Abyssinian Cat and Kitten Information

The Abyssinian cat looks like an ancient Egyptian cat from the time of the pharaohs. It is slender, and short haired. Many people consider this a highly intelligent cat that has a highly developed social personality with humans. Some say that this breed of cats wants to be involved with everything that her owner is doing. This is not a lap cat, being very high energy.

Abyssinian Cat Features

This cat has a sleek, soft and glossy coat with a ticked tabby pattern. Colors run from lilac to sorrel. The distinctive almond shaped eyes come in colors from green to amber, with a dark, fine line. The body is fine boned but well muscled, with long, slim legs and large ears.

Additional features

Medium sized, stands on her toes, coat has an undercoat, the ears tilt forward, broad based tail which tapers.

Health

Cats who reside in the house should generally visit the veterinarian yearly, unless health problems are evident. Cats who enjoy the outdoors may need to see the vet as many as four times a year. When you take your cat to the vet, be sure to bring along a fresh stool sample so the vet can do a fecal exam to check for worms such as tapeworm, round worm, whip worms and hook worms. The vet can also check for fleas, and you can decide on what to do about heartworm. The vet should check for ear mites and oral health. Decisions about vaccinations can be made at this time. Cats who are eight years of age or older are considered geriatric and additional blood and urine tests may be necessary to screen for health problems. At about six months of age, the kitten should also be examined for sexual maturity and decisions about birth control should be made.

Abyssinian History

The ancestor of all domestic cats is the African Wildcat, the genus Felis Lybica. This genus is comprised of smaller cats. Cats are thought to have been domesticated with the advent of farming and the storage of grain. The grain attracted rats and other vermin which naturally attracted wild cats. As time evolved, certain of these cats were domesticated for the mutual benefit of both cat and man. The African Wildcat has certain features which is obvious in the housecat of today.

The Abyssinian is an ancient cat breed, said to come from Egypt. Other history versions have it coming from Abyssinia, which is now Ethiopia. It was though to have been brought to England by English soldiers where it was cross bred with the English tabby to further develop the breed. Additional genes may have come from Libya and these genes are said to be more prevalent in the strains in the United States. This cat was first recorded in England in 1871.

Special Considerations and Behaviors

Friendly, active, playful, curious, independent, exotic, mysterious, elegant, muscular, inquisitive
Some love water
Most like to climb and hang out high up
They are considered very active cats
Some do not consider her a good lap cat
Can get bored without interesting things to do
Highly intelligent
Said to be people oriented

Some Registries and Clubs

Cat Fanciers Association CFA
International Cat Association TICA
Traditional Cat Association, Inc TCA
Canadian Cat Association CCA
The Australian Cat Federation Inc
American Association of Cat Enthusiasts AACE
American Cat Fanciers Association ACFA
Cat Fanciers Association CFF
United Feline Organization UFO
Cats United International

Abyssinian Kittens

Unlike puppies, kittens should not be separated from their mother until twelve to sixteen weeks of age. Very important emotional, mental, medical and developmental stages that the kitten needs to experience happen during this time period and should not be curtailed. Kittens separated from their mother at too young an age often fail to gain weight fast enough. Not receiving enough mothers milk could result in immune system problems, eating disorders and problems with elimination.

Every cat and kitten is an individual so not everything in this information may be correct for your cat or kitten. This information is meant as a good faith

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