Ismisha Cattery

Abyssinians are extroverts, they are wilful and often thought of as the most intelligent of the breeds; an incredibly affectionate and interactive cat.  While the Aby isn't always known as a "lap cat" in the way that the Burmese is; loving to explore and play, Abyssinians are in my experience every bit as affectionate as a Burmese or a Singapura. 

They are the most entertaining and interactive cats and love nothing better than playing games with their human companions.  When your Abyssinian decides to shower you with love you are powerless over their charms. 

 Mary - Usual Abyssinian - Adetesh Honey

Abys, as they are affectionately referred to by their fans, need a great deal of contact with the family to keep them happy and can get depressed without daily activity and attention. They generally get on well with other cats and dogs, although their other feline housemates may not always appreciate their games as Abys do like to poke fun. Abyssinians are known for their curiosity and enjoy exploring their surroundings, including heights, although they are sensible cats that do not take unneccesary risks.

The Abyssinian is an incredibly beautiful and elegant cat bearing great resemblance to the cats depicted by ancient Egyptian statues.  The body is of medium length with well-developed muscles and legs are slender in proportion to the body, with a fine bone structure. The paws are small and oval. The Abyssinian has a fairly long tail, broad at the base and tapering to a point.

Charles - Sorrel Abyssinian - Champion Aswani Dakotaspirit

The head is broad and moderately wedge-shaped, with almond-shaped eyes that can be gold, green, hazel or copper. The nose and chin usually form a straight vertical line when viewed in profile. Their alert, relatively large ears are broad and cupped at the base, and moderately pointed at the tips, where there are occasionally "lynx tufts" of hair. An M-shaped marking is found in the fur on the forehead.

 Abyssinian Kittens - Usual on either side of a sorrel

The coat is short, fine and close-lying. Each hair has a base-colour with three or four darker-coloured bands; the hair is the lighter colour at the root, and the darker "ticking" colour at the tip. The original Abyssinian coat colour is known as Usual in the United Kingdom and as Ruddy elsewhere. Over the years various other colours have been developed from this, with Sorrel, Blue and Fawn being familiar.  The Silver gene has existed since the breeds founding, chocolates and lilacs are now being bred in small numbers, and with the introduction of sex-linked red , reds creams and torbies are becoming more prominent.  Regardless of colour the markings on the coat have remained the same, with defined ticking always being present.

Merrydancer Dilly - Blue Abyssinian

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