American Wirehair

The American Wirehair is high in all metrics of the universal cat profile. Its activity level, playfulness, need for human attention, affection toward its masters, noise level, intelligence, independence, healthiness and hardiness, requirement for grooming, and ease of compatibility with children and other pets is high. The only exception is its docility, which is very low, and that is not a good thing. Interestingly, the American Wirehair is a mutation of the domestic house cat that originated in the 1960's. In the late 60's, it was granted breed status, and in the late 70's, it was granted a CFA championship title. That's not a bad window of time to go from being recognized as a breed to being crowned champion of all breeds at a CFA tournament. CFA stands for Cat Fanciers' Association, and it is an association that registers pedigreed cats and votes on the best of the best in tournaments. They also maintain connections with breeders and have lots of resources at their site to help people understand the wide world of pedigreed cats. Pedigreed cats are different from randomly bred cats that you might find in most homes. Because of their pure gene pool and distinct look, pedigreed cats are more expensive and have more defined looks and qualities. This breed continues to be elusive as there are only around 75 Wirehairs registered with the CFA as of the mid-90's. In that sense, they're a rare breed, but their look is very similar to a common house cat. They're somewhat of a paradox. People don't know whether or not the Wirehairs in Britain were unique to those in America or whether they were of the same gene pool. You see, some years before the Wirehairs were discovered in America, they were seen in some old World War II bomb sites. It would be odd indeed if the genetic mutations taking place half way around the globe were random and unrelated, but it's possible. Wirehairs are recommended by psychologists because of their odd ability to respond to human emotions in the right aspect at the right time. They are affectionate and attentive at all times as a general rule, but when you're feeling downtrodden, they are there to amp up the purrs and snuggle beside you for comfort. They tend to follow you from to room and are always curious and keen to know what you're working on. They are more outgoing, boisterous, and friendly than the American Shorthair. The Shorthair, on the other hand, tends to be more withdrawn and reserved in company. The distinctive Wirehair coat is made of a swath of crimped, hooked, or bendable hair strands. The preferred coat is rough, coarse, dense, scratchy, and hard to rub your hand through. It is hard to notice the difference between it and the Shorthair at first glance because they both share the same qualities except for the coat, which may require a more scrupulous look-over. Wirehairs are preferred to Shorthairs in temperament, but they are rarer and harder to acquire at a decent price as house pets. The CFA breeder listings are a good place to start looking if you're interested in getting one.

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