Abyssinian

Coat and looks how to spot one

short, fine, close-lying ticked (agouti) coat

The Aby's short coat is soft and fine yet dense and springy to the touch. Every hair is banded with alternating darker and lighter colour, so the fur has a shimmering, wild-rabbit or cougar-like glow rather than stripes or spots. The body is medium sized, lean and muscular, carried on long slender legs, with a softly rounded wedge-shaped head, large pricked ears and big almond eyes in amber, green or yellow, rimmed with a dark line.5621

Personality what they are like

An Aby is always busy. It wants to investigate every cupboard, shelf and bag, and treats puzzles as a personal challenge. It bonds closely with its people, sometimes in an almost dog-like way, and loves interactive games, but usually prefers to be involved in whatever you are doing rather than curled up on a lap for hours. Its voice is soft, and it greets its family with gentle chirps rather than loud meows.5241

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Very high. Plan for daily interactive play, climbing space such as tall cat trees and high shelves, and puzzle feeders or games that work the brain as well as the body.534

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Low maintenance. A quick brush or comb weekly, or a few times a month, keeps shedding down; a rub with a chamois or bristle brush brings out the shine. Baths are rarely needed outside showing. Regular dental check-ups and routine vaccinations are part of standard care.5432

Home where they are happiest

Needs plenty of room to run and climb, with vertical spaces and perches. Purina UK suggests keeping Abys mainly indoors with safe outdoor access such as a catio or cat-proofed garden, as they are bold explorers that like to wander into neighbours' homes.43

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Like all cats, a strict carnivore that needs a complete, balanced cat food. Match the food to life stage and activity level, since energetic kittens and older cats have different needs.4

Company who they like around

Highly sociable and does not enjoy long spells alone; another pet can keep it company when people are out. Usually very good with other pets and fits well into active households, ideally with older children who play respectfully.345

The story where it all began

The breed's name comes from a cat called Zula, said to have been brought back to England after the 1868 British military expedition to Abyssinia (today's Ethiopia). A cat of that name took first prize at the Crystal Palace cat show in December 1871, although modern breeders debate whether Zula really founded the line. DNA research tells a different story about roots: the breed's genes point to the Indian Ocean coast and Southeast Asia, and a mounted ticked cat labelled as coming from India, collected in the mid-1830s, sits in a museum in Leiden, the Netherlands. Whatever the starting point, the Abyssinian as we know it was shaped by British breeders from the late 1800s, and the GCCF recognised it in 1929. Abys reached the United States in the early 1900s and were among the first breeds CFA registered in 1906. The breed was nearly lost in Britain after the Second World War, and was rebuilt with cats imported from the Netherlands, North America, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand. TICA granted it championship status in 1979, and today it ranks among the most popular shorthaired breeds worldwide.152

Recognised by the official bits

GCCF

Section 4 (Foreign), Group 1; recognised 19292

CFA

Among the original breeds registered by CFA in 1906; colours ruddy, cinnamon, blue and fawn5

FIFe

Fully recognised, Category 4 (shared standard with the Somali, code ABY)7

TICA

Championship status granted 19791

Popularity 18th of 54 breeds in FIFe registrations (848 kittens, 0.9% of the total) in 2024; 7th of 46 breeds in CFA rankings in 20221