The standard of the Abyssinian breed is established by the TICA, WCF, ICU, FIFe, MFA systems and each of them has its own minor differences in the standard of the Abyssinian breed. By the standards of all systems, the Abyssinian breed is characterized as a royal cat with a regal bearing, a work of art, the embodiment of beauty and harmony.
According to all standards, the body of the Abyssinians is flexible, graceful, of medium length, strong, muscular, but without coarsely expressed muscles, in proportion. Cats are of medium size, cats are larger, cats are more graceful and agile. The standards pay more attention to the proportions and general balance of the body of the Abyssinian cat than to size. Legs are long, thin, proportionate to the body, legs are graceful, oval, compact, give the impression that the cat steps on the toes. The tail of the Abyssinian is thick at the base, tapering to the tip, long. The head is wedge-shaped, rounded, in proportion to the body. The large, wide-set, moderately pointed ears of the Abyssinian cat have a wary look. The hair on the ears is darker (tipped), in accordance with the main color. The muzzle is rounded, softly outlined, the nose is not large, neat, the chin is not sloping or protruding (a protruding chin is allowed only in adult cats). The large, bright, expressive almond-shaped eyes of the Abyssinian cat are emphasized by the black skin of the eyelids, surrounded by light hair. Felinological systems recognize eyes of gold, copper, green, and hazel. Particular attention is paid to the saturation of the eye color.
According to the standards of different systems disadvantages can be considered: a round or long and narrow head, small sharp ears, round eyes, their color and the absence of a dark outline around the eye, lethargy of the body, underdeveloped muscles, weak muscle.
The hair of the Abyssinian cat has practically no undercoat, does not “fly” around the apartment, and, according to allergy sufferers, does not cause allergies.
The breed standard of Abyssinian cats in different felinological systems is similar, but among the Abyssinian cats two types can be distinguished – the American type and the European type. This was due to the fact that the development of the breed in the XX century took place on two different continents in Europe and North America. European breeders tried to preserve the appearance of Abyssinian cats, inherent in the first generations of Abyssinians, which they did well, while American breeders tried to instill in Abyssinians lightness, brightness, reminiscent of African exoticism. Now you can observe American-type Abyssinian cats with large, wide-open ears, a slender toned body, light as a feather in weight. All these metamorphoses of the American type of Abyssinian cats owe to the oriental breed cats, which American breeders used in breeding Abyssinian cats to obtain the desired condition in the Abys.
So which type of Abyssinian kitten should you choose? For a non-professional lover of Abyssinian cats, both “European” and “American” will be equally beautiful. So choose with your heart, as the character of the Abyssinian cat, both American and European breeders have managed to keep unchanged.
