FUN FACT Two silver Abys named Aluminum and Salt were the first of their breed to come to the United States Zula The Abyssinian gets its name from the African region of Abyssinia Today this area is part of the country of Ethiopia During the 1860s Great Britain fought a war in Abyssinia In 1868 a British Army officer brought a cat named Zula from Abyssinia to Britain Zula had an agouti coat but otherwise she didn't look like today's Abys Still some people believe Zula may have been the founder of the Abyssinian breed Others think the breed began in Great Britain British breeders crossed striped silver and brown tabby cats with bunny cats native to Great Britain The bunny cats fur color was similar to that of rabbit fur Traders may also have brought Abyssinians from Southeast Asia when they traveled to Britain Great Britain's National Cat Club registered its first Abyssinians in 1896 British breeders exhibited a few Abyssinians in cat shows during the late 1800s FUN FACT Abyssinians were known as British Ticks in the early 1900s Modern Abys The early 1900s were difficult for the Abyssinian breed Great Britain and other European nations were involved in World War I 1914 1918 and World War II 1939 1945 Most people did not have the time or money to breed cats during the war years The Abyssinian breed almost disappeared in Europe They didn't reach large numbers again until the 1960s During the early 1900s some breeders brought Abyssinian cats to North America from Europe But the breed developed slowly and did not become popular in North America until the 1930s At that time breeders brought several Abyssinians from Great Britain to the United States By the 1950s many North American breeders were raising Abyssinians Today the Abyssinian is more popular in North America than it is in Europe
Modern Abys ticked markings may have come from cats native to Great Britain Abyssinian Traits Abyssinians are average in size compared to other cats Adult Abys weigh 7 to 12 pounds 3 2 to 5 4 kilograms Females are usually slightly smaller than males Body Abys are long slim and muscular Their slender legs are ideal for running and jumping Their tails are long and thin Their short thick fur is soft and shiny An Aby's head is wedge shaped Its ears are large pointed and alert An Aby's large eyes can be green gold copper or hazel The eyes have a thin dark ring around the eyelids
Abys have muscular lean bodies Colors The original Abyssinian coat color was ruddy This coat is dark brown with black ticking Over the years breeders have developed other colors Red Abys have orange red fur with brown ticking Blue Abys are light blue gray with darker blue gray ticking Fawn Abys have light pink beige fur with brown ticking Breeders also have developed silver chocolate and lilac Abys Silver Abys have silver coats with black ticking Chocolate Abys are a medium brown color with black ticking Lilac Abys have pink gray coats with darker pink gray ticking These colors are rare Abyssinians of these colors can't compete in most cat shows
Red Aby FUN FACT Many Abys seem to enjoy water They may play with water that drips from faucets or even jump in a filled bathtub Other features can prevent an Abyssinian from being exhibited in cat shows One is white fur on any part of the body except around the nose chin and upper throat Another is a reverse ticking pattern in the coat Cats with this ticking pattern have darker coats with lighter ticking But Abyssinians that are not of show quality still make good pets Personality Abyssinians wild look and friendly personality makes them great additions to many families Abyssinians are one of the most active sociable cat breeds Some people say the Aby's personality is more like a dog than a cat Some Abys even learn to walk on leashes do tricks and play fetch or other games
