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Animal
House Folly
Farm Blog
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Whether or not their antecedents are as Royal as legend would have us believe wouldn't it be nice to think that we were living with a little piece of Ancient Egypt in our home? Cats are the stuff of which legends are made and often the stories surrounding them are magical, mystical and fairly unlikely! Certainly the origins of the Abyssinian cat are steeped in mystery with many variations on the same story. In this cynical world it would be lovely to think that there was a grain of truth contained within the myth. In the 1860s the Emperor of Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) wrote to Queen Victoria proposing marriage. She was obviously was "not amused" as she chose to ignore the letter which so infuriated the Emperor that he decided to begin arresting the Europeans living in his country including the British Consul. Slightly over-reacting at this the British Government decided to send 32,000 troops to mount a rescue. The approach of this vast army so frightened the Emperor that he committed suicide by shooting himself in the head with a gun given to him by the Queen of England several years before. Now left without a war to fight the British Army turned round and headed for home but before they did so a soldier acquired a kitten from one of the locals. The wife of a Captain Barrett-Lennard is said to have purchased this original Abyssinian named "Zula" and brought her to England in 1868. Abyssinian cats were believed to have descended from the original sacred cats worshipped in Ancient Egypt due to their lithe athletic physique which closely resembled the statues idolised in that feline-worshipping society. There was also speculation that the breed originated on the coast along the Indian Ocean and was bought to the UK by merchants and colonials returning from India. The more pedestrian theory is that the breed was "home-grown" created through crossing silver and brown tabbies with the native "Bunny" ticked cats. Perhaps there is truth in each of these stories with native cats being brought from Abyssinia and inter-bred with the British Shorthair therefore creating the animal we see today. The Abyssinian cat was officially listed as a breed in 1882 with the first mention of it being in Gordon Staple's "Cats, Their Points etc" in 1874. Although the first cats were imported into America in 1907 it wasn't until the 1930's that the breed really became established in that country. In the UK the cat barely survived the Second World War with only twelve purebred Abyssinians left to begin a serious breeding programme. At the beginning of the 20th century the breed was known as the "ticked" or "hare cat" due to its uniquely patterned coat. Later however it gained the affectionate nickname of the Aby by which it is still known today. Medium in size, muscular yet slender with a regal air its unusual coat is comprised of orange-brown hairs marked with two or three dark bands, the deepest of these being near the hair tip. The head is slightly wedge-shaped with strikingly large ears and almond eyes. Finished with a long tapering tail this graceful athletic feline really does sum up the term "aristocat". Originally there was only one colour in the breed, a pretty russet shade known as "ruddy". However in 1963 the red and sorrel shades were added joined later in 1984 by the blue. Now there are a variety of colours ranging from chocolate to the more unusual lilac-silver. With an outgoing personality the Abyssinian enjoys being around people and lending a "helping paw". Although affectionate it could never be described as a lap cat preferring an energetic existence. In fact they cannot bear being confined and positively revel in having their freedom. With a fondness for perching in high places (especially on the tops of doorways) they also have a great love of playing in water and will happily dip their paw under a running tap. Living well into their teens and even into their twenties they are relatively disease free although a kidney disorder known as "Renal Amyloidosis" is often seen in Abys. Vets tend to think that this condition is peculiar to the breed and that they may have a genetic disposition to it but there is very little evidence to support this theory as it seems just as prevalent in other cats. For prospective pet owners who really don't want to be owned by a needy feline the Abyssinian with its independent streak could be the answer. Loyalty is not an attribute you often associate with cats but these animals genuinely seem to enjoy people and want to be around them. And whether or not their antecedents are as Royal as legend would have us believe wouldn't it be nice to think that we were living with a little piece of Ancient Egypt in our home? ©Jen Longshaw
2001-2006 Please do not copy in any manner, print or electronic,
without permission from the author.
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