American Wirehair

The American Wirehair is a cat whose coat is crimped rather than smooth — springy, resilient hair down to the whiskers, produced by a mutation that has never been found anywhere else.

History

It traces to a single farm kitten born in upstate New York in 1966 with a wiry coat, a spontaneous dominant mutation that breeders then fixed by crossing with American Shorthairs. Every cat of the breed descends from that one animal.

Temperament

The breed is known for being even-tempered, adaptable and quietly affectionate — an undemanding cat that keeps the working shorthair's tolerance for a busy house.

Care

The coat should not be over-brushed: it is springy by design and heavy grooming spoils the texture, so occasional attention beats routine work. Ears can need cleaning more often than in a smooth-coated cat.

Health

It inherits the American Shorthair's generally sound reputation, with a small founding population as the standing caution. These are patterns for the breed rather than a forecast for one cat; the measured facts and trait ratings are in the panels.