Abyssinian History and Breed Characteristics

Egyptian Fishing Cat

The Abyssinian is considered to be one of the oldest "breeds" of cat on earth. Their ticked tabby coat is perfect camouflage in natural environments, everything from deserts to jungles. It's no wonder that many species of wild animals share this type of coat pattern. Cats resembling Abyssinians have been reportedly found in parts of India, Greece, Egypt, and Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia, from where the Abyssinian gets their name. Images of small domestic sized cats resembling Abyssinians have been found in Egyptian tomb paintings. This one pictured is from the tomb of Nebamun, in Thebes, c. 1450 B.C. Some of the smaller breeds of African wild cats have looks much in common with the Abyssinian.

The most popular theory is that Abyssinians came from Egypt. There is a report of a cat resembling modern day Abyssinians, named Zulu, being brought back to England during the Abyssinian War in 1868. The British were known for bringing home "souvenirs" of their conquests. It's not too hard to imagine that they probably brought these unusual cats also, just as they did with the Persian, Angora, and Siamese types. Abyssinia, now Ethiopia, includes some of the sources of the Nile river, so it's also not hard to imagine that similar cats were also found along the length of the river. The Egyptian's reverence of their cats was well documented by ancient historians. Abyssinian maidens who owned one of these cats were highly desirable as a marriage partner.

Another theory is that the Abyssinian breed was created by selective breeding of domestic British cats. This theory is also quite valid, especially since the British cat population included the descendants of the earlier mentioned souvenirs! Truly, the British have to be credited for the establishment of the Abyssinian as a breed, since it was the British that created the pedigreed cat registries and made a name for the Abyssinian. Cat shows became quite popular in the late 1800's and the earliest recorded Abyssinian was registered in 1896. Many of the earliest had one or both parents listed as "unknown", and early pedigrees show Siamese and brown tabbies as contributors to the gene pool. The first Abyssinians came to the United States in the early 1900's. Aluminum II and Salt, thought to be silvers, were exhibited at a show in Boston in 1909. This picture of another import, CH Woodrooffe Ras Seyum, appears in the November 1938 issue of National Geographic. This issue contained the first published series of natural color photographs taken by synchronized photo-flash, 25 of them, all of cats. Ras Seyum is mentioned as being one of the few adult siring males of his breed in the country at that time. Virtually every registered Abyssinian alive today can trace its ancestry back to this cat. Very few representatives of other breeds have added to the breed over the years, and those that did, were in carefully controlled breeding programs. Most Abyssinian pedigrees today will show 15 to 20 generations or more of only Abyssinian to Abyssinian breeding. Within the last few decades, efforts have been made to re-establish the silver variety, and matings with silver non-Abyssinian cats were done. This has not been popular with the breed "purists" but the infusion to the now very limited gene pool can only be beneficial.

The breed has come a long way since the 1930's, and is now one of the five most popular breeds. The most popular color variety is ruddy, with red, or cinnamon, a close second. Blue and fawn are also accepted colors all over the world. Some registries recognize the silver variations on those colors, and the British GCCF, or Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, registers the breed in 23 colors, including chocolate and tortoiseshell. In other breeds, such as the Ocicat and the Singapura, the Abyssinian was bred to Siamese and Burmese respectively to create the new breed, and some Abyssinian genes contributed to the creation of the Bengal domestic breed. The Abyssinian has been featured in many modern art forms, from postage stamps to film. The U.S. Postal Service issued a series of 4 stamps, one of which co-featured an Abyssinian. Walt Disney created an unprecedented demand for the breed when his studio released the classic film, "The Cat From Outer Space," with an Abyssinian starring in the title role. More recently artist Kaja Foglio created this fantastical image of an Abyssinian in her work entitled "Spirit Link," that appears on the card of the same name for the collectable card game, Magic: The Gathering®.

Illustrious precedents aside, the Abyssinian has a wonderful inquisitive personality, that fits well with today's lifestyle. Active and intelligent, they make engaging companions for people of all ages. Abyssinians retain more of their kittenish behaviors well into middle age, and even the older ones are game for a bout with their favorite teaser, or fishing pole toy. They like to perch with a good view of their surroundings, so expect them to be on top of doors, or walking the curtain rods. Almost every Abyssinian will try anything edible at least once, and some develop tastes for unusual cat fare such as watermelon and avocados. For cats, a meat based diet is mandatory, so these gourmet delights should be limited to occasional treats. Do not expect an Abyssinian to be a lap-cat or couch potato. These cats have an agenda, or maybe they still remember that their kind were once considered gods. When they're ready though, don't be surprised if you find them in your lap on cooler days, or under the covers of the bed with you at night.

Robin L. Sessler
July, 1999