About Abyssinians

All our Abys have beautiful, melodic “trilling” little voices. We find that our Abys are very protective of each other – Abys like Abys and will seldom quarrel with each other..

Our Abyssinians have the "look" of a cougar, enhanced in part by their regal appearance and feral qualities. As a result of these attributes, as pets they are quite appealing to men.

Believed by some to be the most ancient feline breed in the world, Abyssinians were reportedly imported from Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia), or the coast of the Indian Ocean and parts of Southeast Asia into England, and then the breed was further refined there. In appearance, the breed resembles ancient Egyptian portraits and sculptures portraying an elegant feline, muscular and lithe, with an arched neck, large ears and almond shaped eyes. Abys today still retain the jungle look of felis lybica, the African wildcat ancestor of all domestic cats.

Breeding in England focused on the development of the ticked (Agouti) coat, and over time the undesirable tabby marking were bred out. Records indicate that Abyssinians first bred in England were of a Silver or Yellow ticking color, as evidenced by the ancestral names shown in Eszencia Abyssinians pedigrees (Aluminium and Gold Tick – early 1900’s). Breeding became concentrated on bringing out a warmer color, hence the Sorrel (red) and Ruddy (usual) of today. In addition to those colors, Fawn and Blue are also recognized Abyssinian colors in North America.

The first Abyssinian registrations occurred in 1896, and the stud book of the National Cat Club reveals that Sedgemere Bottle, born in 1892, and Sedgemere Peaty, born in 1894, were registered by Mr. Sam Woodiwiss.

Abyssinians are middle-sized cats, slender and lithe, strong and muscular. They are of oriental type but not as extreme as the Siamese Cat. Slender legs with small oval paws. Characteristically it looks like the Abyssinians stand tip-toed.


General Abyssinian Characteristics
The Abyssinian is a well-balanced cat, with all elements in proportion. It is eager and active, and shows a lively interest and curiosity in its surroundings.

Body
Medium build, firm, lithe, hard and muscular; body of medium length. Tail fairly long and tapering, broad at base. Legs fine and long, in proportion to the body; feet small and oval. Gives the impression of standing on tiptoe.

Head
Wedge-shaped, of medium proportions, wide at the top; the contours are soft and graceful. In profile the head shows a soft curve, with neither a stop nor a straight nose. Nose medium long. Chin firm and well developed; muzzle not sharply pointed. A shallow indentation forming the muzzle is desirable but a pinch is a fault. The ears are relatively large, set well apart and pricked, broad and cupped at the base. Set as though listening. They are slightly rounded at the tips with a thumb mark; tufts at the tips are desirable. Neck slender.

Eyes
Set wide apart, large, brilliant and expressive; almond in shape and outlined with dark colour. Colour amber, green or yellow; pure, intense colour.

Coat
Texture Fine, but resilient to the touch, with a lustrous sheen. Medium short; long enough to accommodate two or three bands of ticking.
Ticking 2 or 3 bands of colour on each hair with dark tips.

In the show ring
Body, Tail and Legs: 20 points
Head and Ears: 15 points
Eyes: 10 points
Body Colour: 25 points
Ticking: 15 points
Texture of Coat: 10 points
Condition: 5 points
Total: 100 points

"To gain the friendship of a cat is a difficult thing. The cat is philosophical, metholodical, quiet animal, tenacious of it's own habits, fond of order and cleanliness, and it does not lightly confer its friendship. If you are worthy of its affection, a cat will be your friend, but never your slave. He keeps his free will, though he loves, and he will not do for you what he thinks is unreasonable. But if he once gives himself to you it is with absolute confidence and affection"
- Theophile Gautier, 1850