Abyssinian

Abyssinian

Origin of ‘Abyssinian’

• The name itself refers to Ethiopia
• Most of the stories about the genesis of Abyssinians refer to Egypt
• Breed originated near coast of the Indian Ocean – colonist bought animals from wild animal traders
• Breed developed in United Kingdom

Chronicle of Abyssinian

The breed is sometimes believed to have originated from one Egyptian female kitten named Zula, who was taken from a port in Alexandria by a British soldier and brought to England. This theory is not established because there is no solid link between Zula and the cat first listed as an Abyssinian in 1882.

Many sources repeat the story that the Abyssinian breed is a few thousand years old and comes from Ancient Egypt, as the cats resemble those in ancient paintings. There are also stories that wild 'Abyssinians' live in parts of North Africa today.

Physical Characteristics

Coat types - genetic makeup

The coat:

• medium-length
• dense
• silky to the touch.
• 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 lighter color at the root
• the darker "ticking" color at the tip

This ticking is found only in the Somali, Abyssinian and Singapura.
The first cat to have its entire genome published was an Abyssinian named Cinnamon

Abyssinian Family

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.
• The feet and the backs of the hind legs are always black.
• Special markings: The back of the hind legs and the pads of the paws are always darker than the rest of the coat.
• Popular colour is Sorrel, which has a cinnamon (yellowish-brown) base, with chocolate brown ticking, paw pads and backs of the legs.

Blue Abyssinians

• Recent have become so popular
• Light beige base colour with blue ticking, paw pads and backs of the legs.
• Fawn Abyssinians
• Rarely found
• Light-cream base colour, with darker cream ticking
• warm dark cream pads and backs of the legs.

Silver Abyssinians

• Separate group among the breed
• Though the existence is already decades, it is not recognised by the Cat Fanciers' Association
• 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

• extroverted
• extremely active
• playful
• willful
• intelligent
• not "lap cats"
• always preoccupied with exploring and playing
• popular among breeders and owners
• can be very successful show cats.
• can get depressed without daily activity and attention
• generally get along well with other cats
• the females can sometimes be irritable around other cats

Not all Abyssinians are shown, however, because the color and type standards are very exacting, and because some are shy towards strangers and timid in public. They have quiet, engaging voices.

Abyssinians are known for their curiosity and enjoy exploring their surroundings, including heights. They are sensible cats that do not take unnecessary risks. As one might expect from such an intelligent and physically capable breed, Abyssinians are known to be formidable hunters. They adore toys and can play for hours with a favorite ball. Some play fetch.

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