Is the Abyssinian Cat Breed Right for You?
The Abyssinian is one of the oldest known breeds. In appearance, Abyssinians resemble the paintings and sculptures of ancient Egyptian cats. The Egyptian cats always portray an elegant feline with a muscular body, beautiful arched neck, large ears, and almond-shaped eyes.
The Abyssinians of today still retain the jungle look of Felis sylvestris lybica, the African wildcat ancestor of all domestic cats. The breed is named because the first Abyssinians exhibited in shows in England were reported to have been imported from the country of Abyssinia, known today as Ethiopia.
Physical Description
Bears a remarkable resemblance to the noble cats depicted in statues of ancient Egypt
Ticked, richly colored tabby coat free of markings on its legs, tail, and neck but with dramatic facial markings, each hair is ticked with four to six bands of color: dark at the tip, lighter at the roots, with bands alternating dark and light
The ideal Abyssinian has a bright color at the hair root that matches the color on its underside and on the inside of its legs
CFA permits four coat colors that are: The original or wild color known as ruddy. Its darker bands of color are sepia to black, and its lighter bands are bright orange, giving the impression of an iridescent cat of burnt sienna; Red with darker bands of color that are chocolate brown, creating the impression of a red, iridescent cat; The blue coat has slate blue or gray dark bands of color with alternating bands of warm beige, giving the impression of a warm, dark blue cat with a very subtle look; Fawn, which has darker bands of cocoa brown and lighter bands of rose-beige ticking, giving the impression of a warm, antique rose-colored cat
The body type is compact, broad-chested (the cobby type) and svelte, lengthy types (foreign)
Because of the long legs, they appear to stand on their toes
The typical Abyssinian likes to arch its back when it becomes alert and stands
The head shape is a modified wedge
The eyes are curved like almonds
Large, slightly pointed ears
The head, eyes and ears all fit together in a complementary fashion, favoring neither extreme length nor extreme shortness
The Abyssinians of today still retain the jungle look of Felis sylvestris lybica, the African wildcat ancestor of all domestic cats. The breed is named because the first Abyssinians exhibited in shows in England were reported to have been imported from the country of Abyssinia, known today as Ethiopia.
Physical Description
Bears a remarkable resemblance to the noble cats depicted in statues of ancient Egypt
Ticked, richly colored tabby coat free of markings on its legs, tail, and neck but with dramatic facial markings, each hair is ticked with four to six bands of color: dark at the tip, lighter at the roots, with bands alternating dark and light
The ideal Abyssinian has a bright color at the hair root that matches the color on its underside and on the inside of its legs
CFA permits four coat colors that are: The original or wild color known as ruddy. Its darker bands of color are sepia to black, and its lighter bands are bright orange, giving the impression of an iridescent cat of burnt sienna; Red with darker bands of color that are chocolate brown, creating the impression of a red, iridescent cat; The blue coat has slate blue or gray dark bands of color with alternating bands of warm beige, giving the impression of a warm, dark blue cat with a very subtle look; Fawn, which has darker bands of cocoa brown and lighter bands of rose-beige ticking, giving the impression of a warm, antique rose-colored cat
The body type is compact, broad-chested (the cobby type) and svelte, lengthy types (foreign)
Because of the long legs, they appear to stand on their toes
The typical Abyssinian likes to arch its back when it becomes alert and stands
The head shape is a modified wedge
The eyes are curved like almonds
Large, slightly pointed ears
The head, eyes and ears all fit together in a complementary fashion, favoring neither extreme length nor extreme shortness
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