by Dan Scott

Created on: February 02, 2010

One of the popular cats today,and one that may have been one of the popular cats in ancient times.  And they have certainly maintained the look and coloring of their ancestral wildcat heritage.  What cat can this be?  Why, the Abyssinian of course!

It is believed by many that the modern day Abys, as it is affectionately known by its fans, is related to the cats that are depicted in pictures and statues found in Egypt, and that were even mummified in ancient Egypt along with their royal owners, being a royal cat of the Pharaohs.  This would make the Abyssinian one of the oldest domestic cat breeds in the world.

This isn’t the only link to the past.  They also maintain a lot of the same traits felis lybica, the African wildcat ancestor commonly accepted as the predecessor to all modern domestic cats.  Their fur is most often Tabby Ticked, and comes in four primary colors, Ruddy, Blue, Fawn and Red.  A weekly brushing is usually all that is needed to keep the coat in good condition, as well as being an activity that they love.  They have a broad head with large ears that can have small tufts on them, giving them a unique look.  The eyes are almond shaped, and can be green or gold.

The Abys has several nicknames among cat lovers.  They are known as the Border Collie of the cat world and the clown of the cat kingdom.  They have earned these affectionate handles because of their intelligence, curiosity and boundless energy.   They love to play, and want to be played with by the people they live with, usually several times a day.  They also have to check out everything in the home, and especially new things as they come in, like the shopping, new furniture or new clothing.  They like some lap time, but only when they want to, so they don’t always make the best family pet with small children.  They also love to climb, so a good cat gym or other cat furniture is desired to keep your Abyssinian happy.  They also love toys that can be chased, whether it is a laser light or a cat ball.

From all of this, you can see why the Abyssinian is consistently in the top five breeds of cats in the US.

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