Although it is known for certain that the Abyssinian cat is one of the world’s oldest known breeds of felines, its exact history is open to conjecture and shrouded in mystery. The source of the name is not because Ethiopia (formerly Abyssinia) is thought to be this elegant cat’s original home, but rather because the first Abyssinian cats that were exhibited in shows in England were said to have been imported from there. There is no doubt that the modern Abyssinian cat greatly resembles the paintings and sculptures of ancient Egyptian cats. The hallmarks of the breed are a muscular body, a beautifully arched neck, large ears and almond-shaped eyes.
Recent studies by geneticists indicate that it is most likely that the Abyssinian cat came from the coast of the Indian Ocean and parts of Southeast Asia. The earliest identifiable “Aby” is a taxidermal exhibit in the Leiden Zoological Museum in Holland. It was purchased in the 1830s and was labeled by the museum’s founder as “Patrie, domestica India.” As a breed, it was refined in England, and its presence in that area of the world may be attributed to colonists and merchants stopping in Calcutta, which is the major port for the Indian Ocean.
The first Abyssinians were imported from England to North America in the early 1900s, but it would take another thirty years before several top quality Abys were exported from England to form the foundation of the breed as we know it today.
The Abyssinian cat is considered to be highly intelligent and very people-oriented. They are not lap cats, but they love to be with people and integrate with their activities. It is also said there is no breed of cat more loyal that the Aby.
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