Abyssinian Cat Breed - Overview and History

Dog Breeds

The Abyssinian cat breed is thought by some to be one of the very oldest of all breeds of domestic cats. Abyssinians resemble the sculptural and painted representations of ancient Egyptian cats

Read More >

Introduction

The Abyssinian is thought by some to be one of the very oldest of all breeds of domestic cats. Abyssinians resemble the sculptural and painted representations of ancient Egyptian cats – they are medium in size, muscular yet elegant, with long, well-arched necks, large alert ears, long legs and exotic, almond-shaped eyes. They come in a variety of color variations, including lavender, blue, chocolate, black silver, fawn, sorrel, ruddy and sorrel silver. A unique characteristic of the Abyssinian is the banding, or “ticking,” on individual hairs. There typically are three or four bands of color on each hair. The Abyssinian’s coat is soft, silky and lustrous, with a full undercoat. The tail is broad at the base, tapering to a point which is the color of the darkest ticking of the coat.

History

While it is certain that the Abyssinian was refined as a breed in England, the exact origin of the breed is not known. Some authorities suggest that the first Abyssinians were brought to Great Britain by solders returning home from the Abyssinian (Ethiopian) war in and around 1868. However, many British breeders believe that the Abyssinian descends from crossings of existing silver and brown tabbies with native British “Bunny” ticked cats. More recent genetic evidence suggests that this breed actually originated along the coast of the Indian Ocean and in other parts of Southeastern Asia, beginning in the mid-1830’s. Followers of this theory believe that the Abyssinian was brought to England from Calcutta – the major Indian Ocean port – with colonists and traveling merchants.

The first Abys were exported from Britain to America in the early 1900’s. However, it wasn’t until the 1930’s that top-quality specimens arrived in the United States, becoming the foundation for today’s American purebred Abyssinian cats.

Health Issues

Abyssinians are reported to have a predisposition to developing one or more of the following medical conditions: dilated cardiomyopathy, psychogenic alopecia (stress-related hair loss), congenital hypothyroidism, renal amyloidosis (breed-predisposition to a kidney disorder), hyperaesthesia syndrome, progressive retinal atrophy and nasopharyngeal polyps.

Personality

Pictures