Abyssinian Cat
History
The first Abyssinian
cat
known to have been brought out of its natural environment
to be a domestic pet in the West was Zula, a female kitten
taken from Alexandria to the UK in the 1860s by the British
soldier Captain Barrett Leonard. He crossed Zula with a
tabby, then bred her with the most Abyssinian looking of
her own young to create the breed. By 1871 the breed was
recognized and exhibited at the Crystal Palace in London.
Although it is possible that other soldiers may also have
brought home cats during the Abyssinian War, it is generally
believed that all Abyssinians in Europe, North America and
Australia are descended from Zula. The gene pool has been
enriched a little in the USA with the import of one or two
other Abyssinians from North Africa, where they can still
be found living wild in some regions.
The 'Aby', as this breed is popularly known,
is now one of the most popular shorthair pedigree breeds
of cat in the USA.
Appearance
The Abyssinian
is a medium sized, well shaped shorthaired cat with a princely
appearance and a distinctively ticked coat. What this means
is that each hair is striped with two different colors alternating
in bands from root to tip. The effect is to give the coat
a noticeable sparkle, especially when stroked. The coat
is usually a warm tawny color but there are blue and silver
variants. The recognized color classifications vary from
country to country, but in the US they include red, ruddy,
fawn, cream, blue and lilac. To qualify for pedigree status
the cat's body must have no tabby markings, although there
are usually some on the tail and paws. Abys have large ears
and big almond-shaped eyes. The eyes are green, gold or
hazel with a fine dark line around the iris.
Temperament
Abys are very active, muscular cats whose
closeness to their wild ancestors can easily been seen in
their temperament and behavior. They are friendly and affectionate
and make great pets but usually spend more time playing
and exploring than curling up on somebody's knees. Often,
they will adopt one person in the family to be their special
favorite. It is not necessarily the person who loves them
the most! They like a lot of activity, variety and attention
and can become depressed if left shut in a small apartment
all day while owners are working. They often enjoy getting
up in high places and will climb trees, explore the top
of tall furniture and climb onto your shoulders!
Owners describe Abyssinian
cats as intelligent and loyal 'people cats'.
Many owners would never consider having any other breed
of cat.
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