American Wirehair

The American Wirehair is a breed of domestic cat that originated in upstate New York. As of 2003, though the breed is well known, they are ranked as the most rare of the 41 CFA breeds, with only 22 registered, down from 39 in 2002.
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Brown classic tabby and white American Wirehair.
Photo: Tetsu Yamazaki

Weight: 8-11 lbs.
Overview
The Wirehair is similar to the American Shorthair in disposition. This is a quiet, sweet-natured, easygoing cat that gets along well with children and other pets.
Appearance
The American Wirehair is a muscular cat with a distinctive wiry coat; even its whiskers curl. The ideal cat is medium to large and well-muscled, with a dense, coarse coat that has a curly appearance. Wirehairs have round heads with large, widely spaced eyes and medium-size ears that are rounded at the tips. Each hair is thin and wiry or bent, resulting in the crimped coat that is the hallmark of this breed. Breeders strive for coats that are dense, resilient, and coarse. They routinely cross Wirehairs with American Shorthairs, resulting in similar colors and patterns among the two breeds.
Special Grooming Needs
The wiry hair is easily damaged, so brushing or combing is not advised except during the spring shedding season.
Origins
The American Wirehair breed was developed from a farm cat named Adam discovered in 1966 in upstate New York. This male of nonpedigreed parents (some authorities claim the parents were American Shorthairs) was the only one of six kittens with dense, wiry fur. When Adam was mated with one of his littermates, Tip-Toe, he passed along the mutated gene for coat texture, and subsequent litters produced more of these wonderful wirehaired kittens.