because a cat can be shut in during a brief open door. Ask people not just to look but to leave the door open for a few minutes in case a hiding cat slips out unseen. Phone your veterinary practice, nearby practices, and local rescue shelters with a clear description, and confirm your microchip contact details are current so a scanned cat reaches you quickly. Share a recent, clear photo that shows your Devon Rex's face, large ears, and wavy coat, since those features separate it from a generic short-haired cat in a neighbour's quick glance.
Keep the search going after the first hour
The first hour sets the pattern, but most cats are found by persistence close to home. Repeat the same quiet circuit at dusk, when streets are calmer and a hungry cat is more likely to move and answer. Put simple posters with one large photo and your phone number on nearby lampposts and in shop windows, and ask local community groups to share the alert. Log every sighting with its time and place so a pattern can emerge, and follow up each one in person. Through KinsLe, the Lost Pet Alert System lets a finder contact you directly the moment your Devon Rex is spotted, keeping that first crucial conversation in one place.