American wire-haired cat: breed features

At first glance, it seems that the coarse-haired cat breed got its name from the coarse and hard-to-touch hairs, but this is not entirely true. Their tips bend and connect, somewhat reminiscent of a wire. As a result, the fur coat of the animal is more like a valuable plush or astrakhan fur. On the other features of the "American" - in the article.

The story of the appearance of this animal is very fascinating. By the name it becomes clear that the animal comes from North America (USA). So, in the 60s on one of the New York farms an ordinary short-haired cat rolled around. Among the litter, the owner found an unusual kitten with a common coat color - white with red. However, it was the coat that distinguished him from all, and more precisely, the inherent curliness. According to scientists, this feature is due to the natural and spontaneous mutation of genes, the result of which is a complete change in the structure of the coat.

Of course, the farmer was eager to share such a find, so first of all he showed the animal to his colleague Joan Oshia. She decided to buy two kittens for further breeding work on breeding unusual specimens: one - wire-haired, the other - ordinary. However, it was precisely these kittens that she appeared by chance - as a result of interbreeding with a neighbor's cat - part of the offspring had a wire structure of hair.

American felinological organizations CFA and TICA were the first to register the standard for the new cat breed. By 1978, the "American" was allowed to participate in various exhibitions and receive prizes. Soon, the thoroughbred cat received worldwide recognition in all associations and felinological communities.

Today, the wire-haired cat is a real national treasure of the United States in the so-called cat world. Americans are truly in love with this breed. City residents, as well as farm and ranch owners are not afraid to start such a plush pet.

Cats with stiff hair cannot be called very large animals: males weigh 6 kg, females 3-4 kg. The appearance is not too different from the American Shorthair. The main feature is the unusual structure of the wool, similar to a wire. You can compare it only with a dog of the Terrier breed.

The felinological organization established American breed standards with a list of criteria that all applicants for champion and exhibition awards in a specific category must meet.

• The head is round, massive. In terms of biology, the skull is slightly elongated. The chin, cheeks are well developed, have barely noticeable hollows. When viewed from the side, a rounded forehead is clearly visible, a smooth transition to the nose. The cheekbones are quite high, the nose is wide, even, eyebrows and antennae resemble curved villi.

• The ears are medium in size, slightly rounded, thin brushes of wool are visible at the ends. The height of the ears is equal to the size of the base.

• The eyes are rather large, the incision is wide, and a slight slanting is noticeable. Eyeballs are mostly golden in color, but amber or blue are found in white.

• The neck is muscular, very strong, with a moderate length.

• Torso - can be both medium and large (depending on the sex of the animal), the muscles are developed.

• The limbs are not too long, correspond to the size of the body.. Paws are strong, provide the cat with good stability.

• Tail - medium in length, broad at the base, tapering towards the end, tip rounded.

• Wool - looks like a curved wire, but it feels very soft, almost silky. A similar effect is due to the dense plexus of small villi. That is why a cat dried by a hairdryer after bathing looks like an ordinary cat.

It is interesting that a similar effect with a wool coat is not so pronounced in all representatives of this breed. Nevertheless, each animal has a dense, soft, literally fur coat. Particularly popular are individuals with wool that resembles a valuable astrakhan fur.

As for color, among American wirehair there are representatives of various colors, combining several shades at once. Particularly unusual, but very rare are individuals of a red color with a pattern on the back.

The wire-haired cat of American origin is a truly friendly animal in relation to both the person and the other inhabitants of the house. It is a faithful pet that is attached to the owner literally in a matter of days. He builds relations with other family members no less well.

The cat prefers to sit on the man’s lap and doze. It gets along well with children, so you should not be afraid to leave the animal alone with the kids, on the contrary, the "American" will be a great friend in games.

Scientists claim that at the genetic level, this breed has a love of hunting. Any bird or a rodent running nearby can become an object of fishing.This point should be taken into account by owners who already have pets in the house.

In addition to the love of care, affection, affection, a cat needs freedom, to some extent independence. If a pet has set itself any goal - he will achieve it, intervene or try to stop it - not worth it. This also includes the desire of a person to make a cat do something against his will. In this situation, the risk of spoiling the relationship with the animal is likely.

As for domestic “duties” (tray, bed, feeding), American wire-haired cats get used to them quite quickly, without much effort. The main thing in relations with pets is not to be rude to him.

In addition, the thoroughbred cat is quite curious. She likes to explore new places, nooks or objects in the house, as well as people who come to visit. However, they do not like to walk on their faces for too long, by nature they are still couch potatoes.

American Wirehair is a truly unusual representative of cats. Soft, almost plush wool fell in love with many residents of America, Europe, received little popularity in Russia.

Such a pet will be a great friend to all households. Freedom-loving, but such an affectionate cat requires understanding and goodwill on the part of man.

You can learn more about this cat breed from the video below.