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 and brought to England where the
breed was developed by Zula being bred with an English tabby,
and the most 'Abyssinian' looking kitten of her litter being
bred with its mother to splice the Abby gene. It is believed
all Abyssinians in Europe, the Americas, and Australia are
descended from Zula, but there has been at least one and
possibly as many as three Abyssinians introduced from Libya (or
less likely Egypt) into the existing Abyssinian gene pool in
the USA.
The Abyssinian has become one of the most popular shorthair
breed of cats in the USA. There 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 colour, but "Abys" can also be blue, fawn, cinnamon and
red. There is also a Silver Abyssinian variant whose coat shows
shades of white, cream and grey.
Abyssinians are very active, friendly, curious and playful, but
are usually not "lap cats"; they are too preoccupied exploring
and playing; they are "busy" cats, and can get bored and
depressed without daily activity and attention.
Many Abyssinians enjoy heights, and will explore their
surroundings in three dimensions, from the floor to their
owner's shoulders to the top of the highest furniture. They are
highly intelligent, and probably the most independent of any
domestic breed. There is a long-haired version of the
Abyssinian, called the Somali.
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