Abyssinian

The Abyssinian, also called bunny cat (rabbit cat), or sometimes Aby, is a breed of cat originating in Asia. This cat is characterized by a short-haired coat with a ticked tabby pattern.

The birthplace of the Abyssinian would not be in Abyssinia or Egypt, but in Southeast Asia, on the shores of the Indian Ocean. However, the breed may be African. It could even be that the Abyssinian is the heir to the sacred cat of ancient Egypt. The first cat imported into Europe was "Zula", a magnificent male, brought from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) in 1868 by a certain Marshal Sir Robert Napier, an English diplomat on mission to Addis Ababa (Capital of Abyssinia). is for this reason that the breed was called Abyssinian. Zula coming from Abyssinia, this new race was given the name of the country from which it came. Zula's ticking may come from the African Wildcat or may be the fruit of tabby cat breeding in Britain. This breed was fixed and improved in England. Breeders perfected it by crossing it with the British Shorthair, and in particular worked on obtaining a fine silhouette and improving the coat. The Abyssinian was then nicknamed "bunny Cat" (in French cat-rabbit), because of its coat similar to that of the hare. After a few years of crossbreeding, the Abyssinian was exhibited for the first time at the Crystal Palace in London, in 1871. And it was in 1882 that the breed was finally recognized outside of Great Britain. Judging criteria were established in 1889. The breed almost died out at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1909, the Abyssinian arrived in the United States, but would not become popular there until the 1930s, after the recognition of the breed by the CFA in 1917. The French, for their part, did not discover it until in 1927 when the FFF finally recognized the breed. The first club dedicated to the Abyssinian is called "Abyssinian Cat Club". In France, a bi-monthly brochure, “Aby Boom”, retraces the varied activities of Abyssinian breeders. On the European continent, breeding was slowed down during the First World War but has since restarted. It is the fifth most popular breed in North America: it is notably one of the ten favorite breeds in the United States. The breed continues to evolve, both in terms of the coat and the morphology of the head.

The Abyssinian is often described as an alert and lively cat, always seeming to be on the move. It is however said to be a gentle, affectionate companion with a very discreet meow. He would nonetheless be full of life and athletic, even rambunctious. These character traits remain however perfectly individual and are functions of the history of each cat.