Breeds: Abyssinian

Abyssinian Cat
The Abyssinian cat is said to be descended from a cat called Zula, brought to England by Captain Barrett Leonard at the conclusion of the Abyssinian war. British troops left Abyssinia in May 1868, so that may have been the time when cats with ticked coats first entered England. There are no verifiable, written records tracing early Abyssinians to Zula, but Abyssinians were exhibited at Crystal Palace in 1871 so it is certain that all Abyssinians are descended from cats bred in the United Kingdom.

The Abyssinian comes in several colours. Usual, sorrel, fawn and blue are the most widely accepted colours in the UK while the American colour terms are ruddy, red, fawn and blue. In Australia, the popular colours are tawny, cinnamon, blue and fawn. The American Cat Association also recognises lilac and cream. Chocolate and silver colours were introduced from the Burmese, or their silver versions. The Abyssinian's eyes are oval shaped usually green, hazel or gold and eye lined.

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