Personality:
- Fearless, trusting nature.
- Sweet, loving, easygoing, and people-oriented.
- Uniquely American, this particular mutation has not been reported in any other country.
- Not all kittens born to wirehaired parents will have a wiry coat.
- The degree of coat coarseness depends on the coat texture of the sire and dam.
History:
Began as a spontaneous mutation in a litter of New York farm cats in 1966. A male wirehaired kitten from the litter was crossed with a domestic calico cat producing four kittens, two of which had the wiry coat. The breed was further developed by outcrosses with American Shorthair cats. Accepted for registration in the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) in 1967 and for championship in 1978.
Body Type:
- Medium to large body is solid, muscular, and well balanced.
- Head is in proportion to the body with prominent cheekbones, a well-developed muzzle, and medium-sized, rounded ears.
- Eyes are large, round, set well apart, and correspond to coat color.
Coat:
- Coat texture is springy, tight, medium in length, and similar to that of a poodle.
- Individual hairs are crimped (hooked or bent) including hair within the ears.
- All colors and tabby patterns are accepted with the exception of chocolate, lavender, the Himalayan pattern, or these combinations with white.
Health and Wellness:
- Some kittens are slow to develop an immune system, making them susceptible to colds and upper respiratory infections. As the cat matures, the problems subside.
What you should know:
- Brushing can ruin the wiry coat.
