Although the Abyssinian is one of the oldest cat breeds, its origins are still surrounded with mystery. It is a miniature fauve, and a feline gentleman.
What is the most striking when you see an Abyssinian cat for the first time is the blend of wildness and sophistication that characterises it. Its ticked coat evokes the desert felines, while its way to look at people with its gold sprinkled eyes could melt the heart of the worst enemy of cats.
The origins of the Abyssinian are very contested. While its name evokes Abyssinia, modern Ethiopia, nothing has proved it came from there, and the origins of Zula, the first Abyssinian registered in 1874, is vague too. Its owner, Captain Barret-Lennard, has implied that he had brought it back from Ethiopia at the end of the war in 1868, but he never affirmed it either. At the time the story was deemed very beautiful, and it was said that this cat, with its ticked coat, could be the descendant of the Felis lybica, a Libyan wild cat. It was also said that Abyssinians came from the Indian outposts of the British Empire. At Leide’s Museum of natural history, in the Netherlands, one can still today a stuffed cat, which looks very much like an Abyssinian: the legend is formal about the cat: this cat had been brought from India by merchants, who traded those animals. Others think that the original country of the Abyssinian is even more in the East, south of China or Thailand. Picture above: rudy Abyssinian.
Nowadays, it is generally admitted that the original country of the Abyssinian is the Great Britain. at the end of the 19th century, ticked kittens were regularly born in English cat litters, and breeders quickly saw the point of selecting this particularity. As their coat resembled that of a hare’s, they were first called “Bunny cats”. And the exotic spirit of the time made the rest. People’s eyes were turned toward Egypt and the archaeological excavations: people escaped thanks to the Queen of Saba, and the “Bunny cats” were perfect candidates for dreaming. The first Abyssinians were registered in 1886, and the importations toward the USA began in 1900. the first Abyssinian arrived in France in 1927.
The indefectible success of the Abyssinian resides in the fact that this cat has always been a model of elegance and balance. From the beginning, English breeders looked for a cat, which was more elegant that their own national cat – the British Shorthair – and the Abyssinian was a very attractive alternative to it. a new show category was even created for “foreign cats”. All these cats had common points: an elegant body and a light bone structure. Among all those foreigners, the almost exclusive characteristic of the Abyssinian was its ticked coat. At this time, a few tabby markings on the legs and tail were still accepted. Little by little, through successive selections, those markings were suppressed and today’s best Abyssinians have none. The Abyssinians in the USA changed little by little. They became more elegant, with a more triangular head, longer ears and a finer bone structure. Work was done on their colours too, which became denser. In the 60’s, when French breeding started again after having been interrupted because of WW II, the cats mostly came from England, and were rather massive. The arrival of the American Abyssinians was a real shock: but unlike what happened with the Siamese, there was no war type. Quit on the contrary, the European breeders saw the interest of these new lines, all the more so in a breed where inbreeding is quickly a problem. The question of the colours was however more tricky. Picture above: silver Abyssinian.
Other colours were created besides of the traditional colours, rudy and sorrel. These new colours are the blue, the chocolate, the fawn, the silver, and even more recently the red and the tortie. Today, some of these new colours are not yet recognised by the major international feline associations.
What an Abyssinian sould look like? The standard describes the Abyssinian as a regal looking cat, agile as a panther, but very friendly with man. Its head is a soft triangle. There’s no angle, but soft curves. Its almond-shaped eyes are golden or green, but always wide open on the world around it. Is ears are long, large at the basis, cup-shaped and pointed forward as if it was always on the watch. Sometimes there’s a small tuft of hair at the tip of the ears, which reinforces its wild look. The neck is supple and well-arched. The muscles are tensed, as if it was always ready to jump. Its tail, which is often moving, is long and slender. Its fur is unlike any other: it is soft to the touch, resilient, longer on the back and gradually shorter on the flanks, legs and head. When you pet an Abyssinian, you can feel under your fingers the ticking of its each hair. In rudy and sorrel Abyssinians, the colour is intense to the root of the hair, as if this exceptional cat was the son if the sun. Its character is also very warm: it is attached to its owners with an application of each moment. This cat is active, and it can be happy only if it lives near humans. You should spend as much time as you can with your Abyssinian, and do your activities with it. it will truly love every moment it spends with you. Picture above: rudy Abyssinian.
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