Cat breeders have developed numerous breeds and colour variations by selectively mating animals with certains desirable and distinctive characteristic. These characteristic appear consistently in the offspring of pure bred cats. A purebred cat is one whose mother and father belong to the same bred. The offspring of cats that have mated randomly are known as crossbreeds or mongrels, or maggies. These term may also be used when two different breeds are mated.
Short – haired breeds. There are ten widely recognized breeds. They are the (1) Abyssinian, (2) British shorthair, (3) Burmese, (4) Exotic shorthair, (5) Havana brown, (6) Korat, (7) Manx, (8) Rex, (9) Russian blue, and (10) Siamese.
Abyssinian is a slender, muscular, medium-sized cat with a long, tapering tail. Aby cats, as they are sometimes called, have a rounded, wedge – shaped head and large, pointed ears. Their almond – shaped eyes may be green, hazel, or amber. These cats are known for their melodic voices and their agouti coat pattern, which is common in wild animals. Each hair of an Aby’s soft coat has two or three bands of alternating light and dark colours, known as ticking.
The Abyssinian variety known as usual has a rich, golden brown coat ticked with black and apricot base hair. The sorrel has a lustrous copper coat ticked with chocolate, and the same apricot base hair. The other Abyssinian colours are blue, silver, and lilac.
Abyssinian have been bred in Ethiopia (formerly called Abyssinia) for thousands of years. Many people believe the quiet, graceful Aby is descened directly from the scared cats of anicient Egypt.
