HISTORY
Ancient Abyssinia (present Ethiopia) was frequented by merchant ships carrying cargos of gold, spices and coffee. In those days it was mandatory for every ship to have cats on board to keep the rat population in check. War ships made their way to Europe through the Suez canal as well, and according to one theory, ships returning from the Abyssinian war in 1860 carried cats from Abyssinia to Europe. This theory has in part been upheld due to the similarity of the abyssinian cat to the cats depicted in the art of the Bastet-cult.
In truth, there has been no recorded evidence of the origin of the abyssinian cat breed or a common history with cats brought over from Abyssinia. The first mention of the abyssinian cat is from the 1870's in regard to a cat exhibited at a cat show at London's Crystal Palace. This cat as well as a cat called Zulu, presented in a book about cats published in 1874, were said to have their roots in Abyssinia - hence the name for the breed. The recorded history of the abyssinian cat includes the use of common housecats in England. Especially tabby cats as well as so called "bunny-cats", which had distinct ticking in their fur.
The first abyssinians were brought to Finland in the early 1960's and the first Finnish litter was born in 1966. The abyssinian is one of the oldest cat breeds and has always had its own strong group of supporters among cat fanciers.
THE PRESENT DAY ABYSSINIAN
In my opinion, the abyssinian is like a golden ratio, a point where everything begins and ends. The abyssinian is like a prototype of the cat with nothing in excess or lacking. Its character and appearance reflect an incredible balance between ease and vigor. Its graceful and balanced form is accentuated by its coat, which smoothly follows the contours of its body like a serene and shiny ocean. The abyssinian is a mid-sized cat but its short coat and elegant demeanor make it seem almost delicate. The abyssinian's fur is comprised of ticked fur on its back, with alternating light and dark stripes on each hair, and of one color hair as the ground color, which is best visible on the cat's belly.
Accepted colors: Ruddy, sorrel/red, blue, fawn and silver variations of each of these.
Ruddy: A warm peach/orange belly and ground color with a strong ticking. A dark, preferably black, stripe from the head down to a black tip at the tail.
Sorrel/Red: Ground color also a warm peach with an aim toward a warm copper red with brown ticking.
Blue: Ticking with stripes variating between warm bluish grey and dark steel grey. Ground color usually from a warm cream to a light golden brown.
Fawn: Ground color is a light shade of cream combined with a faint beige and a soft dark cream tinted ticking.
Desired features: "Boots" on ruddy cats, tufts at the tips of the ears, warm ground colors, strong ticking, nicely set almond-shape eyes accentuated by a fine dark "mascara", well-balanced build, well-set ears, no necklace, no tabby markings on legs, no white extending to the chest. Silver cats always have a silvery white ground color.
CHARACTER
The abyssinian is an active cat. It is not overly active, but due to its lively character, I would not recommend it as a lone cat. The abyssinian forms a deep attachment with its owner and shows its affection in multiple ways. To visitors, the abyssinian may sometimes seem to be an aloof type of cat, which is ever-present, but does not necessarily show strangers much attention. Its own humans are so important to the abyssinian, it does not always bother with others. The abyssinian conquers your heart and lap. It spends time at your feet, on your shoulder - everywhere. It is one of the most talented trapeze artist of the cat world and amazes its audience with numerous agile tricks. It jumps effortlessly to great heights and one might almost think it had grown wings, when it leaps, light as a feather, from the floor to the top of an open door. Nonethelessa, the individual character of each cat is different from the other, so that, which describes one abyssinian, may not hold true in the case of another.