Perhaps too much emphasis is given to the uncertain point of origin of the Abyssinian cat.
What truly matters is that this friendly, intelligent, curious, and companionable animal is here among us today.
A lover of high places and eternally interested in watching what you are doing, the Abyssinian’s exquisite list of traits is the perfect answer that cat fanciers can offer to those who love their dogs.
It can do so many dog-like things, yet it also knows where the litter box is and what it is used for. The origin of the Abyssinian cat breed is shrouded in mystery.
It was once believed that the Abyssinians were cats imported from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), but the cat actually earned the name in reference to the Abyssinian War, and some cats during that period were imported by colonialists to Europe.
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These cats were exhibited in cat shows in the 1800s and called “Abyssinians.” But there’s no proof that those imported cats were true early Abyssinians.
Recent genetic tests have shown that the Abyssinian breed most likely originated in parts of Southeast Asia and the coast of the Indian Ocean
The earliest example of an Abyssinian is a taxidermal exhibit that was purchased between 1834 and 1836 by a museum supplier. It was labeled “Patrie, domestica India,” and is still on exhibit at the Leiden Zoological Museum in the Netherlands.