American Wirehair Cat: History, Coat Care, Health and Temperament

What is an American Wirehair?

The American Wirehair is a medium-sized, short-coated cat whose hairs are crimped, hooked or bent, giving the fur a coarse, springy feel often compared to steel wool. The trait began as a spontaneous mutation in a litter of barn cats in upstate New York in 1966, and the breed is still quite rare.

Apart from the coat, the breed is very close to the American Shorthair. Registries describe it as easy-going, people-oriented and adaptable.

• Origin: Verona, New York, 1966 (a natural coat mutation)
• Size: medium to large, with males larger than females
• Coat: short to medium, wired and springy; a straight-coated version also exists
• Colors: all traditional colors and patterns; tabby and tabby-and-white are most common
• Temperament: gentle, playful, people-oriented, tolerant of children
• Grooming: minimal brushing, as brushing can damage the coat
• Recognition: CFA registration 1967, CFA championship 1978

Where does the American Wirehair come from?

According to The International Cat Association (TICA), the first American Wirehair was a red-and-white male kitten born on Council Rock Farm in Verona, New York. His parents, Bootsie and Fluffy, were normal-coated domestic shorthairs on a farm owned by Nathan Mosher. Every hair on the kitten, including his whiskers, was crimped and springy.

Local cat breeder Joan O’Shea saw the kitten, recognized that he was unusual and acquired him. She named him Council Rock Farm Adam of Hi-Fi. He was bred to a female and produced wire-coated kittens. A second breeding to an unrelated female also produced wire-coated kittens, which showed the trait was caused by a dominant gene.

O’Shea sent hair samples to the British cat geneticists A.G. Searle and Roy Robinson. Robinson replied that the coat was unique and unrelated to the Cornish or Devon Rex. All three hair types (down, awn and guard) were twisted, and the awn hairs were also hooked at the tip. So the wirehair coat is a different mutation from the one behind the Cornish Rex.

According to the Purina breed profile, the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) first accepted Wirehairs for registration in 1967 and for championship competition in 1978. The cat closest in type was the American Shorthair, and TICA says that is the breed used to develop the American Wirehair. A CFA breed article adds that the American Shorthair is the only available outcross. The breed is another American-born mutation, like the American Curl.

How big is an American Wirehair and what does it look like?

The CFA standard calls the breed medium to large, with a level back, a well-rounded torso, well-muscled legs and firm, rounded paws with heavy pads. Males are larger than females. TICA describes a balanced, medium-boned cat with a firm, muscular feel and no exaggerated features. It says American Wirehairs do not fully mature until about three or four years old.

The head is in proportion to the body, with a round underlying bone structure, prominent cheekbones, a well-developed muzzle and chin, and a gentle concave curve to the nose in profile. Ears are medium-sized with slightly rounded tips. Eyes are large, round, bright and set well apart, with a slight upward tilt.

All traditional colors and patterns are seen. CFA does not accept chocolate, lavender or the Himalayan pattern, or those colors combined with white, which would indicate hybridization.

What is the American Wirehair coat like?

The coat is the breed’s defining feature. It is dense, resilient and crimped, and the wiriness comes in degrees from spiked to curly. The ideal coat is wired over the whole body, and the whiskers curl as well. Hair inside the ears is also crimped, hooked or bent. TICA says the coat feels relatively soft to the touch but springs back when stroked.

The CFA standard also describes a straight-coated variation, which is dense and thick, sometimes with slight crimping at the base of the tail and inside the ears. Straight-coated cats can be shown in their own class. The CFA breed article says the wirehair gene is an incomplete dominant, so even two wired parents do not always produce wired kittens, and most litters include some straight coats. It adds that occasional longhaired kittens appear but are never shown.

Some coats are completely wired but sparse and hard, which makes them break easily. The CFA article notes that a good coat can thin with the weather and the stress of heat cycles.

How do you groom an American Wirehair?

Do less than you would for most cats. TICA says that with this coat “the less grooming the better”: brushing or combing can damage it, so avoid both unless the cat is shedding heavily. Purina describes the breed as low-shedding and says the same about brushing.

Bathing is the main coat care. Some Wirehairs have sensitive skin that reacts to outside irritants. TICA advises regular bathing to remove loose, dead, hooked hairs that could cause irritation, and to remove the grease the skin secretes. It recommends cleaning earwax out gently with a cotton swab while bathing. The CFA breed article agrees that the skin should be kept clean, says the coat is often greasy, and says the breed can produce a lot of dark earwax. It also says Wirehairs are easy to bathe and take readily to grooming.

As with any cat, trim the nails, brush the teeth with a vet-approved pet toothpaste and provide a tall scratching post.

What is an American Wirehair’s temperament?

TICA describes the breed as good-natured, easy-going and very tolerant of children. Wirehairs are calm but stay playful into old age. Females tend to be busier than males, and males tend to be more easygoing.

They are intelligent and interested in everything around them. Many keep their hunting instincts for any insect that enters the house, and they like watching birds from a windowsill. They enjoy their people but keep some independence: many are lap cats, and some prefer just to be nearby. TICA also says they are easy to train, like to play fetch, and are smart and curious enough to get into things. Purina rates them moderately talkative and enthusiastic purrers.

The CFA breed article calls Wirehairs “extremely people-oriented” and comfortable with young children.

What should you feed an American Wirehair?

Purina says Wirehairs generally do well on a quality adult cat food, with a healthy-weight formula for cats that need help managing weight, and kitten food for the first year. TICA suggests a small portion of wet food once daily, with dry food left out for grazing, some variety, and a few treats in place of table scraps. Amounts depend on activity level and age.

Give fresh, clean water daily. TICA says cat behaviorists suggest placing the water bowl at least three feet (about one meter) from the food bowl, because strong food smells may put cats off drinking. A filtered fountain also works.

What health problems do American Wirehairs have?

TICA says the American Wirehair is not known to be prone to genetic or hereditary illness, and the CFA breed article calls Wirehairs hardy cats with few major health problems. International Cat Care takes a more cautious view on one condition, listing the breed as predisposed to the inherited eye disease progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). A few other points are worth knowing too.

Skin sensitivity. As above, some individuals react to outside irritants. The CFA breed article says the coat makes the skin more sensitive.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Purina says that because Wirehairs can be bred with American Shorthairs, they can develop health problems associated with that breed, such as HCM. The Cornell Feline Health Center calls HCM the most common heart disease of cats. It thickens the walls of the heart’s left ventricle, and Cornell lists the American Shorthair among the breeds where it is more prevalent. Many cats with HCM do not appear ill. Others show labored or rapid breathing, open-mouthed breathing and lethargy. Blood clots can lodge in the hind limbs, causing sudden pain or paralysis. HCM is diagnosed by echocardiography, and while it has no known cure, treatment can help manage it.

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA). International Cat Care lists the American Wirehair among the breeds predisposed to this inherited eye disease. PRA affects both eyes and first makes night vision worse. Other signs are disorientation, bumping into things, trouble finding bowls and litter trays, reluctance to use stairs and dilated pupils. There is no treatment, and International Cat Care says PRA will eventually lead to blindness. It adds that the condition is not painful and that many cats adjust well to vision loss, with changes at home such as keeping furniture in the same place. It recommends genetic testing of predisposed breeds and says affected cats should not be used for breeding.

When should you see a vet?

Book a visit if your cat has signs of skin irritation, vision changes such as bumping into objects or becoming withdrawn at night, or any other change in behavior, appetite or breathing. Treat labored breathing, or sudden pain or an inability to use the back legs, as an emergency and get veterinary help right away. Cornell describes the blood clots that can cause hind limb pain or paralysis as serious and potentially life-threatening.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice. Only a vet can diagnose a condition or advise on treatment for your cat.

Is the American Wirehair right for you?

TICA calls the breed one of the most adaptable for any type of household, from a lap cat for a senior to an energetic playmate for children. It says Wirehairs do well with young children, other pets, people living alone, and elderly or disabled owners. They want company and a busy household, and they are smart and curious enough to get into things. The grooming routine is simple, though it differs from other cats: bathe regularly, and brush only when the cat is shedding heavily.

Finding one takes patience. The CFA breed article describes the breed as still quite rare and suggests contacting a breeder and joining a waiting list. TICA lists member breeders who have signed its Code of Ethics on its website. If you like the idea of a wired coat but want a different look, the Cornish Rex has a rexed coat from an unrelated mutation.