Abyssinians are medium sized cats with lithe, muscular bodies. Abys should appear energetic and very interested in their
surroundings. They have a distinct ticked coat in which each hair has alternating bands of color. There are 4 widely
recognized colors and new colors are being developed. The 4 colors are ruddy, red, blue, and fawn. Ruddy is the most
common color and fawn is the rarest color. New colors are being developed but are not yet widely accepted.
Check out the links at the bottom of this page for a more detailed description.
Abyssinian cats are a special breed. They have a distinct appearance and are very active and very affectionate. Many
Abys are not true lap cats as they will curl up with you when they decide to but will be impossible to keep still if
they decide it is still playtime. The males tend to be a little more mellow than the females. Abyssinians are very
sweet cats and although they may struggle to ecsape unwanted handling they are not quick to scratch and bite unless
they fear for their safety.
There is some debate over where Abyssinians came from. Many fanciers believe the breed was first developed in Egypt
as Abys look like the cats depicted in ancient Egyption murals and sculptures. In 1868 an abyssinian was imported to
England from Abyssinia, later renamed Ethiopia. Unfortunately there are no records linking this imported cat to today's
Abyssinian cats so it is not known if they are all descended from this one cat or if the breed was recreated later.
Abyssinians first arrived in North America in the early 1900s but were not actively bred until the 1930s.
Breed standards are goals for responsible breeders to strive for. Each cat association has its own breed standard for
each breed it recognizes. The breed standard is a description of the perfect specimen of that particular breed and
ensures that the breed does not lose integrity but improves toward this standard over time.
When cats are shown they are being compared against this standard and the winning cats are those who most closely
match their breed standard. Cats win points when they do well in the shows and they accumulate points to win titles.
Each association has a slightly different way of assigning points and titles so I would encourage you to check out the links
I have provided to find out more.
Go to TICA Abyssinian breed standard
Go to CFA Abyssinian breed standard
