petplanet.co.uk
6,691

products in
stock now

94%

shipped within 2 working
days.
Read More...

Click Here
Home
Pet
Insurance
Breed
Profiles
Pet
Forum
Pet
Health
Pet
Classifieds
Pet
News
Fun
Stuff
Pet
Rescue
Pet
Travel
Pet
Shop
Log On
Introduction  |  Dog Breeds  |  Cat Breeds  |  Small Animal Breeds  |  Select A Breed
Free delivery on orders over £29

Hackersafe Digi-Sign Secure Site


Online Pet Shop
 
  My Favourites
  My Previous Purchases
 
  Featured Promotions
  Featured Dog Promotions
  Featured Cat Promotions
  Top Rated Products
  November Offers
  Christmas Pet Gifts
  Pet Meds
  Prescription A-Z
  Dog Products
      Puppy Care
      Dog Food
      Dog Treats and Chews
      Dog Collars and Leads
      Anti Bark Collars
      Dog Beds
      Dog Bowls & Feeders
      Dog Cages
      Dog Kennels
      Dog Carriers
      Dog Travel Accessories
      Dog Grooming
      Dog Hygiene Products
      Dog Harnesses
      Dog Clothing
      Dog Toys
      Dog Training Aids
      Dog Health
      Dog ID Tags
      Dog Safety
      Byofresh / Byotrol
      Dog Flaps
      Dog Home Hygiene
      Luxury Boutique
      Pet Gates & Pens
  Cat Products
      Kitten Care
      Cat Food
      Cat Bowls & Feeders
      Cat Beds
      Cat Litter Trays And Accessories
      Cat Litter
      Cat Activity Centres
      Cat Carriers & Travel
      Cat Toys
      Cat Collars & Harnesses
      Cat Health
      Cat Flaps
      Cat Gift Ideas
      Cat Grooming
      Cat Hygiene
      Cat Bling
      Catnip and Catnip Toys
  Fish Supplies
      Fish Tanks
      Fish Tank Supplies
      Fish Tank Maintenance
      Fish Tank Accessories
      Fish Food
      Garden Ponds
  Rabbit Supplies
  Hamster Products
  Guinea Pig Products
  Other Small Furries
  New Pet Products
  Clearance: 50% OFF!
  Free Gifts
  Seasonal Pet Products
 
  Pet Insurance

This site requires flash player 6

Breed Profiles
Cat Breeds

<Back to Cat Breeds

Below are the details of your chosen breed.

American Wirehair Profile

American Wirehair

General
Names
Breed Classification Shorthaired
Lifespan > 15 years
The American Wirehair can expect to achieve a good age.
Average Litter Size Usually, around six kittens are born.
General Physical Description The American Wirehair's most distinctive feature is its harsh, springy and wiry coat - each short-to-medium hair is thin and crimped, or hooked. The full extent of the 'wiring' only becomes apparent when the cat is mature; kittens which appear to have very curly coats when they are young can grow up into merely wavy, rather than wiry adults, and vice versa. The rounded head has high cheekbones and medium-sized, round-tipped ears, while the widely-spaced eyes are large and round. The whiskers are often curly. The body is well-rounded but not cobby, and the legs are sturdy and medium in length, with rounded paws.
Weight Height Range The American Wirehaired weighs between 3.5 - 7kgs.
Feeding The American Wirehair will require approximately 70 Kcals per kg bodyweight per day of food.
Ailments The American Wirehair is a sturdy, healthy breed and suffers from no specific health problems. However, an annual health check from about the age of eight is advisable. This may include teeth cleaning and a blood test for liver and kidney function.
Other
Show Characteristics The American Wirehair's laid-back personality means that most cats enjoy a trip to a show. Points may be lost for coat faults, unlevel bite, incorrect coat colour or pattern, incorrect eye colour, as well other faults such as skull deformities, entropion (an eyelid deformity), squints, tail kinks etc, that apply to all breeds.
Country Of Origin America (New York State)
Characteristics
Energy Medium
Compatibility With Other Cats High
Compatibility With Other Animals High
Suitability For Children High
Character & Temperament The American Wirehair is a friendly, laid-back cat. It is relaxed, sweetnatured and gentle and playful, and enjoys toys, and games with its owner. This is not a particularly talkative breed.
Noisiness Low
Placidity
Playfulness As An Adult
Grooming
Grooming & Upkeep The American Wirehair enjoys being handled. Care must be taken not to damage the wiry coat when grooming.
Coat Length Short
Colour Self coloured American Wirehairs: Black, Red, Blue, Cream, White. (Whites may be blue-eyed, gold-eyed, or odd-eyed). Tortie American Wirehairs: Tortoiseshell, Blue Tortie. Smoke American Wirehairs: Black Smoke, Red Smoke, Blue Smoke. In the Smokes, the base of each hair is white, gradually darkening along its length. In the Smoke variety of other breeds, the paler undercoat only shows when the cat moves, but the American Wirehair's distinctive coat means that some of the colour is always apparent. Shaded and Tipped American Wirehairs: Shaded Silver, Shaded Cameo, Chinchilla Silver, Shell Cameo. The Shaded and Tipped are similar to the Smokes, but a greater proportion of the length of each hair is the paler colour. The greatest length of pale hair is seen in the Tipped. Tabby American Wirehairs: American Wirehair Tabbies may be Brown, Blue, Red or Cream, and occur in either the Classic or Mackerel Tabby patterns (below). Classic Tabby: the tabby markings are clearly defined and intense in colour. The forehead will show the classic tabby trademark of the 'M' which gives the impression of a frown. Unbroken stripes run from the outer corners of the eyes and there are narrow lines on the cheeks. There are numerous unbroken necklaces around the neck and chest. The ears show the other classic tabby trademark: the thumbprint, a patch of base colour surrounded by the colour of the markings. Over the top of the head run stripes, which extend down into the shoulders. The markings on the shoulder resemble the outline of a butterfly. An unbroken line runs down the spine and there will be stripes on either side running parallel to it. 'Oyster-shaped' patches appear on both flanks surrounded by one or more unbroken rings. The tail has as many unbroken rings as possible and the tip is the same colour as the dark markings. The legs have even bracelets from the body to the toes, and the toes and tummy are spotted. The cats will have symmetrical markings on both sides. The eye colour is deep gold, orange or copper. Mackerel Tabby: The difference between a Classic tabby and a Mackerel tabby is in the body markings. In the Mackerel tabby there is a narrow unbroken spine line and on either side of this is a broken line running parallel to it from which numerous narrow lines run vertically down the body. This forms the Mackerel pattern. The tail rings are numerous and may be broken or unbroken. Shaded Tabby American Wirehairs: Silver, Cameo. Bi-colour American Wirehairs: Any of the self or tortie colours, with white. Other colours may occur, but these are not recognised by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), the main regulatory body in the USA.
History And Uses In Verona, New York State, America, in 1966, a litter containing one wirehaired kitten among normal coated littermates, was born. A breeder called Joan O'Shea obtained the wiry kitten and (with an eye to setting up a breeding programme) one of his female littermates. Through careful breeding, she discovered that the wiriness was carried on a dominant gene. Unlike the Rex coat, the Wirehair coat has only arisen once, and all American Wirehairs' ancestry can be traced back to the appropriately named founder-kitten: Adam. The American Wirehair was given a Breed Standard in 1967, and was recognised by the CFA in 1977. It has become popular in the USA and Canada, but is little known elsewhere.
Shedding
Suffers From Allergies
Tendency to Cause Allergies
Bookmark and Share

Breed results: A-Z
Abyssinian
American Wirehair
Angora
Asian
Balinese
Bengal
Birman
Bombay
British Shorthair
Burmese
Burmilla
Cornish Rex
Devon Rex
Egyptian Mau
Exotic Shorthair
Japanese Bobtail
Korat
LaPerm
Maine Coon
Manx
Mixed Breed
Norwegian Forest
Ocicat
Oriental Shorthair
Persian Longhair
Ragdoll
Russian Blue
Scottish Fold
Siamese
Singapura
Snowshoe
Somali
Sphynx
Tiffanie
Tonkinese
Turkish Van

Subscribe to receive special offers

Or Log on here
Special Offer
We now accept PayPal payments Acceptance Mark
Featured
Pet Meds Brands
Frontline
Frontline
Drontal
Drontal
Panacur
Panacur
Click here for more pet meds brands ...
The UK’s favourite online pet shop
Great customer service, honest product reviews, guaranteed best prices ... no wonder we are the UK's #1 for Pet Supplies!
Hitwise
Pet Shop Dog Breeds Cat Breeds Small Animal Breeds Pet Sites Dogs Cats Store Offers Affiliates Pet Supplies Ecological Pet Food
Copyright PetPlanet.co.uk Ltd. 2009