MyCatBreeds
Both Safari and American Wirehair are originated from United States. Both Safari and American Wirehair are having almost same weight. Safari may live 4 years more than American Wirehair. Both Safari and American Wirehair has same litter size. Both Safari and American Wirehair requires Low maintenance.
The Safari Cat, hailing from the USA, is one of the rarest breeds of cats. There are only about 70 of these cats registered at the International Cat Association.
The Safari cat is a mix of a moggy and Geoffroy's cat. At first, the cat was used for research purposes by Washington State University but then cat breeders took over the development of the breed.
The name ‘Safari’ was chosen because of its wild look.
The American Wirehair started as a spontaneous mutation so that somewhere along the line, an unusual litter with this unique wiry type of fur was born.
The cat hails from New York and it was in 1966 that a couple of barn cats had a litter of kittens, some of which were born with this peculiar wiry hair. Only one kitten survived – a male – and later it was discovered that the gene responsible for the wirehair coat was dominant so that only one parent required the gene to produce Wirehair offspring.
Today, all American Wirehairs are descendants of this one surviving male kitten. Today the breed is still fairly rare. It is, however, recognized by the four largest North American cat associations.
The hybrid Safari cat is a medium to large-sized cat that at first weighed in the region of 15kg, but the cat now weighs roughly 11kg.
Its body is much like that of the wild parent, the Geoffroy – muscular and compact. The ears aren’t particularly large and are smallish, rounded ears with a fairly broad head.
It has a typical wild cat look and is a spotted or rosetted cat breed. Below the spots, the coat is a silvery grey shade.
The coat which is short actually comes in a variety of colors that come from both cat breeds. The eyes of this cat are either yellow or green. The Safari cat certainly has a wild cat appearance, because of the cross-breeding. This is a rare cat and because of this, there is no breed standard for it.
They can live to be between 17 and 20 years of age.
Even though one of the parent breeds is a wild cat, the Safari cat is described as an easy-going cat that can make a good pet.
The cat is very intelligent and playful and will enjoy swimming and climbing. It is for this purpose that he needs to have quite a large outside enclosure with a pool of sorts so that he can paddle.
There isn’t much information on their interaction with children and other pets in the home. While they are quite likely to make good pets where there are children, there would have to be supervision where there are small children. During play, these cats can bit. It would be extremely important to teach children to respect any animal and to be gentle and kind to them.
The American Wirehair is a medium-sized cat, strong and powerful, and can weight 5, 6 or 7 kg.
The head is in proportion to the body and the cat has a strong muzzle and chin. The ears are medium-sized and are rounded at the tips while the eyes are large, round, and set well apart.
It’s the coat that draws attention as unlike a regular cat’s silky fur, the fur of this cat is springy, coarse and wiry to the touch. The coat can be any color or pattern. It is the cat’s very coat that distinguishes it from all other breeds.
With this coat, the less grooming the better. Brushing or combing can damage it, so unless he is shedding heavily, leave it alone.
The only other care he needs really is nail trimming, to check inside his mouth for bad teeth and to also check inside his ears for redness. Both the teeth and the ears can be a source of pain for your pet.
The American Wirehair may have a harsh coat but there is nothing harsh about his personality at all. He is amicable and loving, getting on well with all members of his human family.
He is an independent cat and while he loves spending time with his family, he is quite capable of spending time on his own as well.
The American Wirehair is a playful cat so you want to give him some toys to entertain himself for when you’re not around.
As a hybrid cat, your Safari is interesting alright, but unfortunately, you can’t ever be 100% sure of a hybrid cat. It needs careful consideration before you bring one into your home.
Apart from coming into the home from time to time, hybrid cats need an outside enclosure too that is securely fenced and gated and with a roof.
You made a decision to buy a cat with a wild side. It may live up to all your expectations but it may not either.
When you do research you find that the biggest number of behavioral complaints from owners of hybrid cats are about aggression issues and the refusal to use a litter box when indoors.
There is still a raging debate going on as to whether hybrids make suitable pets, but when you bring any animal into your home, as a responsible adult it is your job to provide well for it to ensure its happiness.
The American Wirehair makes a splendid pet, and while he isn’t the best breed for children, he can make a good pet with those children who have been taught kindness, gentleness and respect for animals.
He is calm, quiet, dependent, and sociable and by providing him with a good home, he’ll prove to be a wonderful pet and companion.
The Safari cat isn’t a particularly well-known breed so there isn’t much information on their health. They can suffer from the same illnesses as non-hybrid domestic cats.
Certain hybrid breeds, such as the Safari, can sometimes have issues with reproduction as some cats are infertile. Domestic cats and wild cats have a different number of chromosomes and this results in reproductive problems, and stillbirths are quite common.
The American Wirehair is a healthy type of cat but any cat can develop health issues.
Be aware of Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy – a common form of heart disease in cats where there is the thickening of the heart muscle.
Be careful of overfeeding your cat as obesity is a major contributory disease to many illnesses that a cat gets. Excess weight can contribute to diabetes and arthritis and put pressure on your cat’s joints. Certainly, carrying extra weight can shorten your cat’s life. Make sure your cat gets smaller, healthier meals and that he is active and exercised.
It is recommended that you brush this cat each week. He isn’t a big shedder but the brushing once a week keeps the fur in good condition, removing loose hairs and dust.
A high protein diet is imperative. Cats are carnivores and a meat diet is imperative. You can speak to your vet or a cat expert about feeding your Safari cat. Certainly, they need to be fed high-quality cat food. These foods are available in wet and dry form.
He will definitely need some raw meat. Make sure you understand the ingredients in some low- quality cat foods as corn for cats can be a problem for them, hard to digest and it could cause intestinal problems.
Brush the cat gently once a week. Your cat will love the connection you and he has. While you brush him, make a point of checking inside his ears and inside his mouth as well. It is also time to trim his nails. If you are hesitant to do this, ask you vet for suggestions or you can make use of a pet groomer too.
Make sure your pet cat is free from parasites such as fleas, ticks and heartworm. Your vet can recommend a treatment and it is also a good idea to talk to your vet about vaccines for your cat.
Have your American Wirehair spayed or neutered to prevent unwanted kittens and to promote better health for your cat.
Always choose healthy food for your pet, bearing in mind that cats are carnivores, which means that you need to choose cat-food for your pet that has fish and meat in it. It can be difficult making good homemade food for your cat but there are excellent commercially prepared cat foods to ensure your cat gets the correct balance of nutrients and calories. Bear in mind that your cat's nutritional requirements change through their different stages of life.