The Abyssinian is a short-haired breed of cat with a distinctive ‘ticked’ tabby coat. They are slender and elegant with a strikingly wild look.
They have a truly athletic build; sleek and slender, with long legs and a long tapering tail. They have large almond-shaped eyes, in hues of gold, green and copper and relatively large pointed ears.
Description and Characteristics
Their coat is fine, dense and silky to the touch, with the most distinctive trait being the ticked nature of the fur in which individual hairs are banded with different colours. The most common colour variation of the coat is a warm deep reddish-brown base with black ticking. This is uniform over the body, although the ridge of the spine and tail, back of the hind legs and the pads of the paws are always darker. Abyssinians are highly intelligent cats, which are generally very friendly, playful and inquisitive. They are not typical lap cats, preferring to be active, but they will want to be around their owners, to whom they will be very attached. They really are curious cats, which want to explore everywhere, often getting themselves into mischief! Ideally, these cats need lots of human company and attention and will relish plenty of opportunities to play. They also respond well to training. Abyssinians are relatively quiet cats, preferring to communicate with soft chirrups, rather than the standard meow. Abyssinians are best suited to an outdoor lifestyle where they can freely explore. However, their curious ways can get them into trouble and some owners may prefer them to keep them indoors. If this is the case, they need access to a secure garden or ‘catio’ and lots of cat trees and play equipment.
The history of the Abyssinian is not entirely clear. The name would suggest that they originate from Egypt (previously Abyssinia) but genetic studies of the breed have shown that its most likely origins are the coast of the Indian Ocean and parts of Southeast Asia. They gained the name having been brought into the UK from Egypt and from their strong resemblance to cats depicted in ancient Egypt.
Health and common issues
Abyssinians are generally healthy cats. However, they can still be prone to certain health conditions including pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency that can cause anaemia, progressive retinal atrophy which causes progressive blindness, patellar luxation and hip dysplasia.
