The Abyssinian is a very elegant cat with an interesting coat: each hair is banded several times, which gives it a special shine. But this playful cat breed is not only impressive on the outside.
Profile of the Abyssinian
Some cat breeds are cuddly and cozy, while others are slender, elegant and very active. The Abyssinian clearly belongs to the second type. It roams the home like a cougar, demonstrates its muscular strength by leaping onto the shelf and then preens itself like a diva looking down from the scratching post. Abyssinian cats are characterized by a lithe, muscular build, long, slender legs and a long tail. They also have large, almond-shaped eyes and strikingly large ears, which may have a tuft of hair on the tip.
The Abyssinian cat's coat is short, fine and closed. The special features of their coat can only be recognized in detail: Each individual hair has two or three bands of color. This phenomenon is called ticking. It develops during the first year of life and is often not fully developed until the cat is two years old. This is when the special shine appears due to the color bands, whereby hair with dark tips is preferred. According to the breeding standard, red-brown, blue-grey, copper-red, beige and silver-white are permitted as the basic color of the Abyssinian cat
As noble as this cat breed looks, it is by no means always distinguished, reserved and not very talkative. They can occasionally be quick-tempered, chase wildly around the home, scamper up and down the scratching post or enjoy playing with cat fishing rods, play mice or squeaky balls. Once she has had a good workout, she has no objection to a cuddle afterwards. But as with so many cat breeds, she decides when and how long this lasts.
Due to their sociable nature, Abyssinian cats also feel very much at home in a family with children and other pets. The Abyssinian is usually kept as an indoor cat. They can easily do without outdoor access if they are kept appropriately.
To groom this breed, it is sufficient to run a grooming glove or comb through the coat occasionally to remove dead hair. In principle, however, the cat can also do this itself. As it has hardly any undercoat and hair loss is therefore manageable, it is an option for allergy sufferers. However, no guarantee can be given for any cat breed.
Whether kitten, adult cat or senior - the food for an Abyssinian cat should always be of high quality and adapted to its age. Cats are carnivores by nature, so the cat food should contain a high proportion of meaty ingredients. Sugar, flavor enhancers and artificial colors and preservatives should not be added to the food.
animonda offers the right food for every stage of your cat's life. Choose between kitten, adult and senior food. The products are specially formulated to meet the particular nutritional requirements of the different life stages of cats. This creates the best conditions for a healthy and long cat life.
The Abyssinian has an average life expectancy of 12 to 15 years. It is considered a healthy cat breed with hardly any abnormalities. To ensure that this remains the case, responsible breeders regularly carry out DNA tests to detect hereditary diseases. These include pyruvate kinase deficiency. This is a hereditary disorder of carbohydrate breakdown that has a significant impact on red blood cells. If the enzyme "pyruvate kinase" is missing, the blood cells break down, which can lead to lethargy, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss and jaundice.
Animals that have been tested for progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) should also be withdrawn from breeding. In this retinal disease, the photoreceptors of the eye are destroyed. At first, the cat's vision in the dark becomes increasingly blurred before it finally goes blind.
The Abyssinian owes its name to the country of Ethiopia, which used to be called Abyssinia. However, genetic studies have shown that the breed most probably does not originate from the North African country. It has a gene that has so far only been found in cats from South-East Asia. There is therefore much to suggest that it originated there. It is assumed that the cat "Zula" came from there. She traveled with British soldiers from Abyssinia to England in 1868. At that time, there was an increasing interest in breeding cats and dogs. As a result, fanciers were quickly found who started a breeding program with this animal. For lack of other Abyssinians, domestic cats were probably used for this purpose.
The result, which we can still admire today, shows that the breeding program was successful. The breed characteristics, especially the ticking, i.e. the banded hair, were successfully retained. Two world wars and a leukosis epidemic were also overcome.
Although the Abyssinian is by far not as frequently represented at cat shows as Maine Coons or Norwegian Forest Cats, its existence is assured. In 1949, it was recognized by the European umbrella organization FiFé. The long-haired variant with the name "Somali" emerged from it in 1981. Animals with longer coats kept appearing in litters. Fanciers decided on a pure breed which, apart from the coat length, had the same breed standard as the pretty Abyssinian cat.