Feline Profile: The Abyssinian

I have a lot of favorite cat breeds, you will learn that very quickly.

One of my favorites among the shorthaired breeds is the Abyssinian.

Although the breed was originally believed to have come from Ethiopia (then called Abyssinia, hence the name), research suggests they were actually bred along the coast of the Indian Ocean in Southeast Asia.

Abbys are a very popular show cat, one of the crowd-pleasers. They are also called, according to the Cat Fanciers' Association, a people-oriented cat, but not necessarily a lap cat. They are loyal and affectionate kitties, who understand their owners (and have plenty of that uncanny catly ability to "train their owners.")

If you visit a cat show, you may recognize the Abyssinians by their frantic pacing in their cages. They pace when they are anxious.

Abbys have beautiful coats, with a varying color that results from an effect in their hairs called "ticking." Each individual hair has alternating colors, which works to camouflage the cat. Several other breeds also have ticked fur.

The most common color variety of the Abby is the ruddy, the darkest. The other colors include sorrel, chocolate, blue, lavender, sorrel silver, black silver, and fawn, the lightest.

The ticking in their fur gives them the appearance of bristles, but their coats are close and silky. Their faces vary from long, angled and severe, like the Egyptian cats of old, to round and sweet, as you can see from the pictures.

Truly lovely cats. They are very popular in the shows, however, so a purebred Abby is also very expensive.