All cats share behavioral characteristics capable of fascinating feline lovers, however, the Abyssinian cat exudes great elegance and harmonyand one of its most important characteristics is its kind and playful nature , in fact, it is said that this cat always retains its puppy character and despite that matures psychically and physiologically, constantly demands attention and affection and always shows an insatiable curiosity, traits that we could not find in other cats, even less in their adult stage.
The first Abyssinian cat arrived in England around 1868 from Ethiopia, then Abyssinia, and participated in an exhibition in which he became famous. There are other sources that claim that he is a descendant of the British Bunny, cats native to the British Kingdom. It was not until the 20th century that the Abyssinian cat was classified as a proper breed.
Surely your curiosity about this feline breed has already been aroused, for this reason, in this new breed file on our site we will explain everything you need to know about the Abyssinian cat breed. You'll fall in love!
Characteristics of the Abyssinian cat
Its physical characteristics remind us of a small puma and it is that genetic selection allows the development of certain genetic factors. It is a stylized and agile cat, although strong, proportionate and muscular. It is medium in size.
Its head is triangular and on it we can see two ears with a wide base and open upwards. The curious look of the Abyssinian is usually gold, green, cooper, or hazel. The tail is long and bushy.
The Abyssinian cat's coat is soft to the touch and shiny and it is a fine medium/long hair. The entire coat follows a pattern called ticking, dark colors interspersed with lighter bands, and can vary in a range of brown, chocolate, and tan colors.
Abyssinian cat character
The Abyssinian behaves differently from other cats as it is an exceptionally affectionate cat, playful and dependent on its master, and it is that it tends to become attached to whoever takes care of it to ask for affection and care with constancy. So the character of this cat reminds us more of what a dog could have.
Occasionally owners of this wonderful breed have affirmed that this cat suffers from Peter Pan syndrome and that this cat retains some inherent traits from its early childhood, such as the desire to play, curiosity and affectivity. It is an extremely surprising animal with a natural tendency to jump, sniff and jump around the house in such a way that we will have to take minimal precautions in our home.
Abyssinian cat care
It is important to understand that, even if it is a cat, the Abyssinian requires a minimum of education to coexist properly with humans. It is a intelligent cat that will easily understand the basic concepts, for that reason, we can teach him how to use the scratching post, the litter box or focus his physical activity on his toys and not in some household items. For all this we must use positive reinforcement and be very constant and patient.
As we have seen initially, the Abyssinian cat has a very peculiar behavior and is not at all usual if we compare it with other exotic cat breeds, for this reason, it is very important interact daily with him long enough. It is a cat capable of creating a very special bond (similar to that offered by our dog friends) with the member of the human family that gives it the most love and attention. If we decide to adopt an Abyssinian cat we should know that this animal hates loneliness and therefore it is important that we can share time and space with it on a regular basis.
People who live with a feline know that these animals are characterized by being extremely independent and for this reason it is very common for them to go out freely. On the other hand, the eternal puppy character of the Abyssinian cat makes this animal a very shy feline that is very easily frightened by strangers, for this reason it is important to keep it inside the home and restrict its outings as much as possible if not we have adequate control of the environment.
It is important to go regularly to the vet to trim the nails of our Abyssinian cat, because he loves to jump and climb and this can be disastrous for the infrastructure of our home, but this is not the only reason. In addition to its physical ability, its playful character makes the Abyssinian cat enthusiastic about climbing on our back and our body, therefore, if we do not take care of its nails, it is possible that at some point it can hurt us. Likewise, if we do not want to waste time on extra veterinary visits, we must make sure to provide enough scratchers to sharpen its nails and carry out its natural marking behavior.
Abyssinian cat he alth
We found few genetic defects, and it is because artificial selection has worked in their favor in this case. In any case, and in exceptional cases, we find problems with caries and gingivitis, a problem that is easy to avoid if we take care of your oral hygiene on a regular basis. They may also be susceptible to amyloidosis, a kidney disease.