Mary Allen
Abyssinians not only impress with their very special fur color. With their names, the cats also hide their real origins.
Not only a well-known horse breed got its name from the former kingdom in East Africa. Abyssinia, the country in today’s Ethiopia, was also the namesake of a special cat breed.
However, the name is deceptive, because the velvet paw described here does not actually come from there. Rather, she is Asian through and through.
You can find out here how this fact was tracked down, what ticking means, and other special features of the Abyssinian cat.
Where does the Abyssinian come from?
Modern genetic engineering has determined that the Abyssinian cat is not native to East Africa. Certain gene sequences point to an origin around the coasts of the Indian Ocean: their true homeland was therefore in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Malaysia.
Cats resembling Abyssinians were portrayed in England as early as the 19th century. Published in a well-known British cat journal, they were not called Abyssinians at the time, but Asian cats.
Their route from Asia – presumably via the ports of East Africa – to Europe can no longer be traced exactly today, but they probably made the journey to Great Britain with British troops during the colonial wars.
Once arrived in the stronghold of the house tiger – the United Kingdom – it was systematically bred from the 19th century. The special coloring – also known as agouti – was considered chic. High society tried to surround itself with exotics to demonstrate sophistication.
Towards the end of the 19th century, the Abyssinian cat was officially recognized as a separate breed. Unfortunately, this cat did not reproduce very well, leading to decimation during the world wars. A she-cat usually only gives birth to one or two, very rarely up to four young. Therefore, this breed is one of the lesser known and rather rare cat breeds.
What does the Abyssinian look like?
If you can picture a miniature puma in your mind, you can get a good idea of what an Abyssinian cat is. Overall, one would attest it has more resemblance to a big cat than to the Egyptian wild cat, the primordial mother of our house tiger.
The body
Abyssinians are slim with a long tail and exceptionally long legs. This gives them a muscular and powerful appearance and gives them a dynamic overall look.
The fur color
The Abyssinian cat was able to assert itself as a popular breeding cat, mainly because of its special coat color. The so-called ticking provides the most diverse color variants. This means a banding of the short hair: the individual hairs in the coat are not just one color, but two to four different colors, with the tips of the hair being the darkest. This results in great color plays and effects on the fur, which are called agouti in the technical jargon.
The ticking of the individual hairs is most pronounced on the head, back and tail and sometimes also on the legs. The rest of the body remains mostly monochromatic. Many cats have a dark dorsal stripe down their backbone. In addition, a so-called sole stripe can appear from the hind legs to the heel.
However, ticking is a long time coming with this cat. In a new litter, you look for it in vain. From about the sixth week (not earlier), one or the other kitten shows the beginning of an agouti in the fur. The ticking and its colors only reach their full expression when the cat is about two years old. The reason for this is the gradual storage of melanin – the responsible color pigment – in the hair, which also gives us darker skin when exposed to the sun.
Color variants of the ticking
There are different types of ticks. One distinguishes:
- Wild
This ticking comes closest to the original Abyssinian cat, it is warm orange to brown tones with black banding. The other colors came from this wild coloring. - Sorrell
This coloring, also known as Cinnamon and Red, has a chocolate-brown ticking in addition to the red-brown color. The diluted color variant of sorrel is referred to as fawn. - Blue
These are gray-blue tones or pure gray tones as the basic tone. The ticking is created by the steel blue and gray banding. In this color, the dilution gene is active, which causes the color to dilute.
The fur length
The Abyssinian cat is a short-haired cat breed with a very fine and soft undercoat. Despite its fineness, the fur is very dense, which is particularly evident in the neck area, where the individual hairs are slightly longer. However, there is no question of a mane like that of the Maine Coon, the Norwegian Forest Cat, or other breeds.
Long-haired Abyssinians appeared here and there in individual litters in the last century. The recessive longhair gene had not yet completely disappeared from breeding. These cats were used to further breed a semi-long-haired variant called the Somali. The Somali is subject to the same breeding standards as the Abyssinian.
The head
The head is wedge-shaped with gentle contours. The large ears, especially wide at the base, are striking at first glance. They stand wide apart and on rare occasions sport small, lynx-like tufts of hair.
The eyes
The color of the eyes ranges from green to yellow to amber. They are large and almond-shaped. The dark rim around the eyes is typical of the Abyssinian cat.
How tall is an Abyssinian?
The cat belongs to the medium-sized cat breed, with a length from head to the body (without tail) of approximately 60 cm.
How heavy is an Abyssinian?
Cats weigh between three and three and a half kilograms, hangovers weigh between four and five kilograms.
Temperament and nature of the Abyssinians
Abyssinians are known for being friendly and playful. They are very social and adapt quickly to their human family. Even a dog is not a problem for this breed. However, she prefers to live with other cats in the same household, as this is the only way she can fully express her playful nature. Being alone is not acceptable for social cat breeds like these.
An Abyssinian cat is always trying to get everyone’s attention and likes to be the boss of the family. If she lives with other cats, she will try to assert her dominance and character here as well. This is one thing to keep in mind when introducing multiple cats and cat breeds together.
The best is the meeting in childhood, it is even better with kittens from the same litter. It is therefore particularly recommended for social cat breeds to buy two siblings from the same litter.
Intelligent and curious
The Abyssinian cat’s innate curiosity makes it easy to get excited about new activities and games. Variety is important to her, so you should offer it to her as well: Otherwise, this cat with a very special character will quickly become dull, which would be a shame given her potential.
You’ll be amazed at how intelligent she is: She learns the most amazing tricks quickly and can be trained well with a little patience. The breed even lends itself to agility training.
The Abyssinian cat is too demanding to be dealt with purely as a cuddly and petted animal. It is therefore not recommended for one-person households, full-time employees, and new cats. Not only her mind but also her physical health would suffer.
Abyssinians are strong and agile, they love to move. Her favorite activity is climbing, which is why she likes to move freely around the apartment.
The correct attitude of the Abyssinians
The breed is hardly demanding in keeping. She’s very adaptable, so you don’t have to worry if your new kitty will accept your home and feel comfortable. However, due to their pronounced social behavior, you should never keep cat breeds like these as mentioned above alone. They need other people, other cats, or even a dog to stay healthy.
This breed is only suitable as a pure indoor cat to a limited extent, as it has a great need for exercise and, above all, for climbing. If you can offer her several large and demanding scratching posts in the apartment, a pure attitude in the apartment is also acceptable.
You’ll soon find that hardly any cupboard or shelf is safe from her, so again, you’ll need to plan how to keep your belongings safe. The cat’s health must also be protected from hazards such as hot stoves or ovens.
Of course, a garden with large trees or a balcony or terrace secured with a cat net is better, where the cat has plenty of opportunities to move around. Anything that nurtures this cat’s body and mind is part of ideal husbandry.
What care does the Abyssinian need?
Grooming this cat is not a lot of work. You don’t need to brush or comb their short coat. The cat takes care of the coat, ears, and paws. Of course, she has to visit the vet regularly for routine check-ups and vaccinations.
Of course, regular deworming is also part of the care. This applies to indoor cats as well as to outdoor cats, who will thank you for this precaution and care with long, lasting health.
What typical diseases does the Abyssinian have?
Good news: Abyssinians are almost unaffected by obesity due to their high level of mobility and are usually bursting with health. Nevertheless, relying on a healthy, species-appropriate, and balanced diet.
Unfortunately, as with all breeds that have been bred for a long time, this cat sometimes suffers from hereditary diseases due to inbreeding. One of them is progressive retinal atrophy. This is retinal atrophy that leads to blindness. The first signs of the disease can be recognized by the conspicuous night blindness of the house tiger.
Other genetic problems include middle-aged renal failure, which can at least be slowed down with proper diet and care.
Another weakness of this breed that affects the cat’s health is in the knee joints. This can lead to severe deformation that cannot be corrected.
It is important for breeders of these cats to ensure the compatibility of the cat’s parents’ blood when mating. This is the only way to ensure that the kittens in breeding are healthy. In some cases, the mother’s body produces antibodies against her offspring’s blood, which can seriously damage the kitten’s health and lead to her death. This is then referred to as “Fading Kitten Syndrome”.
How old does an Abyssinian get?
The average life expectancy is twelve to fifteen years.
How much does an Abyssinian cost?
The cat is precocious and could be mated at the age of six months. However, breeders prefer to wait and see because the ticking develops later and they cannot know in advance what the color result of the mating will be.
Abyssinian mothers usually only have two kittens. Many breeders try to sell these together. Because this makes sense given the cat’s character, you too might consider a “dual” attitude to this breed. (Two kittens cost twice as much, but are twice as fun).
The price for a seriously bred kitten is around 800 euros. Due to the small litter, the waiting time is a little longer than with other breeds.
Be sure to also consider checking out an animal shelter in your area. You often have the opportunity to take two already socialized kittens, maybe even siblings, home with you to keep. Maybe these aren’t Abyssinians. But there are so many abandoned animal souls waiting for a new home that is just as friendly, agile, and trainable as the cat breed you originally envisioned.
What makes the Abyssinians so special?
Oriental cats are known for their loud vocal organs – think of the unmistakable cry of the Siamese cat. However, like the Oriental Shorthair, the Abyssinian has a soft and quiet voice, which is no less endearing.