Abyssinian Cats

The Abyssinian is a breed of domesticated cat with a distinctive ticked coat. There are many stories about its origins, often revolving around Ethiopia, but the actual origins are uncertain. The Abyssinian has become one of the most popular breeds of shorthair cat in the USA

Rating of Characteristics :

• Activity level : 10
• Playfulness : 9
• Need for attention : 8
• Affection toward its owners : 7
• Vocality : 2
• Docility : 1
• Intelligence : 7
• Independence : 6
• Healthiness and hardiness : 4
• Need for grooming : 3
• Compatibility with children : 4
• compatibility with other pets : 5

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History 1

The name ‘Abyssinian’ refers to Ethiopia, but most of the stories about the origins of Abyssinians refer to Egypt. Genetic research suggests the breed originated near the coast of the Indian Ocean, where colonists may have purchased animals from wild animal traders. The breed was developed in Egypt.
The breed is sometimes believed to have originated from one Egyptian female kitten named Zula, who was taken from a port in Alexandria by a British soldier and brought to England in 1868. This theory is not established because there is no solid link between Zula and the cat first listed as an Abyssinian in 1882.
Many sources repeat the story that the Abyssinian breed is a few thousand years old and comes from Ancient Egypt, as the cats resemble those in ancient paintings. Ancient Egyptians made sculptures of them. There are also stories that wild ‘Abyssinians’ live in parts of North Africa today.

Translate Indonesia

[Nama 'Abyssinian' mengacu ke Ethiopia, tetapi sebagian besar cerita tentang asal-usul Abyssinians merujuk ke Mesir. Penelitian genetika menunjukkan jenis yang berasal dekat pantai Samudera Hindia, di mana penjajah mungkin telah membeli hewan dari pedagang satwa liar. Berkembang biak ini dikembangkan di Mesir.

Yang berkembang biak terkadang diyakini berasal dari satu perempuan Mesir anak kucing bernama Zula, yang diambil dari sebuah pelabuhan di Alexandria oleh seorang tentara Inggris dan dibawa ke Inggris pada 1868. Teori ini tidak didirikan karena tidak ada hubungan yang solid antara Zula dan kucing pertama terdaftar sebagai Abyssinian pada tahun 1882.

Banyak sumber mengulangi cerita yang berkembang biak Abyssinia adalah beberapa ribu tahun dan berasal dari Mesir Kuno, sebagai kucing mirip dengan dalam lukisan kuno. Mesir kuno membuat patung dari mereka. Ada juga cerita yang 'Abyssinians' liar tinggal di bagian Afrika Utara hari ini.]

Appearance

The Abyssinian has alert, relatively large pointed ears. The head is broad and moderately wedge shaped. Its eyes are almond shaped and colors include gold, green, hazel or copper. The paws are small and oval. The legs are slender in proportion to the body, with a fine bone structure.

The Abyssinian has a fairly long tail, broad at the base and tapering to a point. The Abyssinian’s nose and chin usually form a straight vertical line when viewed in profile. A m-shaped marking is often found in the fur on the forehead.

The m-shaped marking, also called “frown lines,” appears above the Abyssinian’s eyes. They can be colored ruddy, sorrel (red, cinnamon), blue fawn or red. Abyssinians are medium sized cats. They have strong, lithe bodies with long legs.

Coat and colors

The coat is medium-length, dense, and silky to the touch. The Abyssinian, and a similar long-hair breed called the Somali have coats that are unusual enough to catch attention. These felines owe their special coat to one dominant mutant gene known as Ta. Each hair has a base color with three or four darker-colored bands; the hair is the lighter colour at the root, and the darker “ticking” color at the tip. This ticking is found only in the Somali, Abyssinian and Singapura.

The first cat to have its entire genome published was an Abyssinian named Cinnamon.
The original Abyssinian coat colour is known as ‘Usual’ in the United Kingdom and as ‘Ruddy’ elsewhere. The coat has a warm reddish-brown base, with black ticking. The feet and the backs of the hind legs are always black.

Over the years, various other colours have been developed from this original form, but the markings on the coat have remained the same. The back of the hind legs and the pads of the paws are always darker than the rest of the coat. A popular colour is Sorrel, which has a cinnamon (yellowish-brown) base, with chocolate brown ticking, paw pads and backs of the legs. Blue Abyssinians, which have become increasingly popular in recent years, have a light beige base colour with blue ticking, paw pads and backs of the legs. The relatively rare Fawn Abyssinians have a light-cream base colour, with darker cream ticking and warm dark cream pads and backs of the legs.

ilver Abyssinians are a separate group among the breed. Although this colour has been in existence for decades, it is not recognised by the Cat Fanciers’ Association, the world’s largest registry of pedigreed cats. In Silvers, the undercoat is always a pure silvery white. The markings include black, blue, warm dark cream and cinnamon. Purely Silver Abyssinians are difficult to breed because they sometimes have undesirable tan patches in the coat. In addition to this, any spots in the coat show up more clearly on a silver coat.
Rare colours include the Tortoiseshell, Red, Cream, Chocolate and Lilac, which are all bred on a small scale in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Abyssinian kittens are born with dark coats that gradually lighten as they mature. It usually takes several months for the final coat colour to be established.

Temperament

Abyssinians are extroverted, extremely active, playful, wilful and intelligent. They are usually not “lap cats”, being too preoccupied with exploring and playing. They are popular among breeders and owners, and can be very successful show cats. Not all Abyssinians are shown, however, because the color and type standards are very exacting, and because some are shy towards strangers and timid in public. They have quiet, engaging voices.

“Abys”, as they are affectionately referred to by their fans, need a great deal of love and interaction with the family to keep them happy and can get depressed without daily activity and attention. They generally get along well with other cats, although they need their space and the females can sometimes be irritable around other cats. Abyssinians are known for their curiosity and enjoy exploring their surroundings, including heights.

They are sensible cats that do not take unnecessary risks. As one might expect from such an intelligent and physically capable breed, Abyssinians are known to be formidable hunters. They adore toys and can play for hours with a favorite ball. Some play fetch.

Abyssinian in Popular Culture

• Tibs from One Hundred and One Dalmatians and 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure is an Abyssinian.
• Jake from The Cat from Outer Space.

Cats :
Felinology

•     Cats in ancient Egypt
•     Anatomy
•     Cat genetics
•     Dwarf cat
•     Kitten
•     Odd-eyed cat
•     Squitten

Cat coat genetics:    

•     Bicolor cat
•     Black cat
•     Calico cat
•     Deaf white cat
•     Tabby cat
•     Tortoiseshell cat

Health   

•     Anesthesia
•     Cat skin disorders
•     Declawing
•     Diet
•     Feline acne
•     Feline asthma
•     Feline calicivirus
•     Feline hepatic lipidosis
•     Feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
•     Feline immunodeficiency virus
•     Feline infectious peritonitis
•     Feline leukemia virus
•     Feline lower urinary tract disease
•     Feline panleukopenia
•     Feline viral rhinotracheitis
•     Flea
•     Heartworm
•     Neutering
•     Polydactyl cat
•     Rabies
•     Ringworm
•     Spaying
•     Roundworm
•     Tick
•     Toxoplasmosis
•     Vaccination

Behavior

•     Body language
•     Catfight
•     Catnip
•     Communication
•     Kneading
•     Intelligence
•     Play and toys
•     Purr
•     Righting reflex
•     Senses

Human-cat interaction   

•     Animal-assisted therapy
•     As pets
•     Cat massage
•     Cat show
•     Cultural depictions of cats
•     Farm cat
•     Feral cat
•     Ship’s cat
•     Cat meat

Registries

•     American Cat Fanciers Association
•     Cat Aficionado Association
•     Cat Fanciers’ Association
•     Fédération Internationale Féline
•     Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
•     The International Cat Association
•     Canadian Cat Association

Breeds (Full list) :
Domestic   

•     Abyssinian
•     American Curl
•     American Shorthair
•     Balinese
•     British Shorthair
•     Birman
•     Bombay
•     Burmese
•     California Spangled
•     Chartreux
•     Colorpoint Shorthair
•     Cornish Rex
•     Cymric
•     Devon Rex
•     Donskoy
•     Egyptian Mau
•     European Shorthair
•     Exotic Shorthair
•     German Rex
•     Himalayan
•     Japanese Bobtail
•     Javanese
•     Khao Manee
•     Korat
•     Kurilian Bobtail
•     Maine Coon
•     Manx
•     Munchkin
•     Norwegian Forest Cat
•     Ocicat
•     Oriental Shorthair
•     Persian
•     Peterbald
•     Ragdoll
•     Ragamuffin
•     Russian Blue
•     Scottish Fold
•     Selkirk Rex
•     Siamese
•     Siberian
•     Singapura
•     Sokoke
•     Snowshoe
•     Somali
•     Sphynx
•     Thai
•     Traditional Persian
•     Tonkinese
•     Turkish Angora
•     Turkish Van

Hybrid    

•     Bengal
•     Chausie
•     Cheetoh
•     Savannah
•     Serengeti cat
•     Toyger

History

Although no one knows positively when or where the Abyssinian first appeared, the best known tale is that today?s breed is a direct descendant of the sacred cats worshiped as the physical manifestations of the gods in the temples and palaces of the ancient Egyptians some 4,000 years ago. Abyssinians do look remarkably like the cats depicted in Egyptian murals and sculptures.An Abyssinian named Zula was transported from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) to England at the end of the Abyssinian War in 1868, according to Dr. Staples in his 1874 book, Cats, Their Points, Etc., but whether the cat was native to that area is subject to speculation. Recent genetic studies indicate that today?s Abyssinian may have descended from a breed found in Southeast Asia and the coast of the Indian Ocean. Abyssinians do resemble the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica), the progenitor of all domestic cats.


Since there?s no written evidence linking Zula with today?s breed, some breeders maintain that the original lines died out and the Abyssinian was recreated by British breeders. Undeniably, the breed was established and refined by early British fanciers until World War II decimated the breed, forcing British breeders to start over from scratch.

Two Abyssinians arrived in America in the early 1900s and were first exhibited in 1909. Active breeding of Abyssinians didn?t begin until the 1930s, but then breeders made up for lost time. Today, the Abyssinian is second only to the Siamese in popularity among the shorthaired breeds, according to the CFA?s registration totals.

Personality

Abyssinians aren?t for those who want decorative cats to match the rust-colored carpet, or for those who want cats that enjoy being picked up and cuddled. Courageous, curious, and high-spirited, when restrained Abys tend to become struggling bundles of fur with more than the usual number of elbows; however, that?s not to say that Abyssinians are aloof or standoffish. While Abyssinians will cheerfully entertain themselves, they are most happy when involved in every aspect of your life. They are particularly involved at dinnertime. In fact, you?ll know it?s dinnertime when small, furry, food-seeking missiles attach themselves to your legs!
Abyssinians regularly perform antics for your amusement, earning them the reputation of being the clowns of the cat kingdom. They will often perch on shoulders, crawl under covers, and sit on laps purring madly before racing off to bat imaginary butterflies and make flying leaps at the tallest bookcases. Natural athletes, no closed room or cupboard is safe from their agile paws and inquiring minds.

Conformation

The Abyssinian is a ticked or agouti breed. The distinctive coat appearance comes from the combination of colors on each hair shaft. The lighter or ground color lies closest to the skin and each hair shaft has dark-colored bands that are contrasted with lighter-colored bands. The hair shaft ends with a dark tip.
Abyssinians have few genetic defects but, like their longhaired counterpart the Somali, are prone to gingivitis and tooth decay. If the Abyssinian can be trained to cooperate with regular tooth- brushing and applications of fluoride, and if periodic professional teeth cleaning and checkups are provided, the problem can be minimized. Abyssinians and Somalis are also susceptible to amyloidosis, a renal disease thought to be hereditary.

	A colorful cat with a distinctly ticked coat. Its distinctive ticked look comes from the combination of colors on each hair shaft.
	Well-balanced temperamentally and physically. Breeders report that the show trend has been toward a more tapered, elegant muzzle, and a slimmer, semiforeign body. Medium long, lithe, and graceful, showing well-developed muscular strength; conformation strikes a medium between the cobby and svelte types.
	Modified, slightly rounded wedge without flat planes; slight rise from bridge of nose to forehead; no break; muzzle not sharply pointed or square; chin neither receding nor protruding.
	Alert, large, moderately pointed; broad and cupped at base.
	Almond-shaped, large, brilliant, expressive; neither round nor Oriental; accentuated by a fine dark line. Eye color gold or green.
	Thick at base, fairly long and tapering.
	Soft, silky, fine in texture; dense and resilient to the touch; lustrous sheen; medium in length with two or three dark bands of ticking.
	Ruddy, red (also called sorrel), blue, and fawn. In England, Australia, and New Zealand, a fifth color, silver, has been accepted.
	White anywhere other than nostril, chin, and upper throat; abnormal tail; dark unbroken necklace; gray undercoat.
	None.