Abyssinian Cat Breed Profile

Abyssinian Cat History
Many people believe that the Abyssinian be a direct descendant of the sacred cat of Egypt, from where the cat breed Abissinian unclear. Of course, there are strong similarities between modern Abyssinian cats depicted in ancient Egyptian bronzes, paintings and agouti-coated cats that are found buried in a cemetery or in a pyramid, with big long ears limber body and long tail. Abyssinian form and coat but also bears striking characteristic in common with the African wildcat. The first registration of this race studbooks appeared in English in 1896.

The Abyssinian identified early can be found at the Museum of Leiden in the Netherlands. The label reads "domestica India", shows the origin to the same region. more recent studies have shown the Indian Ocean coast between Singapore and Ceylon as the "homeland" of the color pattern Abyssinian Tabby - Abyssinians are one of the oldest and their descendants probably closest to the natural descendants of all the cats in the world race.

Abyssinian Cat Appearance

The overall impression of the ideal Abyssinian would be of foreign build, not as extreme as the Siamese not as rounded as the Burmese but somewhere in between. The Abyssinian is an extremely beautiful and colourful cat with a distinct agouti ticked coat. It is this agouti ticking (flecking) that gives the Abyssinian this rather special "wild cat " look. It is of medium size, lithe, very regal in appearance, hard and muscular showing eager activity and lively interest in its surroundings. Watching an Abyssinian lope across the room invokes images of a wild hunting cat, swift and capable.

Abyssinian Cat Personality

The Abyssinian is an affectionate intelligent cat, very people orientated, extremely active and a cat that thrives on interaction and play. They are not constant lap cats, rather, they need to know what you are doing; like to help you make a telephone call; read your newspaper or make your bed, in fact they insist on being included in all family activities as a right. Whatever it is, an Abyssinian has to be totally involved. Abyssinians are not always ideal for every one so if this higher level of activity will annoy you then a quieter breed should be sort.

Abyssinians make good family pets but tend to bond with Adults and older children rather than young toddlers. Abyssinians are not vocal, having a small bell like voice to communicate. They prefer and seek higher places to sit such as backs of chairs, refrigerators and scratching poles. They get on very well with dogs and will quickly teach the dog who is the boss. Abyssinians can be taught to fetch and retrieve small objects and because of their dog like antics, they are often attractive to men who previously thought that they did not like cats. Once a relationship is formed there is no breed more loyal than an Abyssinian. Expect to be greeted with enthusiasm and devote 10-15 minutes attention to your Abyssinian on your homecoming. Being "people" cats, they can become very lonely if left for long periods of time alone so it's often wise to have two as company for each other.