Abyssinian cat
Abyssinian | |
---|---|
Common nicknames | Abys |
Origin | Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia[1] |
Breed standards | |
CFA | standard |
FIFe | standard |
TICA | standard |
ACF | standard |
CCA-AFC | standard |
GCCF | standard |
Domestic cat (Felis catus) |
The Abyssinian
The first members of the breed to be exhibited in England were brought there from
Once a comparatively obscure breed, the Abyssinian had become one of the top five most popular cat breeds by 2016.[3]
The breed's distinctive appearance, seeming long, lean and finely colored compared to other cats, has been analogized to that of human fashion models. Personality-wise, the cats traditionally display active, curious attitudes in which they frequently follow owners around and encourage play.[3] Their dog-like characteristics also involve a particular sense of affection and desire for interaction. Abys have a distinctive wildcat look with their ticked coat and large erect ears. They are a highly social breed and can be demanding of attention. They do well in multi-cat households due to their social nature. Not a lap cat, Abyssinians are in constant motion, either exploring or playing.[5]
History
What is thought to be the earliest known designated Abyssinian cat is in an exhibit still residing in the Leiden Zoological Museum in
Many modern Abyssinian breeders dispute Zula as having been the first domestic Abyssinian, arguing that the existing illustrations of Zula portray the cat as having ears too small for an Abyssinian and a coat too waved and long.
The breed was nearly wiped out in the
The Abyssinian is one of the oldest established cat breeds, being recognised in 1929 by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy. The breed was developed in the United Kingdom with references dating back to the 1890′s.[8][9]
Description
Appearance
The Abyssinian is a lithe, fine-boned, muscular, medium to large sized cat. The average weight is 10 lb (4.5 kg) ranging between 8–12 lb (3.6–5.4 kg) with height ranging between 8–10 in (20–25 cm).[9][10] The head is moderately wedge-shaped, with a slight break at the muzzle, and nose and chin ideally forming a straight vertical line when viewed in profile. They have alert, relatively large pointed ears. The eyes are almond-shaped and are gold, green, hazel or copper depending on coat color. The legs tend to be long in proportion to a graceful body, with small oval paws; the tail is likewise long and tapering.[11]
Abyssinian kittens are born with dark coats that gradually lighten as they mature, usually over several months.[
The breed's original color standard is a warm deep reddish-brown base with black ticking, known as "usual" in the United Kingdom, "tawny" in Australia, and "ruddy" elsewhere. Sorrel (also called cinnamon or red), a lighter coppery base with chocolate brown ticking, is a unique mutation of this original pattern. Other variants have been introduced by outcrossing to the
The breed owes their distinctive coat to a dominant mutant gene known as Ta. In 2007, the first cat to have its entire genome published was an Abyssinian named Cinnamon.[14]
Behaviour
Veterinarian Joan O. Joshua has written that the "
With their interest in playing with their owners combined with their curious intelligence, Abyssinians are sometimes called the "Clowns of the Cat Kingdom".[3] They have soft chirrup-like vocalizations which do not sound like the expected "meow".[citation needed]
A study comparing
Health
Familial renal amyloidosis or AA amyloidosis, a kidney disorder due to a mutation in the AA amyloid protein gene, has been seen in Abyssinians.[16] The Abyssinian has had severe problems with blindness caused by a hereditary retinal degeneration due to mutations in the rdAc gene. However, the prevalence has been reduced from 45% to less than 4% in 2008 in the country of Sweden.[17] An Australian analysis found the Abyssinian to be over-represented in cases of feline infectious peritonitis when compared to the expected frequency based on census data (4.4% versus 1.5%).[18] An American study had similar results with an odds ratio of 8.98.[19]
In a review of over 5,000 cases of urate urolithiasis the Abyssinian was significantly under-represented, with only one of the recorded cases belonging to an Abyssinian.[20]
The 2008 study "The Ascent of Cat Breeds: Genetic Evaluations of Breeds and Worldwide Random-bred Populations" by Lipinski et al. conducted at UC Davis by the team led by leading feline geneticist Dr Leslie Lyons found that the Abyssinian has a low level of genetic diversity, a heterozygosity value of 0.45 within a range of 0.34–0.69 for all breeds studied, and has genetic markers common to both Southeast Asian and Western breeds indicating that cats from both Asia and Europe were used to create the breed.[21]
The Abyssinian was found to be predisposed to feline atopic dermatitis in a retrospective study of cases of the disease.[22]
The Abyssinian is predisposed to psychogenic alopecia.[23]
An American study found the Abyssinian to be at increased risk of
A retrospective study in the US found the Abyssinian to be predisposed to acquired
A study of cases of
See also
References
- ^ "About the Abyssinian". www.cfainc.org. Archived from the original on 22 April 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- ^ "Abyssinian Breed Description". catzinc.org. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Abyssinian". VCA Animal Hospitals. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
- ^ "About the Abyssinian". Archived from the original on 5 January 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ ISBN 9781483226002.
- ^ a b "Abyssinian". 23 July 2013.
- ^ "All About Abyssinian Cats - History of the Abyssinian Cat".
- ^ a b Barnes-Hookey, Jacquie. "History of the Abyssinian Cat". Abyssinian Cat Association. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ a b c "Abyssinian". Governing Council of the Cat Fancy. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ Leeson, Janelle. "Abyssinian". PetMD. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ a b "Abysinnian standard". Abyssinian Cat Club. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ "Abyssinian : POINT SCORE" (PDF). Cfainc.org. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ "Abyssinian Breed Group Standard" (PDF). Tica.org. 1 May 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- ^ Highfield, Roger (31 October 2007). "Cinnamon the cat could offer hope to the blind". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- S2CID 12358514. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- PMID 10524286.
- ^ "Theodosius Dobzhansky Center for Genome Bioinformatics" (PDF). Dobzhanskycenter.bio.spbu.ru. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- PMID 22398460. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-119-22558-4.
- PMID 22443437.
- PMID 18060738.
- ISSN 0959-4493.
- ISBN 978-0-323-37651-8.
- Lipinski MJ, Froenicke L, Baysac KC, Billings NC, Leutenegger CM, Levy AM, Longeri M, Niini T, Ozpinar H, Slater MR, Pedersen NC, Lyons LA (January 2008). "The ascent of cat breeds: genetic evaluations of breeds and worldwide random-bred populations". Genomics. 91 (1): 12–21. PMID 18060738.