In 1966, a kitten was found in a litter that had wiry looking fur, similar to that of a Wirehaired Terrier. The cats that produced this kitten may have been American Shorthairs, or they may have been farm cats that strongly resembled Americans.
This kitten was sold to a breeder who decided to try to replicate this spontaneous coat mutation. The kittens resulting from these matings were taken by other breeders and a carefully planned breeding program was started, dedicated to producing the American Wirehair breed.
The American Wirehair is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. This breed has a show standard, which is almost identical to that of the American Shorthair. However, every individual hair in the coat is crimped and curly. This texture creates a unique, wiry feeling to the coat.