- Size: Small-Medium, 6 to 11 lbs
- Energy Level: 4/5
- Talkative: 4/5
- Coat: Medium-length, very dense, springy, resilient and fairly stiff to the touch
- Hypoallergenic: No
- Seeking: I’m very adaptable and open to everyone!
- Child Friendly: Yes
- Personality Snapshot: Very patient, tolerant, and calm with sharp hunting instincts
My Looks
My most noticeable asset is definitely my unique coat. Unlike other cats who have plainly straight or wavy coats, mine is noticeably bent, hooked, somewhat crimped and wiry, hence my name.
My friends tell me that I have a very athletic physique. Now while I may be a medium-sized cat, the muscles all over my body are well-toned and I can spring into a quick dash or perhaps an energetic leap in the blink of an eye. My muscular legs can even give me enough boost up in the air to catch wayward bugs!
I have a round head with cheekbones that prominently stick out. My chin is somewhat square and I’ve got a medium muzzle that features a delicate whisker break.
My eyes are shaped like almonds and they’re set not too close together, giving me a rather sweet and attentive look. I have been told a lot that my eyes look really mysterious. I am sure you are going to find them quite charming as well.
My ears are not too big or too small. They look just right to me. They are medium in length and are a bit rounded at the tips. Compared to other felines, my neck isn’t very thick. They really complement my medium-sized body and I think it helps me look more refined yet very agile.
My Personality
First things first. I am a very well-mannered cat. I have a calm temperament and I don’t usually have tantrums like other felines if I don’t get my way. However, I need to you notice me from time to time and shower me with affection.
And when I say “affection,” I mean hugs, belly rubs and gentle pats on my head and ears. I am in no way demanding or clingy, but I do appreciate being reminded occasionally that I have a special place in your heart.
Moreover, games like laser tag and climbing never fail to make me feel really happy as well.
A lot of my friends say that I have a way with young kids and other pets, especially cat-friendly dogs. I am very tolerant and instead of being quick with my claws, I usually walk away when I think that the game we’re playing has become too rough for my taste. I like to be picked up occasionally, but very gently and lovingly.
Rough housing is just not my scene.
I tend to be very curious. This is one of the reasons that I require a lot of space to roam here and there because I like to snoop around and play detective in my spare time. I hope you also won’t mind my constant company since I have the tendency to follow my humans around and want to be in on the stuff they are doing. Whether you’re hanging a new picture on the wall or plotting a spot for the new rug, I’m sure to be there being nosy.
Between you and me, I have a fondness for windowsills. There’s just something about those windowsills – that tiny sliver of space caught between the inside and the outside world. I could lie there in blissful contentment for hours, watching the goings on outside, especially the birds that roost on the trees, insects that flutter by as well as the falling leaves.
I’ve been told that I am a very sensitive cat who knows when to comfort my humans. Well, to tell you the truth, that is one my strong suits. I just have a knack for sensing if people are feeling a bit under the weather and making them feel better with a reassuring pat on the hand or purring up a storm on their lap.
My Ideal Human
I’m not actually very picky with my humans. I just need a home where I can play in and explore. I’m very independent – even compared to other felines – but that being said, I still need to be shown love and affection from time to time.
After all, no cat is an island. 
As long as there’s care and affection, I’m open.
Newbie cat owners, parents with infants and toddlers as well as individuals with other pets are all fine with me.
I’m quite adaptable and can adjust to any environment as long as I’ve got some space to frolic and enjoy myself.
I can even call an small-ish,but cat-friendly, apartment home without a hitch if it has a few spots for me to climb and an awesome human or two that comes with it.
My Roots
According to our patriarch, Grandpa Wirehair, our family started in a farm in upstate New York in 1966. While checking out a litter of kittens, a breeder by the name of Joan O Shea noticed that one kitty had a very noticeable wiry coat and stood out among the rest. She fell so in love with the peculiar-looking kitten that she brought him back home. And then she dubbed him a most special name – he was called the Council Rock Farm Adam of Hi-Fi.
When Council Rock Farm Adam of Hi-Fi came of age, he was bred with a straight-coated molly that also had her origins from the same farm the wiry-coated tom came from. The mating resulted to two more wiry-coated kittens that O Shea immediately purchased. She named them Amy and Abby.
At this point, O Shea realized she might be on the verge of producing a new breed of cat. She decided to take it up a notch and sold Amy to fellow cat enthusiasts, Madeline and Bill Beck. The Becks were very delighted to have her and went on to breed Amy when she became of age. The resulting litter was composed of a number of wiry-coated kittens and even produced Barberry Ellen, the very first homozygous American Wirehair in history.
My breed was petitioned to be officially recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) in 1967 and was promptly granted inclusion. One of the reasons that its induction to the CFA roster was expedited was because of the extensive testing carried out by British cat geneticists who verified that the American Wirehair did not share any similar genes with Devon Rex or Cornish Rex varieties.
In 1978, the American Wirehair breed finally went on to have our very own CFA Championship status.
How to Keep Me Healthy and Happy
Well, it doesn’t really take much to keep a cat like me happy and healthy. First of all, I am not that tricky to take care of. Compared to other felines, I don’t require much special attention. Save for a few minutes of petting at a time, I can be left alone to do my own stuff. Sure, my coat may look a bit high-maintenance, but it only requires a careful brushing every week or so and I’m good to go.
As for overall grooming, I do need to be groomed at least once a month. You see, although I am generally very healthy, I am susceptible to various skin allergies and irritation if not given a regular, meticulous grooming. The reason for this is my skin and the insides of my ears tend to get very oily. This makes it easy for dander to accumulate on them and can become rather inviting for unwanted visitors like germs and parasites if neglected.
Since my breed is crossed with the American Shorthair, I also have the possibility of developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), which is a common disease among their side of the family. This is basically an illness that makes the walls of my heart thicken if not given enough veterinary supervision. Don’t feel bad though. My cat doctor says regular visits to his clinic every 5 to 6 months will keep me in the pink for years and years to come.
Apart from that, my nails also need a trim every couple of weeks and my pearly whites also require gentle brushing regularly. And that’s pretty much it when it comes to keeping me happy and healthy.
Fun Facts
- My coat might look really tough and dense, but too much combing and brushing can eventually damage it. So please take it easy on the grooming – unless I am heavily shedding.
- I don’t want to brag, so I usually don’t speak of this in polite company but I am considered as the 33rd most popular cat in the Cat Fanciers Association or CFA’s roster of recognized feline breeds. And it’s not just my good looks, you know – cat fanciers say they love my serene temperament as well.
- I really enjoy making my humans laugh. I can’t do stand-up or anything but my brand of humor is non-verbal. Don’t be surprised if I play the clown most of the time. Even your young ones and other pets will find me really funny, too.
- Scientists claim that the wiry coat mutation isn’t just distinctive among cats that are bred in North America. Similar coat characteristics were also seen in felines that lived in the ruins of London after World War 2. However, these cats were so elusive that geneticists weren’t able to find out if we were distant cousins. Ah, my possible long-lost cousins…
