Abyssinian Cats The Cat with a Type A Personality

The Abyssinian is the stereotypical short haired cat. Shes playful, active, and inquisitive, making her the perfect pet to bring home to your family.

Reportedly, this breed of cat originates from a single cat brought to England from Egypt in 1882. However, theres no actual basis to support this its only conjecture at this point. It has also been said that this is a wild breed that originated in Egypt and North Africa again, this is only conjecture and cant be proven at this time. Whatever its origins, the Abyssinian is one of the most popular breeds in the world.

The body of this breed is medium long, and the muscles are tight and compact. Their legs are slender and their bone structure is fine. Abyssinians have a regal, aristocratic demeanor, which is much appreciated by many cat fanciers. Colors in the breed vary from red to fawn, although blue and blue-black variations do occur. They are also usually quiet in terms of voice.

The personality of these cats can best be described as busy. These are the cats that awaken in the morning with a mental agenda for the day they spring from bed and are on their way, ready to go. They are incredibly intelligent, endlessly curious, and good problem solvers. Couple that with their natural athleticism and muscular body types, and youve got a breed thats perfectly designed to get into trouble. Suffice to say, if you want a lap cat, this isnt the cat for you! These cats are too busy to bother with cuddling in your lap they have places to go and things to do. They can be reserved in the face of change, but dont confuse that with docility.

Territory is important to these cats. Abyssinians constantly patrol their territory, as if looking for something to do or play with. When something catches their attention, it becomes the center of their world, and theyll play with it to the exclusion of everything else including their own safety. However, these cats are also known to play with a toy for some time, then find it wanting and never play with it again. When you play with these cats you must be careful one of their favorite games is called teach the human to serve me. They will, for example, play with a wind-up toy, and then nudge you to wind it up again and again as it winds down.

If you have a child who wants a pet well-suited to constant play, the Abyssinian is a good choice. In fact, your child may have met its match because this cat's energy level is nearly immeasurable.

These cats are as comfortable climbing and jumping up as they are turning right and left. They have no fear of heights, and will scale nearly every vertical surface they encounter. They need plenty of room to explore, as well as things they can climb to be happy. They like scratching trees as much as scratching posts. Consequently, you need to cat proof your house if you plan to have one of these pets.

As far as care and maintenance goes, like most short hair cats, the Abyssinian is fairly low maintenance and requires little help from you with its grooming. An occasional brushing will go a long ways towards eliminating stray cat hairs, and you may need to bathe your cat if she gets into something stinky.

Overall, if you want an active, curious cat, and are willing to help your cat stay safely entertained, the Abyssinian could be a good choice for you.