American Wirehair

History
The first American wirehair cat appeared in 1966, among a litter of six kittens born to two ordinary barn cats on a small farm in Verona, New York. Out of them, this single red and white male had odd wiry fur. The owner of the cats called a local breeder of Rex Cats, Mrs. William O'Shea, to see if there is some deformity in the kitten. Then, Mrs. William O'Shea bought that kitten along with one of its normal coated female littermates for $50, to start a breeding program.

She named the wirehaired male as Council Rock Farm Adam of Hi-Fi and the female as Tip-Toe of Hi-Fi. The breeding between the two produced wirehaired kittens. Many of these were sold off to other breeders. With the growing population, they were exported to Canada and Germany. In 1967, the CFA accepted the American Wirehairs for registration, and in 1978, granted championship status.

Appearance
American Wirehairs are generally found in medium & large size. They are strong and well muscled; they have strong legs with firm full paws. The shape of their head is round with prominent cheekbones. These cats have a well-developed muzzle and chin. Their ears are medium in size, slightly rounded and set well apart. The tail of American Wirehairs is of medium length. They are said to be adaptable cats, resistant to disease.

Its special coat separates the American Wirehair from all other breeds. Each hair is crimped, hooked or bent, including the whiskers and the hair within the ears; it gives this breed a unique coat that's short, springy, resilient, coarse, and very dense. However, significant variation exists in the texture and length of the individual coats. Apart from the wiry coat, they are strong, muscular cats, built similarly to American Shorthairs. They come in a variety of colors.

Personality
American Wirehairs are very sweet & loving by nature. They crave human attention and affection. They are active without being hyper. American Wirehairs are affectionate and demands the same from their owners. Wirehairs generally dislike being held and cannot be considered as "lap cats". They love their freedom. These cats are very loyal towards their owner and love playing even with small children because of their calm temperament.

The friendly & affectionate nature of American Wirehair made it the most famous domestic cat in New York. Although today this breed is well known, it is ranked among the rarest of the 41 CFA breeds. In short, they can be described as intelligent, affectionate, calm, reserved, loyal, playful, and inquisitive cats. There is no inherited genetic defect found in American Wirehairs.