Abyssinian: Pharaoh’s Treasure

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Ancient Egyptian art is full of regal cats with lithe, muscular bodies, arched necks, large, wildcat ears, and almond-shaped eyes. It is no surprise that the Abyssinian breed is widely believed to be the descendants of the cats of the ancient Egyptians, held in such high regard thousands of years ago. The resemblance is uncanny. Although it is a myth that Abyssinians are the cats of the Pharaohs, this breed has no problem commanding your attention in its own right.

Abyssinian Imports

The first record of an Abyssinian cat comes from the January 27th, 1872 issue of Harper’s Weekly in a report on the 1871 Crystal Palace Cat Show [1]. A she-cat named either Zulu or Zula took third place. She was described as an Abyssinian, “captured in the late Abyssinian war” [1]. An illustration is provided, which shows a cat with tabby facial markings but the ticked coat typical of Abyssinians [1]. Otherwise, however, Zulu does not look like the Abyssinian as we know it today, having rather small ears and a rounder face [1, 2].

Abyssinia is an old name for Ethiopia. The story goes that a British Captain brought Zulu home from Abyssinia in the 1860s and began to breed her when her unusual ticked coat was so well-received in Britain. Because of her cat show win, we know that Zulu existed, but whether she is the mother of the breed is contested. She may have been to begin with. There is a theory that Zulu was used to begin the breed, but her line died out, and other cats with ticked coats, perhaps the British “Bunny cats” with similar markings, were bred to re-establish the breed [2]. Genetic evidence links Abyssinians to Southeast Asian and Western European cat populations [3]. This had led to the idea that British and Dutch traders may have brought the breed’s progenitors from Indian or Indonesian ports [4].

Breed Characteristics

Appearance

The Abyssinian today is notable for the ticked coat that has distinguished it all along. Ticked or agouti fur is related to the tabby pattern (see my article on coat pattern genetics). There are no tabby stripes, only the tabby M on the forehead, but each individual hair is striped with alternating bands of color. Abyssinians have a darker band of fur along their spine and a lighter underside. They are best known in their ruddy (reddish-brown) coloration, but can also be red, blue, or fawn. Their fur is short, dense, and silky. Long-haired Abyssinians do crop up, but they are considered a separate breed, the Somali.

Their patterning reminds some people of a wildcat, an idea reinforced by the Abyssinian’s shape. The breed looks a lot like the ancestor of domestic cats, Felis lybica. They have a muscular body, wedge-shaped head, and large, alert ears that give them a very attentive appearance. The legs are slim and the tail long and tapering. Their almond-shaped eyes are often surrounded by dark lines and may be green or gold. Despite an aspect of wildness, Abyssinian cats are 100% domestic cat. They are not, however, likely to be a lap cat.

Personality

Abyssinians are playful, social, and very athletic. They are known for a love of climbing and a high degree of intelligence that can get them into mischief if they’re bored. They are very loyal to their people and perform all sorts of antics to get their attention. Because they are so energetic, they don’t usually like to be cuddly, but they do like to be around and involved in whatever is going on. They are usually good with other pets and with children. They can get bored and distressed if left alone for long periods of time, so in a house where everyone needs to leave for work and school they will probably need an animal companion and plenty of toys to keep them busy. Puzzle toys are fantastic for challenging their active brains as well as their active bodies.

These cats are fast learners. This makes them great at learning tricks, but it also makes them good at learning how to get into trouble. And they have a knack for training their people to do what they want. Abyssinians are delightful companions, but they do need lots of stimulation and a watchful eye to keep them out of mischief!

Health

As with any breed, there are some health concerns with Abyssinians. Their athletic nature typically fends off obesity and keeps them fit, but there are some inherited disorders in the breed that even their great athleticism cannot counter. Progressive retinal atrophy, an eye disease which causes blindness, is associated with the breed [5]. Abyssinian cats have known risks of developing early periodontal disease; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; patellar luxation, a hereditary dislocation of the kneecap, which may be surgically corrected; renal amyloidosis, a hereditary disease that leads to kidney failure; and hyperesthesia syndrome, a neurological disorder that causes excessive grooming [4, 6].

Abyssinians are particularly known for having the mutation for pyruvate kinase deficiency in their gene pool. Pyruvate kinase is an enzyme required for the normal functioning of red blood cells [7]. Cats with the deficiency develop intermittent anemia, which may begin anywhere from the age of six months to twelve years [7]. Fortunately, a test is available for the mutation that causes pyruvate kinase deficiency, so the disease can be removed from gene pools [7]. However, there is no definitive treatment for the disease, so even if the breeder says that their bloodline is free of the disorder, it is safest to have your cat tested [7].

Abyssinian cats may not have sunned themselves beside the Nile thousands of years ago, but they are no less regal for having more recent and probably rather mundane origins. As the Egyptians well understood, there is nothing prosaic about a cat. Should you choose to bring an Abyssinian into your family, they will be sure to teach you that themself.

Fun Facts

• The first cat genome to be sequenced came from an Abyssinian named Cinnamon [6, 8].
• Two Abyssinians named Amber and Rumpler co-starred as Jake, the alien cat in the 1978 film The Cat from Outer Space [9].
• In 2019, the Cat Fanciers’ Association ranked Abyssinians their #8 most popular cat. The breed was one of their six founders in 1906 [10].

Works Cited

1. Macquoid, P. (1872, January 27). An afternoon with the cats. Harper’s Weekly, 89-90.
2. Abyssinian. (n.d.). Petfinder. https://www.petfinder.com/cat-breeds/abyssinian/
3. Lipinski, M.J., Froenicke, L., Baysac, K.C., et al. (2008). The ascent of cat breeds: Genetic evaluations of breeds and worldwide random-bred populations. Genomics, 91(1), 12-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygeno.2007.10.009
4. Cat Time. (n.d.). Abyssinian. https://cattime.com/cat-breeds/abyssinian-cats
5. Narfstrōm, K. (1983). Hereditary progressive retinal atrophy in the Abyssinian cat. Journal of Heredity, 74(4), 273-276. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109782
6. Basepaws. (2019, March 5). Abyssinian – Meet the miniature cougar. https://www.basepaws.com/blog/abyssinian-cat-breed/
7. Vetstreet. (n.d.). Abyssinian. http://www.vetstreet.com/cats/abyssinian#health
8. Pontius, J.U., Mullikin, J.C., Smith, D.R., et al. (2007). Initial sequence and comparative analysis of the cat genome. Genome Research, 17, 1675-1689. https://genome.cshlp.org/content/17/11/1675.short
9. VCA Hospitals (n.d.). Abyssinian. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cat-breeds/abyssinian
10. Cat Fanciers’ Association. (2020, February 9) The Cat Fanciers’ Association announces most popular breeds for 2019. https://cfa.org/cfa-news-releases/top-breeds-2019/

Published June 28th, 2020

Updated July 20, 2022