Abyssinian

The Abyssinian is a natural breed of domesticated cat believed to originate from one Egyptian female kitten called Zula that was taken from a port in Alexandria Egypt, by a British soldier & brought to England where the breed was developed by being breed with an English tabby. It is believed all Abbys in Europe, America, & Australia are descended from Zula, but there has been at least one & possibly as many as three Abyssinians introduced from Libya(or less likely Egypt) into the existing Abyssinian gene pool in the US. The Abyssinian has become one of the most popular shorthair breed of cats in the United States. They are said to be still wild Abyssinians in some parts of North Africa.

The Abyssinian has a distinctly ticked, tawny coat. The tail and paws may show tabby markings, but the body must not. It has large almond-shaped green or gold eyes with a fine dark line around them, and large ears. The coat is generally a warm golden color, but "Abbys" can also be blue, fawn, cinnamon and red. There is also a Silver Abyssinian variant whose coat shows shades of white, cream and gray.

Abyssinians are very active, friendly, curious and playful, but are usually not "lap cats"; they are too busy exploring and playing. They are highly intelligent, but probably the most independent of any domestic breed. There is a long-haired version of the Abyssinian, called the Somali.

Books about Abyssinian Cats