"This is the ABYSSINIAN CAT" by Kate Faler, 1983

Abyssinians are a special type of tabby cat; they are distinguished from all other tabbies by their beautiful ticked, resilient coats. All tabbies, in fact, have this ticked or agouti background in their coats (whereby each individual hair shaft is banded with different colors); however, superimposed on this ticked background is a particular dark pattern such as mackerel, spotted, or blotched. Through more than 85 years of selective breeding, these dark patterns have been nearly eliminated from the Abyssinian breed, and this is what makes them so unique. Although other tabbies are bred in different colors, Abyssinians are bred and recognized for championship by CFA only in the ruddy and red varieties.(In CFA, the color blue was recognized in 1984 and fawn in 1989).

Some breeders prefer to believe that Abyssinians are the most ancient of breeds and that they were both companions and gods of the Egyptians. The history of the Abyssinian breed could begin wherever a ticked tabby walked, because similar cats existed in all countries. The notion that ticked cats were imported here, there, and everywhere is a rather provincial idea. There is little or no doubt that Abyssinian cats developed in England, for there is no record of any Abyssinian cat imported there.

Like so many other breeds, the Abyssinian is not without its legends, but the truth of the matter is that the Abyssinian is more at home on the Thames than on the Nile. The British really hand-tailored a group of cats that they called Abyssinians. They began with what was at hand, the British Shorthairs; many of these cats were of unknown parentage. That is not to say that a ticked cat did not come upon the scene to be used in the program; the earliest records indicate that the main requirement for the breed was a ticked coat. In the beginning, there was a great range of colors, extending from the wild silver agouti ticking to an intense yellow ticking. The silver color seems to predominate in the early Abyssinians if one notices the names of the cats. Such names as Aluminium, Quicksilver, Silver Memelik, and Silver Fairy hardly could have been given to ruddy-colored cats. Today, breeders are concerned about a silver "mutation", and such concern takes on another perspective in light of the early colored Abyssinians. Mr. H.C. Brooke (one of the early British breeders) opposed the silver color and, in order "to get back the warmth of body color....," used a cat he described as a "self red" in breeding his cats (Denham and Denham, 1951).

In the beginning, Abyssinians were, thus, silver cats accompanied by remnants of tabby markings. At a time when silver and brown tabbies were truly popular in England, breeders tried to produce a totally distinctive cat. They introduced a little red to warm up the coat as Mr. Brooke did, and they bred out the tabby markings. This kind of work took a long time and required great effort.

---

The Abyssinians have very unique personalities, but they are not for everyone. Although these cats are very loving, not many like to be held. Instead, they decided when and where they are going to love on YOU. They are VERY active and are not for someone whose is looking for a stationary cat. These cats are incredibly smart, and have even figured out how to unlock my doors. The Abyssinians are very playful and find even the light refraction from your watch immensely entertaining. They do not have long coats, so shedding is relatively minimal. They have a soft meow, but when they are in heat...watch out. These cats have the tendency to make a cat lover out of a person who is not. My husband originally hated cats, but once we got our Abys, he started singing a different tune.

If you want more information on the breed standards for Abyssinian cats, visit the Info page by clicking "Info."

---

Characteristics and Temperament

The Abyssinian is an active, intelligent cat that loves people. Although they are quite beautiful, they are not content to lie around and just be admired. Abys are not always thought of as lap cats, but love to be where you are. They interact with their owners and often enjoy the company of another cat. Abyssinians are often thought of as cats that like to be in high places, such as the top of a refrigerator or a bookshelf. They seem to be more inclined to use their paws like a human would use their hands. Abys are not known for being particularly loud cats and can communicate their feelings and desires in many ways.

It is often said that Abys have a great love of water. They seem to enjoy playing in a dripping faucet, as well as drinking from them. Loyal is often used to describe the Abyssinian and they make wonderful companions.

---