History and Origins
Country of Origin: Abyssinia (Ethiopia)
Other Names: Abys, Bunny cat
The Abyssinian cat resembles the African wildcat, ancestor of the domestic cat. The history of the Abyssinian cat in the UK is a little obscure, but it is likely that it was brought back via army personnel from Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), in the 1860s. The early Abyssinian cats were crossed with British Shorthairs, and later with oriental breeds. Long-haired Abyssinian kittens have been found in litters for many years, and since the 1970s they have been developed as a separate breed called the Somali.
