American Wirehair Cats

Unlike most cat breeds, the American Wirehair cat is a cat breed that originated in the United States. Similar the the Scottish Fold, it owes its existence as a distinct cat breed due to a genetic mutation in a litter of farm cats. This particular mutation occurred in a litter of farm cats in Upstate New York in 1966. The mutation that brought about the American Wirehair cat affected the cat’s coat. This same, spontaneous mutation has not been reported as every occurring before in any part of the world.

The coat of the American Wirehair cat is its distinguishing characteristic. At birth, some American Wirehair cats have hair that is curled in ringlets. The coat may straighten while the cat matures. An American Wirehair kitten may be born with straight hair or hair that is slightly crimped. The hair may crimp or straighten as the kitten grows. There is an incredible range of variations in the texture of the coats of American Wirehair cats. Generally, each hair is bent. This gives the American Wirehair cat a dense coat that is springy to the touch. The whiskers of American Wirehair cats often appear wiry.

The color patterns of the coats of American Wirehair cats are solid, patched, calico, smoke, silver, cameo, tabby, tortoiseshell, or van. Van is a white cat with other coloring restricted to the head, tail, and legs. The solid colors of American Wirehair cats are white, black, blue, red, and cream.
The upper half of the eyes are almond-shaped while the bottom half is rounded. The eyes may be gold, hazel, or green. Pure white American Wirehair cats may have blue eyes or one blue eye and one golden eye.

The American Wirehair cat is a solid, muscular cat without being stocky or cobby. They are medium to large size cats that are slightly longer than they are tall. American Wirehair cats were first registered with the CFA in 1967. They are generally healthy. They require little grooming. If an American Wirehair cat needs to be bathed, a gentle cat shampoo can be used. Hair dryers and combs should not be used.