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American Wirehair: A Complete Breed Profile of American Wirehair

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Gato American wirehair cat

As there are several breeds of cats in the world, you can find each of them with some unique characteristics. The American Wirehair is no different. Known for its coarse fur, the cat is quite friendly and playful. 

However, not many people want them as pets.  If you do not belong to such a team, this article is for you. Here, you can go through the breed profile of the cat. So, check out all the facts before you search for the Wirehair cat in the market and purchase it. 

History Of American Wirehair

American wirehair cat

The Gato American Wirehair and the normal ones too came into being due to a random mutation among the domestic cats. For them, the situation is the same as the American Curl.  It was 1966 when a cat parent couple parented a cat breed with wiry hair. 

Ultimately, one male kitten from the group of five lived and grew up to be a cat. Eventually, this cat changed parents and finally lived in a neighborhood of NYC as Adam.

After a thorough study of Adam’s hair from the fur, cat geneticists became sure that the wirehair was a dominant trait. Any offspring with one wirehaired parent can become a wirehair too. This is how the massive breed of wirehairs came into existence.

Today, Adam stands to be the forefather of all the American Wirehair cats. The present population of this particular breed is quite high in North America. Cat experts even expect the pet rate of the American Wirehair to increase dramatically. 

Physical Attributes Of American Wirehair Cats

American wirehair black cat

There are a lot of cat parents who love American Wirehair black or American Wirehair grey. However, there are a lot of other physical attributes that you need to understand for spotting the American Wirehair cat correctly. 

Some physical attributes are given here for you to better understand. Check all the facts below:

  • The body of the American Wirehair cat is generally medium to large. The head and the ears of the cat breed are also in proportion. Generally, the American Wirehair cats have plain ears that are curved near the tip. 
  • The eyes of the cat are round and clear. You can get a classic vibe from the eyes of the cat as it complements the fur of the cat.

The coat of the cat is too curly and it can be springy. It is medium in length and very dense. Even the whiskers of the cat can be curly. Finally, when it comes to the color of the fur, you can see any pattern. 

Personality Of American Wirehair Cats

American wirehair personality

After the main physical attributes, now it is time to know about the American Wirehair personality. The cats are quite friendly and well-mannered. The wirehair breed of cats loves the attention from their family. 

You can find these cats to play with with the children of the house. Even, if anybody is not playing with the cat, they can play on their own.

On the other hand, the American Wirehair cats can give companionship to their family members. They treat other pets with dignity if they are well-mannered. So, you can easily keep other pets with the cat. In case, they bond up well together, you can find them playing all day around.

General Health

The common American Wirehair is a strong cat breed. It rarely develops any chronic or acute diseases right from an early age. However, it at times goes for a breed with the American Shorthair cats. 

In such a situation, conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or hip dysplasia can occur. In this condition, the breed might not live for a long time. So, if you are a would-be parent of the American Wirehair cat, make sure it has a decent pedigree. 

Generally, you will have no problem when it comes to petting the American Wirehair. Just make sure the breeder of the cat is reliable enough to give you the guarantee regarding the general health of the kittens.

Funny Facts About The American Wirehair Cats

American wirehair Grey Cat

As you are covering the breed profile of the American Wirehair cats, you need to know some fun facts about them. Go through the following points to understand:

  • In spite of a high population, the American Wirehair cats are the rarest of all breeds in America.
  • The other name by which the American Wirehair cats are known is steel wool. Often people do not choose cats as pets as they have a primary motive of fondling the fur of the pet cats with their hands. 
  • Most cat parents in America mistake the American Wirehair with the American Shorthair. Even both these cat breeds go for interbreeding.
  • As per many Americans living in the countryside, the Wirehair cats are also known as farm cats

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does An American Wirehair Cats Live?
The average longevity of the American Wirehair cats is 7 to 12 years. One good part about these cats is that they do not generally shed when turning old.


What Cat Breeds Have The Most Health Problems?
The Bengals have a lot of health problems like HCM. It is heart disease that occurs to most cats from different breeds like ragdolls, siamese, and shorthair.

Do American Shorthair Cats Have Health Problems?

Yes, the American Shorthair cats have a lot of health problems. The most common among them are hip dysplasia and HCM. Both these conditions can be fatal for cats.


How Do You Care For American Wirehair?
Regular bathing and oiling the coat is a good way of caring for the American Wirehair cat. You can also clean the wax deposits in the ears of the cats.

Final Words

The American Wirehair cats can be the best as pets if you need a good cat. Even, you must not expect to sit idle all day. These cats are quite vocal and friendly. Some you can expect to create a good bond with these cats within a little time.

The best you can do is get an American Wirehair and give it a moderate level of attention. In such a situation, you can expect to get some love and affection from the pet’s end too. 

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