The Abyssinian cat is a breed that captivates with its unique ticked coat, athletic build, and intelligent, engaging personality. These cats are often described as a blend of exotic beauty and playful spirit, making them a cherished companion for many. Understanding the breed standard is crucial for breeders, exhibitors, and enthusiasts alike, as it outlines the ideal characteristics that define an Abyssinian. This standard serves as a blueprint for the breed’s development, ensuring its distinctive traits are preserved and enhanced.
General Appearance and Temperament
The overall impression of an ideal Abyssinian is that of a colorful, medium-sized cat with a regal bearing. They are lithe, strong, and muscular, exuding an air of constant activity and a lively curiosity about their surroundings. A well-balanced temperament, both physically and mentally, is paramount, with all elements of the cat in harmony. This graceful yet robust physique is a hallmark of the breed, reflecting their active nature and adventurous spirit.
Head and Facial Features
The Abyssinian’s head is a modified wedge shape, slightly rounded, with no flat planes. The brow, cheek, and profile lines exhibit a gentle contour. There’s a slight rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead, which should be of a good size, with ample width between the ears. This contour flows seamlessly into an arched neck, creating an unbroken, elegant line.
The muzzle is neither sharply pointed nor square, with a chin that is neither receding nor protruding. Allowance is made for jowls in adult males, a sign of maturity. Their ears are alert, large, and moderately pointed, broad at the base and cupped. The outer line of the ear should follow the outer line of the modified wedge shape without interruption, contributing to their distinctive look.
Eyes are a striking feature, being almond-shaped, large, brilliant, and expressive. They are neither perfectly round nor oriental in shape. The eyes are beautifully accentuated by a fine dark line that encircles them, further enhanced by a lighter colored area around the eye. This combination gives the Abyssinian an alert and intelligent gaze.
Body and Physical Structure
The body of an Abyssinian is medium-long, lithe, and graceful, yet it clearly shows well-developed muscular strength without being coarse. The breed’s conformation strikes a balance between the extremely cobby (short and stocky) and the svelte (long and slender) types. Proportion and overall balance are more highly valued than mere size.
Their legs are proportionately slim with fine bones. Abyssinians stand tall, giving the impression of being on tip-toe, which enhances their elegant appearance. The paws are small, oval, and compact, with five toes in front and four behind. The tail is thick at the base, fairly long, and tapers towards the tip, completing their balanced silhouette.
Coat and Color
The Abyssinian’s coat is a defining characteristic. It is soft, silky, and fine in texture, yet dense and resilient to the touch, possessing a lustrous sheen. The coat is of medium length, sufficient to accommodate two or three distinct bands of ticking on each hair shaft. This ticking, where each hair has bands of color, is crucial to the breed’s appearance.
Color and Ticking: The overall coat color should be warm and glowing. Ticking must be distinct and even, with dark bands (matching the tail tip color) contrasting with lighter undercoat bands on the hair shafts. The undercoat color should be clear and bright right down to the skin. Deeper color shades are preferred, but the intensity of the ticking should not be sacrificed for depth of color. Darker shading along the spine is permissible if fully ticked. Preference is given to cats that are unmarked on the undersides, chest, and legs, with an unbroken tail.
Facial Markings: Desirable enhancements include dark lines extending from the eyes and brows, shading on the cheekbones, and dots and shading on the whisker pads. The eyes are accentuated by a fine dark line and encircled by a lighter area.
Accepted Colors and Their Characteristics:
- Ruddy: The coat is a ruddy brown (burnt-sienna), ticked with black. The extreme outer tip of the hair is the darkest, with an orange-brown undercoat. The tail and ears are tipped with black. The underside and inner legs have a tint that harmonizes with the main color. The nose leather is tile red, and paw pads are black or brown, with black between the toes extending slightly beyond the paws.
- Cinnamon: This variety features a coat of rich, warm, glowing red, ticked with chocolate-brown. The darkest color is at the extreme outer tip, with a red-orange undercoat. The tail and ears are tipped with chocolate-brown. The nose leather is rosy pink, and paw pads are pink, with chocolate-brown between the toes extending slightly beyond the paws.
- Blue: The coat is a warm beige, ticked with slate blue. The darkest color is at the extreme outer tip, with a blush beige undercoat. Tail and ears are tipped with slate blue. The nose leather is old rose, and paw pads are mauve, with slate blue between the toes extending slightly beyond the paws.
- Fawn: This color is a warm rose-beige, ticked with light cocoa brown. The darkest color is at the extreme outer tip, with a blush beige undercoat. Tail and ears are tipped with light cocoa brown. The nose leather is salmon, and paw pads are pink with light cocoa brown between the toes extending slightly beyond the paws.
Penalties and Disqualifications
Certain faults are penalized, meaning they detract from the ideal standard but do not necessarily disqualify a cat. These include off-color pads, a long narrow head, a short round head, barring on legs, dark broken necklace markings, rings on the tail, coldness or grey tones in the coat, and white undercoat on blue or fawn Abyssinians. Ears that are too high or too low, disrupting the wedge lines, are also penalized.
Disqualifications are more serious faults that prevent a cat from being awarded top honors. These include a white locket or white anywhere except the nostril, chin, and upper throat area. A kinked or abnormal tail, a dark unbroken necklace marking, or grey undercoat close to the skin extending over a major portion of the body are also disqualifying. Any black hair on a cinnamon Abyssinian, incorrect number of toes, or any color other than the four accepted colors will result in disqualification.
The Abyssinian breed standard, with its detailed descriptions of physical and color characteristics, ensures the continued development and recognition of this beautiful and engaging feline breed. Adherence to this standard is vital for maintaining the integrity and unique appeal of the Abyssinian cat.
