My First Abyssinian

Just like people in the "dog world," cat people have favorite breeds of cats as well. It may not be as well-known when it comes to cats, but there are actually a large number of pedigree cat breeds that are available.

The International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes 75 breeds and the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) recognizes 45.

Most people are familiar with the shorthair domestic cats such as gray and red tabbies, calico, and tortoise shell cats. And most people are familiar with breeds such as Persians, Siamese, Maine Coon and Ragdoll. But there are a surprising number of exotic breeds of cats available, including some with curly hair ... or no hair AT ALL!

After having cats for the majority of my life, my favorite cat breed is the Abyssinian. As Abyssinian owners call their cats, "Abys" are a medium-size cat with deeply ticked fur giving them a glorious shading and they are the oldest recognized cat breed. Each hair on an Aby is "ticked" meaning it contains more than one color. It can be a burnt orange color at the skin, medium brown in the middle, and dark brown at the tip, giving them a beautiful, sculptured appearance. They are intelligent, playful and affectionate. They come in several colors: ruddy, cinnamon (red/sorrel), blue, and fawn. I have owned six Abys over the years.

Abys can be almost dog-like in their affection for their humans. They will initiate play and bring you a toy when they want to play. They will follow you around, and they just want to be involved in EVERYTHING their owners do. When we have people in our house to do work, I have to almost protect the workers from my Aby! They just expect humans to love them, and they return that love fully.

I first learned of the Abyssinian breed when I saw a magazine, the Connoisseur Magazine with an Aby right on the cover. The article was titled "The Cat of Cats." I thought it was the most beautiful cat I've ever seen. I decided right then, I would have one. It took me YEARS to not only find a breeder, but also to be able to afford an Aby. Not that it's that expensive, because a well-bred cat is worth the money, but I was very young at the time, and I had to wait until I could afford one.

Our first Aby was Furtig. We went to a cat show, and I found a breeder of Abyssinians, and we actually bought him right at the show, and brought him home with us. He became my shadow, my heart cat, and followed me wherever I went. Furtig, or as we called him "Furs," lived to be almost 20 years old.

One of the more humorous episodes with Furs happened in the middle of the night. When you live out in the country with a pasture, horses, feed, grain, crop fields, etc. it is absolutely inevitable that you WILL get field mice in your home. We do not use rodenticides, so it's more than inevitable for us. Furs turned out to be a prolific mouser. He rounded up a good share for us during his lifetime. But one night, he hopped on the bed with a newly captured mouse. However, the problem was ... IT WAS STILL ALIVE! He plopped it down on the bed, and you've NEVER seen two humans get out of a bed as fast as we did that night! 

I just released a new design to honor the "un-conquest" from my first Aby! Grab it here: It Doesn't Happen Every Day! – Paw Tee Shop