Many members of the general public think less hair, no grooming and are shocked to find out that Sphynx and Rex are actually some of the higher maintenance breeds.  Unlike "normal cats", these mutats can generate a lot of wax in their ears and around their claws which, if not cleaned well, can lead to an infection. Most vets have no idea that the Sphynx and Rex breeds generate this waxy oil in the ears and on claws, as other breeds do not have this phenomena - so unfortuatnely they are often not of much help or may even steer owners in the wrong direction. Waxy ears are sometimes wrongly assumed to be infected or infested with mites.  My new vet wanted to test all of my cats for infection and infestation -- I let him check the one he was examining to satisfy his curiosity and prove my innocence -- until he learned that waxiness is, unfortunately, normal for a Devon.  They simply don't have the fur in or around their ears to keep debris out.

If your Devon is waxy, clean them weekly.  The less coat your cat has, the more oil and wax it will probably have on its body. A well-coated Devon, our breeding goal, will have its oils more evenly distributed.  Some Devons won't get a good coat until they are close to a year old, though.

For ears, use a cleaner purchased from any vet clinic. We've only ever used Vet Solutions brand, but there are others. If you keep up with cleaning, using a soft cloth or cotton ball to remove the gunk , you can  avoid using cotton buds (ie. Q Tips) which can be dangerous to insert in an ear. (Remember what your mom said, never put anything bigger than an elbow into an ear.)  Watch for signs of inflamation and/or pain which must be referred to a vet.

Use a baby wipe to remove residue from nail beds.

Detailed instructions:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=106

http://www.cleaning.com/printable.php?id=419

http://www.cat-world.com.au/CleaningCatsEars.htm

...Pam