2009-03-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Majestic Abyssinian Cat

Abys are active cats, fueled by curiosity and motivated by studying and copying the actions of their favorite people. This breed also puts the “A” in athletic. Abys are capable of jumping up to 6 feet in the air and moving like a sprinter. Their preferred place for resting is usually your shoulder, when they are not attempting to bid for your attention or to show off with some feline tricks. Although not lap cats, they are companionable, people-oriented, and sociable with other animals. Their voices, though rarely used, are bell-like and pleasant.This is an affectionate, loyal but demanding breed who needs to keep busy to avoid becoming bored and destructive. Abys like to climb. They are freedom-loving and dislike close confinement or restraint.
The Abyssinian has the jungle look of Felis Lybica, the African wildcat ancestor of all domestic cats. But Abys thrive on interacting in an busy household. Their thick, dense shorthaired coats require very little brushing and they rarely need baths. Abyssinians are easy breeds to teach basic obedience and excellent learning tricks with training.

Abyssinian History:
The Abyssinian is revered as one of the original cat breeds with evidence of its existence dating back 4,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. The first Aby, a kitten named Zula, was introduced to Europe in 1868 by a British soldier after Great Britain defeated Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) in the Abyssinian War. The Aby arrived in the United States in the early 1900s, but did not begin to enjoy American popularity until the 1930s. Today, the Abyssinian is recognized by all major cat breed registries, led by the Cat Fanciers Association and The International Cat Association. It ranks among the top five most popular cat breeds.

Appearance of the Abyssinian:
The Abyssinian is blessed with a long, lean, muscular body on long, lean legs. The Aby is admired for its large, expressive almond-shaped eyes, oversized pointed ears, and its eye-catching coat. Their coat contains a ticked or agouti pattern enhanced by alternating bands of color on the hair shafts that project a translucent quality. The coat comes in a variety of colors, including ruddy, blue, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn. Female Abys weigh around 8 pounds and males weigh around 10 pounds. The Red Abyssinian is also recognized for championship competition and has a warm glowing color, with tipping of the hair and tail in chocolate-

Abyssinian cat Health Problems and Grooming

Although most Abyssinians are not big eaters like some other cat breeds, you may still want to be sure your cat doesn't overeat. If he starts to become too large, you will have to talk to your veterinarian about feeding him a weight management cat food, instead. Many excellent brands available on the market
Urinary tract infections are not as common in this breed as they are in some other breeds, but you may want to talk to your veterinarian about a diet that helps prevent infections if you have an altered male cat. Making sure your cat is healthy as a kitten, you prevent health issues in the future.
Abyssinian cats are prone to hereditary eye disease called retinal atrophy. Talk to your vet for more information.
While the Abyssinian has a short, sleek coat that requires almost no grooming. However, brush your cat on a regular basis. Your cat will love the added attention and will look forward to these sessions.

Two cats (Diamond Cut Diamond)

Two Cats

One up a tree

One under the tree

The cat up a tree is he

The cat under the tree is she

The tree is witch elm, just incidentally.

He takes no notice of she, she takes no notice of he.

He stares at the woolly clouds passing, she stares at the tree.

There's been a lot written about cats, by Old Possum, Yeats and Company

But not Alfred de Musset or Lord Tennyson or Poe or anybody

Wrote about one cat under,and one cat up, a tree.

God knows why this should be left for me

Except I like cats as cats be

Especially one cat up

And one cat under

A witch elmTree.

Ewart Milne (1903-1987)