General: The American
Wirehair is a breed resulting from a spontaneous mutation in the 1960s.
The coat, which is not only springy, dense and resilient, but has a
coarseness to it, distinguishes the Wirehair from all other breeds. The
American Wirehair is characteristically a people oriented cat with an
interest in its surroundings and is always looking for a way to amuse
itself and its owner. NOTE: For general information only.
Approved Standard appears below.
Head:
Shape: Broad, with cheeks developed in males, set on a
well-muscled neck. Underlying bone structure is round with prominent
cheekbones. Strong, well developed chin. Nose in profile shows a gentle
concave curve. Muzzle well developed with a slight whisker break.
Allowance for jowls in adult males. Ears: Medium, slightly
rounded at tips. Set wide apart and slightly off the top of the head.
Not unduly open at the base. Eyes: Large, almost round, bright
and clear. Set well apart, aperture has a slight upward tilt. Eye color
should conform to the requirements listed in coat colors.
Body and Tail: Shape/Size: Medium to
large. The females are usually smaller than males, and should not appear
frail or dainty. Females should not be penalized because of size
difference. The body should be slightly longer than it is tall and well
knit and powerful, showing good depth of chest. Neck is medium short and
denoting strength, but in proportion to the body. Legs: Medium in
length and boning in proportion to the body. Feet: Rounded and
compact with five toes in front and four in back. Tail: In
proportion to the body, tapering from rump to a rounded tip, neither
blunt nor pointed.
Coat: Springy, tight, medium shorthair in
length. Individual hairs are crimped, hooked or bent, including hair
within the ears. The overall appearance or wiring of each hair and the
density and resilience of the coat are more important than the
coarseness, though the coat must feel at least slightly rough when
brushed with the hand against the lay of the coat. The density of the
wired coat leads to ringlet formation rather than waves. Wavy or kinky
whiskers are desired.
Color / Pattern:
ACCEPTED COLORS:
Blue Eyed White
Copper Eyed White
Odd Eyed White
Blue
Black
Cream
Red
Blue Tabby
Cream Tabby
Red Tabby
Brown Tabby
Silver Tabby
Blue Silver Tabby
Golden Tabby
Cameo Tabby
Blue McTabby
Cream McTabby
Red McTabby
Brown McTabby
Silver McTabby
Blue Silver McTabby
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Golden McTabby
Cameo McTabby
Blue Patched Tabby
Brown Patched Tabby
Silver Patched Tabby
Blue Silver Patched Tabby
Golden Patched Tabby
Blue Patched McTabby
Brown Patched McTabby
Silver Patched McTabby
Blue Silver Patched McTabby
Golden Patched McTabby
Blue Cream
Tortoiseshell
Chinchilla
Golden Chinchilla
Shaded Silver
Golden Shaded
Blue Cream Shaded
Silver Tortoiseshell Shaded
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Blue Smoke
Black Smoke
Blue Cream Smoke
Black Smoke Tortoiseshell
Shell Cameo
Cameo
Smoke Cameo
Blue & White
Black & White
Cream & White
Red & White
Blue Tabby & White
Cream Tabby & White
Red Tabby & White
Brown Tabby & White
Silver Tabby & White
Blue Silver Tabby & White
Cameo Tabby & White
Blue Cream & White Tortoiseshell & White
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Blue McTabby &
White
Cream McTabby & White
Red McTabby & White
Brown McTabby & White
Silver McTabby & White
Blue Silver McTabby & White
Cameo McTabby & White
Blue Patched Tabby & White
Brown Patched Tabby & White
Silver Patched Tabby & White
Blue Silver Patch Tabby & White
Golden Patched Tabby & White
Blue Patched McTabby & White
Brown Patched McTabby & White
Silver Patched McTabby & White
Blue Silver Ptchd McTab & White
Golden Patched McTabby & White
Van pattern accepted in all
and White combinations
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Pattern/Color Descriptions
SOLIDS:
White: Pure clear white. Eyes deep blue, brilliant gold or
odd eyed (one blue and one gold) with equal color depth. Nose leather
and paw pads pink.
Blue: Even blue, lighter shades preferred: one level tone
without shading or markings from nose to tip of tail, and sound to the
roots. Eye color gold. Nose leather and paw pads blue.
Black: Lustrous jet black, with sound color from roots to
tip of fur. Eye color gold. Nose leather and paw pads black or charcoal.
Cream: One level shade of cream, lighter shades preferred;
free from shading, markings or ticking, and sound to the roots. Lips and
chin same color as the coat. Eye color gold. Nose leather and paw pads
pink.
Red: Deep, rich red, free from shadings, markings or
ticking, and sound to the roots. Eye color gold. Nose leather and paw
pads brick red.
TABBIES: Classic Tabby Pattern Description: Markings
dense, clearly defined and broad showing good contrast between the pale
ground color and the deep, heavy markings. Legs evenly barred with
bracelets coming up to meet the body markings. Tail evenly ringed. At
least one unbroken necklace on neck or upper chest. Frown marks on the
forehead extending between the ears and down the neck to meet the
“butterfly”, single or double, on the shoulders. An unbroken line
runs back from the outer corner of the eye to the ear. Swirls on cheeks.
Back markings consist of a vertical line down the spine from Butterfly
to tail with a vertical stripe paralleling it on each side. The three
stripes well separated by stripes of the ground color. The dark swirls
on the sides of the body shall be centered by a dark blotch surrounded
by the ground color. The underside of the body should have a double
vertical row of buttons in the color of the dense markings.
Mc Tabby Pattern Description: Markings dense, clearly
defined and all narrow penciling, showing good contrast between the pale
ground color and the dense markings. Legs evenly barred with bracelets
coming up to meet the body markings. Tail evenly ringed. At least one
unbroken necklace on neck or upper chest. Frown marks on the forehead
extending between the ears and down the neck to meet the shoulders. An
unbroken line runs back from the outer corner of the eye to the ear.
There are three distinct spine lines but they are very narrow and often
meld into what looks like one wide stripe without fault. Narrow
penciling lines in the dense marking color run around the body in
vertical fashion in the unbroken lines. The underside of the body should
have a double row of vertical buttons in the color of the dense
markings.
Blue Tabby: The ground color, including lips and chin,
should be pale bluish Ivory. Markings are very deep blue affording a
good contrast with the pale ground color. Warm fawn overtones or patina
over the whole. Eye color gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather
and paw pads rose.
Cream Tabby: The ground color, including lips and chin, of
very pale cream. Markings of buff or cream sufficiently darker than
ground color to afford good contrast, but remaining in the dilute color
range. Eye color gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather and paw
pads pink.
Red Tabby: The ground color, including lips and chin,
should be red. Markings a dense dark red affording a good contrast with
the lighter red ground color. Eyes gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose
leather and paw pads brick red.
Brown Tabby: The ground color should be a rich, tawny
brown. Lips and chin should be the same color. Markings dense black. Eye
color gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather brick red, paw pads
black or brown.
Silver Tabby: The ground color, including lips and chin,
pale pure silver. Markings dense black. Rims of eyes, nose and lips
outlined in black. Eye color green preferred, gold or hazel accepted.
Nose leather brick red, paw pads black or charcoal.
Blue Silver Tabby: The ground color should be pure, clear
silver. Markings are deep blue, affording good contrast to the light
ground color. Eye color green preferred, gold or hazel accepted. Nose
leather and paw pads rose.
Golden Tabby: The ground color, including lips and chin,
rich warm cream to apricot, apricot preferred. Markings dark brown to
black. Rims of eyes, nose and lips outlined with dark brown or black.
Eye color green preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather brick red, paw
pads dark brown or black.
Cameo Tabby: The ground color, including lips and chin, of
pale Ivory white. Markings of a rich red; affording a cool contrast with
the pale ground color. Eye color gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose
leather and paw pads rose.
Patched Tabby Pattern: Markings to conform to either
the Classic Tabby pattern or the Mackerel Tabby pattern. The Patched
Tabby is an established Brown, Blue, Silver, Blue Silver or Golden Tabby
with patches of red and/or cream.
Blue Patched Tabby: The ground color, including lips and
chin, should be pale bluish Ivory. Markings a very deep blue affording a
good contrast with the pale ground color. Patches of cream clearly
defined on both body and extremities. Marking of cream on the face is
desirable. Warm fawn overtones or patina over the whole. Eye color gold
preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to
requirements of coat colors.
Brown Patched Tabby: The ground color, including lips and
chin, should be a rich tawny brown. Markings of dense black with patches
of red and/or cream clearly defined on both body and extremities.
Markings of red and/or cream on the face are desirable. Eye color gold
preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to
requirements for coat colors.
Silver Patched Tabby: The ground color, including lips and
chin, are pure pale silver. Markings dense black. Patches of red and/or
cream clearly defined on both body and extremities. Markings of red
and/or cream on the face are desirable. Rims of eyes, nose, lips
outlined in black. Eye color green preferred, gold or hazel accepted.
Nose leather brick red. Paw pads black.
Golden Patched Tabby: The ground color, including lips and
chin, a rich warm cream to apricot, apricot preferred. Marking dark
brown to black with patches of red and/or light red (the light red may
appear cream) on both body and extremities. Markings of red and/or light
red on the face are desirable. Rims of eyes, nose and lips outlines in
dark brown or black. Eye color green preferred, gold or hazel accepted.
Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for coat colors.
(This may take the form of mottling of brown or black and brick red.)
TORTOISESHELLS:
Blue Cream: Blue and cream, lighter shades preferred, in
vivid distribution. Cream to be clearly obvious and visible on body and
extremities in a pattern pleasing to the eye. Tabby pattern, either
mackerel or classic, in cream acceptable. Patching or brindling equally
acceptable. Eye color gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather and
paw pads to conform to requirements for coat color. (This may take the
form of mottling of blue and pink.)
Tortoiseshell: Black, red and/or light red (the light red
may appear cream) in vivid distribution. Red and/or light red to be
clearly obvious and visible on body and extremities in a pattern
pleasing to the eye. Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Tabby
pattern, either mackerel or classic, in red and/or light red acceptable.
Eye color gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather and paw pads to
conform to requirements for coat colors. (This may take the form of
mottling of black and red.)
SMOKES:
Blue Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with blue. Cat
in repose appears blue. In motion, the white undercoat is clearly
apparent. Extremities and face blue with narrow band of white at base of
hairs next to skin, which may be seen only when fur is parted. Eye color
gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather and paw pads blue.
Black Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with black. Cat
in repose appears to be black. In motion the white undercoat is
apparent. Extremities and face black with narrow band of white at base
of hair next to skin, which may be seen only when fur is parted. Eye
color gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather and paw pads black.
Blue Cream Smoke: White undercoat deeply tipped with blue
and cream in a pattern pleasing to the eye on body and extremities.
Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Eye color gold preferred,
hazel accepted. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements for
coat color. (This may take the form of mottling of blue and pink.)
Black Smoke Tortoiseshell: White undercoat deeply tipped
with black, red and/or cream in vivid distribution. Red and/or cream to
be clearly obvious and visible on body and extremities in a pattern
pleasing to the eye. Patching or brindling equally acceptable. Tabby
pattern, either classic or mackerel, in red and/or light red (the light
red may appear cream) acceptable. Eye color gold preferred, hazel
accepted. Nose leather and paw pads to conform to requirements of coat
color. (This may take the form of mottling of black and red.)
SHADEDS:
Chinchilla: The undercoat should be a pale silver or
silvery white. The coat on back, flanks, head and tail should be
sufficiently tipped with jet black to give the characteristic sparkling
silver appearance. The legs and face may be very slightly shaded with
tipping, but the chin, stomach and chest should be silvery white without
tipping. Rims of eyes, lips and nose to be outlined in black. Eye color
green preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather brick red; paw pads black
or dark charcoal.
Golden Chinchilla: The undercoat should be a rich, warm
cream to apricot, apricot preferred. The coat on back, flanks, head and
tail should be sufficiently tipped with dark brown to black to give the
characteristic sparkling golden appearance. The legs and face may be
very lightly shaded with tipping, but the chin, stomach and chest should
be a rich warm cream to apricot, apricot preferred, without tipping.
Rims of eyes, lips and nose outlined in dark brown to black. Eye color
green preferred, hazel accepted. Nose leather brick red, paw pads dark
brown or black.
Shaded Silver: The undercoat should be a pale silver or
silvery white. A mantle of black tipping shading gradually down the
sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge to silver white on the
chin, chest, belly and under the tail, the legs to be the same as the
face. The general effect to be much darker than a Chinchilla. Rims of
eyes, lips and nose to be outlined in black. Eye color green preferred,
hazel accepted. Nose leather brick red; paw pads black or dark charcoal.
Golden Shaded: The undercoat should be a rich, warm cream
to apricot, apricot preferred. A mantle of dark brown to black tipping
shading gradually down the sides, face and tail, from dark on the ridge
to cream to apricot, apricot preferred on the chin, chest, belly and
under the tail, the legs to be the same tone as the face. The general
effect to be much darker than a Chinchilla. Rims of eyes, lips and nose
outlined in dark brown to black. Eye color green preferred, hazel
accepted. Nose leather brick red, paw pads dark brown or black.
Blue Cream Shaded: No description available.
Silver Tortoiseshell Shaded: The undercoat to be silvery
white. Black, red and cream tipping in vivid distribution. Red and/or
cream to be clearly obvious and visible on body and extremities in a
pattern pleasing to the eye. Patching or brindling equally acceptable.
Eye color gold preferred, hazel accepted.
CAMEOS:
Shell Cameo: The undercoat should be ivory white. The coat
on the back, flanks, head and tail should be sufficiently tipped with
red/cream to give the characteristic sparkling appearance. The legs and
face may be very slightly shaded with tipping. The chin, stomach and
chest to be pale ivory white. Eye color gold preferred, hazel accepted.
Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads rose.
Cameo: The undercoat should be ivory white. A mantle of
red/cream tipping shading gradually down the sides, face and tail, from
dark on the ridge to ivory white on the chin, chest, belly and under the
tail. The legs to be the same tone as the face. The general effect to be
much redder than a Shell. Eye color gold preferred, hazel accepted. Nose
leather, rims of eyes and paw pads rose.
Smoke Cameo: The undercoat should be ivory white. The
overall cat should be deeply tipped with red/cream. Cat in repose
appears to be a red cat. The ivory undercoat is apparent when the cat is
in motion or the hair is parted. Eye color gold preferred, hazel
accepted. Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads rose.
And Whites: A random combination of indicative color and white
in a pattern that is pleasing to the eye. Having at least one half white
is desirable, but not mandatory. In patterns where the white covers the
majority of the body area, spots should be patched rather than brindled.
Eyes, nose leather and paw pads to conform to the indicative coat color.
| PENALIZE: |
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Head: |
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Ears long and pointed, set too close
together or too high on head. Chin weak or receding.
Eyes narrow or slanting, giving an oriental look. |
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Body: |
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Too foreshortened or stocky, or long,
sleek oriental appearance. Tail whip-like; too short and
thick; or carried over the back in squirrel fashion.
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Coat: |
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Sparse or thin coat.
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| DISQUALIFY: |
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Straight coat. Long or fluffy fur.
Kinked or abnormal tail. Incorrect number of toes. Nose
break. Evidence of hybridization resulting in the colors
chocolate, lavender, seal, or color points or these
combinations with white. |
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