We encounter Abyssinian cats mainly in illustrations, innumerable historical records of Egyptian history and thus they are among the oldest known breeds at all. Together with the “Egyptian Mau”, the Abyssinian cat almost assumed the status of a goddess in ancient Egyptian history. Their unique coat pattern is also known from Singapore or Ceylon, for example, which is why their exact origin remained unclear. In 1868, the first of its kind is said to have set foot on British soil and it is also said to have entered in this way from Abyssinia.
At that time, a new hobby was born in England – namely cat breeding. Due to the lack of similar mating partners, the Abyssinian cats had to provide something cat-like. Predominantly these were domestic cats, which in the end made it difficult to concentrate on the wild-coloured, stripe-free ticking. In 1872 these cats were registered as a breed and in 1901 already the first Abyssinian cats sailed to the USA. According to some sources, the first German Abyssinian cat was born in Dresden in 1934. Today they are recognised as a breed worldwide and their fan community is relatively large.
The petite, small cat with the lively temperament makes its resemblance to the puma a real eye-catcher. Abyssinian cats are particularly elegant cats, with a muscular but slender build. They have slender paws, long legs and a wedge-shaped head. In addition, Abyssinian cats have large, expressive and almond-shaped eyes, which are mostly green or amber-yellow. The coat is fine, dense and short, has a beautiful shine and lies close to the body.
The so-called coat ticking is a typical feature of the Abyssinian breed. Abyssinian cats are particularly sociable cats that need a lot of attention. Therefore, the curious and intelligent animal should always be brought together with a conspecific. Abyssinian cats usually get along well with dogs. They are considered uncomplicated and can handle stress well, but they have a strong urge to move. Therefore, Abyssinian cats should always be provided with enough space.
