Abyssinian Personality and Temperament
With its lean, elegant profile, the Abyssinian cat bears a close resemblance to ancient Egyptian cat statues. Rich, coats in exotic shades of gold and cinnamon combine with large, expressive eyes, lending a sense of mystery to the breed's appearance.
Normally outgoing and active, with a fondness for being the center of attention, the Abyssinian cat develops a close bond with its family. Even so, this breed has a shy side to its personality. Abyssinian cats are often quick to disappear when strangers arrive!
Care
Nutrition
Grooming
Exercise
Health
The Abyssinian cat requires a high-moisture diet. While all cats benefit from diets with a high moisture content, Abyssinian cats need more water than average, particularly when their families choose to feed them dry food.
Feeding a high-quality food is essential, as this ancient breed requires ample protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals.
Since the Abyssinian cat has extremely short hair, you won't have to spend a lot of time grooming your pet. Use a fine brush or comb just once or twice per week to remove loose hair and keep your Aby looking and feeling their best.
As Abyssinian cats are not fond of being held or restrained in any way, you might have a fight on your hands when it comes time to trim this breed's nails, unless you’ve taught them to have their paws handled from an early age.
Abyssinian cats are highly active by nature and luckily, they’re not prone to obesity. Give them a big cat tower to climb – preferably one that goes all the way to the ceiling – and keep the interactive cat toys coming. An Aby cat will always keep you entertained while keeping themselves fit.
Abyssinian cats tend to enjoy good physical health, but they are prone to stress and anxiety, particularly in unfamiliar situations. In addition, Abyssinian cats have a tendency to suffer from a few known health issues including gingivitis, patellar luxation, hereditary retinal disease, familial renal amyloidosis, and urinary tract disease.
Unfortunately, many Abyssinians have shorter lifespans than the average cat, with a life expectancy of about 12 to 15 years.
History
There's a very good reason why Abyssinian cats have such a close resemblance to images and statuary found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Genetic testing shows that Abyssinian cats are in fact descended from ancient Egyptian cats.
As one of the oldest cat breeds in existence, Abyssinians are believed to have originated in Southeast Asia, somewhere on the coast of the Indian Ocean. This breed retains many hallmarks of the appearance of felis lybica, a wildcat that contributed its DNA to all domestic cats in existence today.
The modern Abyssinian cat is somewhat different than the original Abyssinian cat, which resembled its wild ancestors. Many of today's Abyssinian lines were created with Russian blue, Burmese, and Siamese cats as foundation stock.
Abyssinian cats were first recognized by England's GCCF in 1929. America's first Abyssinian cat litter was born in 1935.
Did You Know?
Abyssinian cats for first introduced to Europe by way of Ethiopia. Ethiopia was historically known as Abyssinia, and this contributed to the breed's name.
Abyssinians display more curiosity than the average cat. While most cat breeds are very curious during their kittenhood and formative years, Abys retain that sense of curiosity throughout their entire lives. If you share your life with an Abyssinian cat, you'll need to keep your pet entertained – otherwise, they may form destructive habits.
All cats are intelligent, but Abyssinian cats are off the charts! These cats are highly trainable, eager to please, and athletic – they love to learn tricks, particularly when yummy rewards are offered. If you've always wanted to play fetch with a cat, it's likely that an Aby will help fulfill that desire.
The Breed Standard
Eyes
Legs & Paws
Tail
Body
Head
Ears
Coat
Color
Breed Colors & Markings
Colors
FAQ
How much does a Abyssinian cat cost?
Abyssinian cats cost between $200-$1000.
How big do Abyssinian cats get?
Abyssinian cats tend to be medium in size. A fully grown Abyssinian cat might weigh between 8-12 pounds or more and range in height anywhere from about 8''-10'' inches tall.
How long do Abyssinian cats live?
The Average lifespan for Abyssinian is 9-13 years.
Do Abyssinian cats shed?
Abyssinian are short-haired cats. Therefore, they do not shed as much as long-haired cat breeds.
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Simply the best – but make sure they are well socialised with humans at a young age.
Absolutely THE best breed. Incredibly INTIELLIGENT, wonderfully LOVING! SILKY hair, very ATHLETIC. DEVOTED and LOYAL companions. Make sure that you have enough time in your day to devote ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION to them and they will THRIVE. SENSITIVE and AWARE of your moods, health, and needs. My two brothers have had different lifespans: Cinnamon died ataround 9 years of age, but Curry is now 18, almost 19 and he still thinks that he is a KITTEN!
We’ve had Abyssinians for years – both pure and half breed. Delightful personality, beautiful and a joy for the whole family. OUR latest, I saw now eight months old and my only problem is that we are unable to let her run free outside. We will need to build her a good sized outside Catio. She’s such a bright, inquisitive little personality.
I have an abyssinian grey tabby. I’m sure she’s not a purebred, but you never know. I adopted her from the pound. The first thing that caught my attention was her eyes and her light peach color on her underside and legs. This cat is very human oriented, she’s long, on the lean side, and developed unusual pin striping on her back as she got older. Her coat is silky and has that whitish under her chin and up by her nose. She really is a beautiful cat. She was extremely athletic in her younger years, and she waits for me on the corner of my yard like a watch dog for me to come home in the summer. She loves to burrow in the blankets in the afternoon. She doesn’t shed much,, and since I got her, she now has two other cat buddies. She hangs and follows me all the time. I would say this is a great cat for 1 person as a companion if you just want one.
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST BREED WHO I HAVE EVER MOTHERED IN OVER 78 YEARS.