Abyssinian cats of sorrel color: features of color and subtlety of care
Abyssinian cats are one of the most ancient breeds. Their name comes from the ancient name of the African country of Ethiopia - Abyssinia. It is believed that from there they got into the territory of Ancient Egypt, where they became especially revered animals. The images of these cats in the tombs of the nobility and the sculptures still preserved to this day leave no doubt that these are Abyssinian cats.
The history of the breed
The modern Abyssinian cat breed was formed in England. It is believed that one of the British soldiers brought these animals from Africa to their country from Africa. They were first presented to the public in 1871 at a cat show not far from London.
Nowadays, the international felinological organization CFA officially recognizes 4 basic colors of this breed: wild, red or sorrel, blue and beige.
Interesting that in Abyssinian cats of different color, babies are born not of a mixed shade, but of a color whose gene is dominant.
Appearance standard
A cat of this breed has a rounded muzzle, a long neck. Her ears are large, deep, dark at the ends (come with brushes). The eyes are very expressive, brilliant, almond-shaped, with a dark eyeliner. The Abyssinians have a perfectly folded muscular body with elongated limbs. The tail is rather long, thickened at the base, but tapering towards the tip.
Animals have a low weight of 4 to 6 kilograms, which allows them to move easily and gracefully.
The height at withers varies according to gender: in cats it is a maximum of 32 centimeters, and in cats it is 28 centimeters.
What is ticking?
When describing the color of the Abyssinians, you can often find the word "ticking". It means that each hair in the hair of these cats is colored in alternating dark and light shades, which is due to the presence of the special agouti gene “A” in the genotype of this breed.
Ticking Abyssinian cats can be double (a combination of two colors) or triple, which is very rare.
In its genotype, the cat of this breed is black, but under the influence of enzymes eumelanin, which is responsible for black color, oxidizes and the shade becomes copper-brown.
Abyssinian Copper Wool
Color sorrel received official recognition in 1963, but until 1979 it was called red. These cats have a short wool coat of rich copper color without a pattern and have a double ticking color of dark chocolate and cinnamon.
The disadvantage of this color is the presence of black hair in the hair.
On the inner surface of the legs and on the abdomen, the areas of the hair are lighter, the nose is pinkish, and the pads on the legs are dark pink. Cats of this color have a characteristic red-brown strip running along the spine and a dark brown shade on the tail. The eyes are most often golden or copper in color, but there may be individuals with nutty or green shades of the eyes.
Content of adult animals
Abyssinian cats are known for their activity, pleasant voice, balanced character, affection for the owner (cats are especially loyal). They easily remember all the rules of behavior in the house, neat and uncaptitious.
In order to prevent diseases and hygiene, you should brush your cat's teeth twice a month, regularly brush your hair with a special brush, take care of your claws, and vaccinate in time.
For normal development and growth, Abyssinians are needed Super-premium feed or a diet that includes boiled meat, sea fish, vegetables, dairy products, eggs. Cats of this breed Do not give raw duck and goose meat, lamb, pork, chicken and fish bones, sweets, salt and spices, sausage, canned food, potatoes and legumes.
Important! Genetic pathologies of this breed are polycystic kidney disease, blood diseases, gingivitis, retinal diseases, so you should pay particular attention to the prevention of these diseases in your pet.
How to care for kittens?
Before you bring the kitten into the house, get everything you need: bowls for food, scratching posts, a tray, a house, toys; Choose a quiet cozy corner for him. Abyssinian kittens need a lot and long play They love sound toys and tall houses. Animals of this breed need a warm room with a temperature of at least +23 degrees Celsius, but this does not mean that they can be left on the street for a long time in direct sunlight.
Make sure that no needles, pins, tinsel, foil, or other small sharp objects can be injured in the house.
Do not forget to regularly inspect and clean your baby's eyes, ears, teeth, combing hair, make vaccinations in time.
If you are going to feed the little Abyssinian with industrial feed, then choose super-premium food. A kitten should always have fresh purified water in the drinker. In normal nutrition, it is helpful for kittens to give the following foods:
- frozen raw beef;
- boiled offal;
- boiled chicken;
- sea fish;
- milk (up to three months);
- egg yolks;
- liquid porridge with milk;
- dairy products;
- vegetables;
- wheat germ.
It should be noted that in small kittens of the Abyssinian breed, wool is at first dull, but over time it acquires a beautiful and rich color.
Only by the age of one and a half or two years the color of the cats becomes pronounced, until this time the Abyssinian cat can change the color of the coat.
Abyssinian cats are graceful, intelligent and sociable animals. They easily get along with other pets, love games with children. With proper care, these amazing cats can live and delight you for more than a dozen years.
For general information about Abyssinian cats, see below.
