American Wirehair

Other Names

None

Breed Classification

Shorthaired

Lifespan

15 years

Average Litter Size

Weight Height Range

The American Wirehaired weighs between 3.5 - 7kgs.

Country Of Origin

America (New York State)

Feeding

The American Wirehair will require approximately 70 Kcals per kg bodyweight per day of food.

General Physical Description

The American Wirehair's most distinctive feature is its harsh, springy and wiry coat - each short-to-medium hair is thin and crimped, or hooked. The full extent of the 'wiring' only becomes apparent when the cat is mature; kittens which appear to have very curly coats when they are young can grow up into merely wavy, rather than wiry adults, and vice versa. The rounded head has high cheekbones and medium-sized, round-tipped ears, while the widely-spaced eyes are large and round. The whiskers are often curly. The body is well-rounded but not cobby, and the legs are sturdy and medium in length, with rounded paws.

Ailments

The American Wirehair is a sturdy, healthy breed and suffers from no specific health problems. However, an annual health check from about the age of eight is advisable. This may include teeth cleaning and a blood test for liver and kidney function.

Show Characteristics

The American Wirehair's laid-back personality means that most cats enjoy a trip to a show. Points may be lost for coat faults, unlevel bite, incorrect coat colour or pattern, incorrect eye colour, as well other faults such as skull deformities, entropion (an eyelid deformity), squints, tail kinks etc, that apply to all breeds.

Energy

Medium

Compatibility With Other Cats

High

Compatibility With Other Animals

High

Suitability For Children

High

Character & Temperament

The American Wirehair is a friendly, laid-back cat. It is relaxed, sweetnatured and gentle and playful, and enjoys toys, and games with its owner. This is not a particularly talkative breed.

Noisiness

Low

Grooming & Upkeep

The American Wirehair enjoys being handled. Care must be taken not to damage the wiry coat when grooming.  Home cleaning tips and advice for cat owners is available at www.feralgarden.com/home_cleaning_with_cats.htm

Coat Length

Short

Colour

Self coloured American Wirehairs: Black, Red, Blue, Cream, White. (Whites may be blue-eyed, gold-eyed, or odd-eyed). Tortie American Wirehairs: Tortoiseshell, Blue Tortie. Smoke American Wirehairs: Black Smoke, Red Smoke, Blue Smoke. In the Smokes, the base of each hair is white, gradually darkening along its length. In the Smoke variety of other breeds, the paler undercoat only shows when the cat moves, but the American Wirehair's distinctive coat means that some of the colour is always apparent. Shaded and Tipped American Wirehairs: Shaded Silver, Shaded Cameo, Chinchilla Silver, Shell Cameo. The Shaded and Tipped are similar to the Smokes, but a greater proportion of the length of each hair is the paler colour. The greatest length of pale hair is seen in the Tipped. Tabby American Wirehairs: American Wirehair Tabbies may be Brown, Blue, Red or Cream, and occur in either the Classic or Mackerel Tabby patterns (below). Classic Tabby: the tabby markings are clearly defined and intense in colour. The forehead will show the classic tabby trademark of the 'M' which gives the impression of a frown. Unbroken stripes run from the outer corners of the eyes and there are narrow lines on the cheeks. There are numerous unbroken necklaces around the neck and chest. The ears show the other classic tabby trademark: the thumbprint, a patch of base colour surrounded by the colour of the markings. Over the top of the head run stripes, which extend down into the shoulders. The markings on the shoulder resemble the outline of a butterfly. An unbroken line runs down the spine and there will be stripes on either side running parallel to it. 'Oyster-shaped' patches appear on both flanks surrounded by one or more unbroken rings. The tail has as many unbroken rings as possible and the tip is the same colour as the dark markings. The legs have even bracelets from the body to the toes, and the toes and tummy are spotted. The cats will have symmetrical markings on both sides. The eye colour is deep gold, orange or copper. Mackerel Tabby: The difference between a Classic tabby and a Mackerel tabby is in the body markings. In the Mackerel tabby there is a narrow unbroken spine line and on either side of this is a broken line running parallel to it from which numerous narrow lines run vertically down the body. This forms the Mackerel pattern. The tail rings are numerous and may be broken or unbroken. Shaded Tabby American Wirehairs: Silver, Cameo. Bi-colour American Wirehairs: Any of the self or tortie colours, with white. Other colours may occur, but these are not recognised by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), the main regulatory body in the USA.

History And Uses

In Verona, New York State, America, in 1966, a litter containing one wirehaired kitten among normal coated littermates, was born. A breeder called Joan O'Shea obtained the wiry kitten and (with an eye to setting up a breeding programme) one of his female littermates. Through careful breeding, she discovered that the wiriness was carried on a dominant gene. Unlike the Rex coat, the Wirehair coat has only arisen once, and all American Wirehairs' ancestry can be traced back to the appropriately named founder-kitten: Adam. The American Wirehair was given a Breed Standard in 1967, and was recognised by the CFA in 1977. It has become popular in the USA and Canada, but is little known elsewhere.

Shedding