Cat Breed Information | Abyssinian

History

The name 'Abyssinian' refers to Ethiopia, but most of the stories about the origins of Abyssinians refer to Egypt. The breed is sometimes believed to have originated from one Egyptian female kitten called Zula, who was taken from a port in Alexandria by a British soldier and brought to England. This theory is not established as true because there is no solid link between the cat first listed as an Abyssinian in 1882 and Zula.

Many sources spread the story that the Abyssinian breed is a few thousand years old and that it directly comes from Ancient Egypt. There are also stories that wild 'Abyssinians' live in parts of North Africa today.

At least one, and possibly as many as three Abyssinians were introduced into the American Abyssinian gene pool from Libya (or, less likely, Egypt.

Physical characteristics

The Abyssinian's body is of medium length, lithe, and with well-developed muscles. The legs are slender in proportion to the body, with a fine bone structure. The paws are small and oval. The Abyssinian has a fairly long tail, broad at the base and tapering to a point.

The head is broad and moderately wedge-shaped, with almond-shaped eyes that can be gold, green, hazel or copper. The nose and chin usually form a straight vertical line when viewed in profile. The Abyssinian's alert, relatively large ears are broad and cupped at the base, and moderately pointed at the tips, where tuffs of hair commonly seen. Large ear tufts are viewed as a must for show breeds. An M-shaped marking is sometimes found in the fur on the forehead.

The coat is medium-length, dense, and silky to the touch. The Abyssinian, and a similar long-hair breed called the Somali, have coats that are unusual enough to catch attention. These felines owe their special coat to one dominant mutant gene known as Ta. Each hair has a base-color with three or four darker-colored bands; the hair is the lighter color at the root, and the darker "ticking" color at the tip. The Somali and Abyssinian are the only types of cats that have the Ta gene, and thus are the only breeds featuring this special ticking. The first cat to have its entire genome published was an Abyssinian named Cinnamon.

The original Abyssinian coat colour is known as 'Usual' in the United Kingdom and as 'Ruddy' elsewhere. The coat has a warm reddish-brown base, with black ticking, and the feet and the backs of the hinds legs are always black.

Over the years, various other colours have been developed from this original form, but the markings on the coat have remained the same. The back of the hind legs and the pads of the paws are always darker than the rest of the coat. A popular colour is Sorrel, which has a cinnamon (yellowish-brown) base, with chocolate brown ticking, paw pads and backs of the legs. Blue Abyssinians, which have become increasingly popular in recent years, have a light beige base colour with blue ticking, paw pads and backs of the legs. The relatively rare Fawn Abyssinians have a light-cream base colour, with darker cream ticking and warm dark cream pads and backs of the legs.

Silver Abyssinians are a separate group among the breed. Although this colour has been in existence for decades, it is not recognised by the Cat Fanciers' Association, the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats. In Silvers, the undercoat is always a pure silvery white. The markings include black, blue, warm dark cream and cinnamon. Purely Silver Abyssinians are difficult to breed because they sometimes have undesirable tan patches in the coat. In addition to this, any spots in the coat show up more clearly on a silver coat.

Rare colours include the Tortoiseshell, Red, Cream, Chocolate and Lilac, which are all bred on a small scale in Holland and the UK.

Abyssinian kittens are born with dark coats that gradually lighten as they mature. It usually takes several months for the final coat colour to be established.

Temperament

Abyssinians are extroverted, willful and intelligent, but are usually not "lap cats", being too preoccupied with exploring and playing as they would in their natural habitat. Although very popular among breeders and owners, Abyssinians aren't often used as show cats because of their shyness towards strangers and their timid nature. They have quiet, engaging voices that can often be misleading. Abys, as they are affectionately referred to by their fans, need a great deal of contact with the family to keep them happy and can get depressed without daily activity and attention. They generally get on well with other cats, although they need their space and the females can sometimes be irritable around other cats. Abyssinians are known for their curiosity and enjoy exploring their surroundings, including heights, although they are sensible cats that do not take unnecessary risks.

Abyssinian Photos