Abyssinian

Abyssinian Cat Breed Profile

Weight	4.4-11 lbs (2.5-5 kg)
Origin	Egypt
Color	Wild, blue, beige, orange; all colors also come with silver
Fur	Medium-length, fine
Lifespan	9-15 years
Personality	Sporty, curious, brave, plays the clown
Energy
Playful
Independent
Meowing
Shedding

Abyssinian Photo: Ingus Kruklitis/Shutterstock

Breed Characteristics

The Abyssinian cat is one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. They look like little pumas and their special feature is their “ticked” coat (also called “agouti”).

Personality and Temperament

What type of character does the Abyssinian cat have? Brave, lively and curious is the best description of this cat. Most of all, they’re especially active. They climb higher, jump further and play more than many other cats. Their urge to discover and explore everything is massive. Nothing gets past this feline! Sometimes their owners ask themselves if they ever sleep. The Abyssinian isn’t a lap cat, but you shouldn’t be surprised if there’s suddenly a ball of fur sitting wrapped around your feet as you eat dinner. They do it with love.

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Abyssinian Photo: Anastasija Kru/Shutterstock

Pros and Cons

Pros

Looks like a mini cougar
Very active and playful
Adventurous
Learns tricks
Long life expectancy
Easy grooming

Cons

Cuddles less often than other breeds
Needs a lot of attention
Needs a lot of exercise
Not suitable for small apartments

Abyssinian Photo: Natalia Tretiakova/Shutterstock

Keeping Them Happy

Abyssinians are very fond of humans and love to get involved in anything their humans are doing. Nevertheless, they’re independent and don’t mind being left alone as much as other cats. They also deal with stressful situations better than other breeds. However, it’s still best to keep two cats so they have some company. They also get on well with dogs.

Abyssinians are especially fond of high places. So they need a cat activity tree, ideally one that goes up to the ceiling. They’re also very intelligent and quickly learn tricks like fetch. Puzzles and challenging games are especially fun for them.

Appearance

The Abyssinian is a medium-sized, slim cat. Its short, close fur is fine, dense and velvety soft. It’s “ticked” (agouti) and includes the colors blue, sorrel, cinnamon red, fawn, agouti, reddish ruddy, chocolate, lilac and/or silver. It has a dorsal stripe on its back that ends at the tip of the tail. It has a long neck that leads to a triangular head. The ears are far apart and their large eyes are oval-shaped.

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Abyssinian Photo: WildStrawberry/Shutterstock

History

People often claim that Abyssinian cats can be traced back to the cats of Ancient Egyptian kings in a time when they were worshiped as gods. But that’s just a legend. They also don’t come from the kingdom of Abyssinia, which is in modern Ethiopia. This cat breed originated in South-East Asia. They have existed in Europe since 1868.