The Abyssinian is one of the world's oldest known breeds, although there continues to be speculation and controversy concerning its history.[1] Also fondly called the "Aby", in appearance, Abyssinians resemble the paintings and sculptures of ancient Egyptian cats which portray an elegant feline with a muscular body, beautiful arched neck, large ears and almond shaped eyes. Abyssinians today still retain the jungle look of Felis lybica, the African wildcat ancestor of all domestic cats.

Although recent studies indicate the origin to be the coast of the Indian Ocean and parts of Southeast Asia, its name springs up from when the Abyssinians were introduced into England around the same time British soldiers were returning from the war in Abyssinia (now known as Ethiopia). The first mention of this is in the Harper's Weekly (January 27, 1872 issue) where the 3rd prize in the December, 1871 Crystal Palace show was taken by the Abyssinian Cat ("captured in the late Abyssinian War"). This article is accompanied by an illustration of the Abyssinian Cat. In the British book, by Gordon Stables, Cats, Their Points, and Characteristics published in 1874, there is also mention of an Abyssinian. The book shows a colored lithograph of a cat with a ticked coat and absence of tabby markings on the paws, face and neck. The description reads: "Zula, the property of Mrs. Captain Barrett-Lennard. This cat was brought from Abyssinia at the conclusion of the war..." British troops left Abyssinia in May 1868, so that may have been the time when cats with ticked coats first entered England. Unfortunately, there are no written records tracing the early Abyssinians to those imported cats, and many British breeders are of the opinion that the breed was actually created through the crossing of the various existing silver and brown tabbies with native British "Bunny" ticked cats.


Recent studies by geneticists show that the most convincing origin of the Abyssinian breed is the coast of the Indian Ocean and parts of Southeast Asia. The earliest identifiable Aby is a taxidermal exhibit still residing in the Leiden Zoological Museum in Holland. This ruddy ticked cat was purchased around 1834-1836 from a supplier of small wild cat exhibits and labeled by the museum founder as "Patrie, domestica India." Although the Abyssinian as a breed was refined in England, its introduction to that country and others may have been the result of colonists and merchants stopping in Calcutta, the major port for the Indian Ocean.

The first Abyssinians to be imported to North America from England arrived in the early 1900s, but it was not until the late 1930s that several top quality Abys were exported from Britain to form the foundation of today's American breeding programs.

The Abyssinian has a distinctly ticked, tawny coat. The tail and paws may show tabby markings, but the body must not. It has large almond-shaped green or gold eyes with a fine dark line around them, and large ears. The coat is generally a warm golden colour, but "Abys" can also be blue, fawn, cinnamon and red. There is also a Silver Abyssinian variant whose coat shows shades of white, cream and grey.

Abyssinian kittens

Abyssinians are very active, friendly, curious and playful, and almost dog-like, but are usually not "lap cats", being too preoccupied with exploring and playing as they would in their natural habitat. However, "abys" will also usually adopt one person in the household and become their best friend, often becoming a lap cat as they are extremely affectionate animals. They are "busy" cats, and can get bored and depressed without daily activity and attention. Many Abyssinians enjoy heights, and will explore their surroundings in three dimensions, from the floor to their owner's shoulders to the top of the highest furniture. They are highly intelligent, and very independent. There is a long haired version of the Abyssinian, called the Somali