Rarest CFA-recognized cat breed

The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) is the world's largest registry of pedigreed pet cat, and recognizes a total of 41 different pet cat breeds, including the American Wirehair, named after its distinctively wiry, kinked fur. Originating as a spontaneous mutation within a litter of American Shorthair cats in 1966 in Verona, New York, this unusual variety swiftly became the focus of a successful breeding program, and was recognized as a valid breed by the CFA in 1967. However, its numbers subsequently decreased – by 2003, only 22 specimens were registered – and although they have since increased, the American Wirehair remains uncommon and is currently the rarest breed recognized by the CFA.