If you've never seen an Abyssinian, the most remarkable thing about them is their triangular head with large ears and beautiful almond eyes, which may be hazel, green or gold, with a fine dark lining around their irises. They're beautiful cats of medium size, and have a ticked coat, meaning that if you look at a hair from an Abyssinian coat under a magnifying glass, you'll see that two colors in each strand alternate from root to tip.This is very striking as it gives their coats a wonderful shine.

The Abyssinian cat has warm earth colors of tan and browns in their coats, though there are some of the blue or silver varitey. Colors recognized for the breed are not the same in all countries, but in the United States, they include: fawn, red, ruddy, blue, lilac, and cream. But to qualify for a pedigree in the U. S. the animal may not have any remnant markings of the tabby.

Zula was the first Abyssian cat to land in the Western hemisphere. This was in the mid-19th century when the kitten was taken from her native home in Alexandria to England by a British officer, Captain Barrett Leonard, who crossed the indigenous Abyssinian with an orange tabby. He chose the most Abyssinian looking of the litter to portray the breed in the West. It wasn't long before Abyissinians were lauded and applauded as a breed at the 1871 exhibition in London.

But Zula is only the first documented of her breed to have made the trip to England. After the Abyssinian War, many other soldiers probably brought these good-natured cats home with them, as well. Yet, it is believed that all registered Abyssinians are of the lineage of Zula. Yet, when the Abyssinian came to the United States, the gene pool was enhanced by some Abyssinians imported directly from Alexandria in North Africa, where some still exist in the wild. The breed is now one of the most popular shorthair breeds in the U.S.

People find Abyssinians most appealing because they're one of the most active of the cat breeds. Their form is muscular, but they are friendly and quite affectionate. Though they make great pets, they aren't usually lap cats. They prefer to be out on the hunt and playing instead of sitting, but they may adopt one member of the family to call their own, who may not be the cat's true owner.

Abyssinians do not enjoy being shut up without activity. A small apartment really isn't to their liking. In fact, they enjoy attention so much that they may become depressed if left alone too long. They love climbing, though, so don't be surprised to come home and find them atop your prized antique bookcase or find them on your shoulder.

These cats are loyal, and enjoy being with people. Many Abyssinian owners love their cats so much that they insist they would never choose another among all the different cat breeds.

History

The Egyptian Mau cat's spots are believed to have come from natural interbreeding with wild cats many centuries ago. Cats were highly valued in ancient Egypt, sometimes even worshipped as deities, and were often mummified like people upon their death. Spotted cats are shown in many ancient Egyptian wall paintings and may have had special privileges.

The first Egyptian Mau is believed to have come to the West with the Egyptian Ambassador to Italy in the 1950s. The Russian Princess Natalie Troubetskoy, living in exile in Italy, was charmed by the Ambassador's distinctive spotted pet and persuaded him to get several similar cats for her, which she began to breed.

The name 'mau' comes from the Egyptian word for cat.

Appearance

The Egyptian Mau characteristic spots are not only on the hairs of the coat but are also visible in the skin pigmentation if the cat is shaved. Bengals and other spotted cat breeds have been crossed with wild cats or selectively bred to achieve their coat.

Egyptian Maus carry a distinctive M or scarab beetle shaped mark on the forehead. They also have some anatomical differences which cause some people to consider them to be biologically distinct from other cat breeds, possibly forming an evolutionary link between wild cats and other modern domestic breeds.

Their hind legs are longer than their front legs, giving them more acceleration and power when running than most cat breeds. They also have a loose flap of skin on the abdomen which helps them stretch out further with each stride in the way that a cheetah does. This flap also contributes to their amazing speed. They have been recorded running over 30 miles per hour.

Acceptable colors are silver, bronze and smoke. Black and blue/pewter coats also occur but are not recognized. Eyes must be green, although some kittens are born with an amber shade to their eyes which becomes more green as they develop. The eyes are large and slightly slanted. Ears are medium sized and may be tufted.

Temperament

Maus can have very musical voices, making different sounds that can sound like chirping or almost singing.

They are very sensitive to temperature and like to live in a warm environment.

Some Maus also have a habit of wiggling their tail, moving the hind legs up and down as if spraying to mark territory, without actually releasing urine. This is a sign of a happy cat.