Are you attracted to the idea to have a miniature puma as a pet, little
mountain lion and at the same time a cuddly and loyal pet? Is such a combination
possible or is such a being only a product of imagination? It is possible, such
a creature does exist, because all abovementioned describes – the abyssinian
cat!
Funky Valentine Baltasar (sorell), Babylon i J.C. Bach (blue)
Travelling from the Blue Nile
Abyssinian cat is one of the oldest breeds in the cat family. It is believed
that it is historically connected to ancient Egypt's cats from the time of the
pharaohs. Early anatomic studies of mummified cats in Egypt discovered during
the first big archeological research, from the beginning of the 20th century,
indicated that their morphology was similar to today's abyssinian cats. A
strong, muscular yet elegant body, dominant ears, big, expressive almond-shaped
eyes and unusual coat as of a wild rabbit give away the connection between
abyssinian cats with the wild cats, which even today lives at the spring of the
Blue Nile on the heights of abyssinia, today Ethiopia. It seems to us that the
granite sculptures and the cat mummies from the ancient Egypt town of Bubastis
live even today, in the form of the abyssinian cat!
Wikipedia
First documented abyssinian on European soil was named Zula (according to
some sources Zeyla). This cat came to England straight from abyssinia. During a
military conflict it was found and rescued by an English officer, captain
Barrett-Lennard. Zula was exhibited at the first recorded cat exhibition at the
Crystal palace, in London 1871, and the report from the exhibition which came
out in Harper’s Weekly magazine tells us that Zula sparked great interest and
won third prize in the overall ranking.
Harper’s Weekly
From that moment the development of this breed is blurry. We know that they
were called Bunny Cat for a short period of time, referring to the unusual
pattern of their coat, then they mentioned them as British Ticked Cat, however
their first name under which they came to Europe remained. The name became
official in 1929, and from that point the registration of abyssinian cats began
in the English GCCF, the oldest feline organization. Soon after, the abyssinian
inhabit the USA. The breed was saved from extinction during World War Two
precisely with that export to America. After the war the abyssinians became one
of the most popular breeds there due to its extraordinary intelligence,
character and especially the exotic appearance which associates to its ancestors
from ancient times and wilderness.
Despite its popularity and long presence of these cats in the western world,
their origin still confuses felinologists. Recent DNA research indicate that
today's abyssinians are genetically closely connected with the cats from India
and Southeast Asia. How, where from, why... their journey around the world will
remain a secret for now. Anyhow, abyssinians are easy to imagine in a procession
of the cat-like Bastet, ancient Egyptian goddess!
Nektarcats Oliv (ruddy)
Abyssinian – a smarty companion
Abyssinians are highly intelligent cats. In the presentations and
descriptions of this breed all felinological associations emphasize their
intelligence. As described in the abyssinian Breeders International Kitten
Buyer’s Guide by Carolyn Osier: “abyssinians must be one of the most intelligent
animals ever created” (from the website CFA - Cat Fanciers’ Association).
Abyssinians are of extremely extrovert nature and very sociable creatures. Abyssinians are lap cats,
and they purr 24/7. They do not part from their human family. They
follow their family members everywhere and participate in all household chores.
They easily adapt and fit into every home, but they expect to be loved and in
the centre of attention. Abyssinians enjoy te company of other cats, but they
will get along nicely with dogs as well.
Funky Valentine Bastet Moon (ruddy)
They remain cheerful as kittens their entire life, enjoying playing and
interacting with people. They will share their purring moments of affection with
their owner, but their joyful and agile nature will never neglect play.
Therefore, it is good to provide them with toys and climbers where they will
show their athletic skills. They are easily taught different tricks, i.e. to
fetch and they easily accept to be walked on a leash. They are impressive
jumpers, and the fans of this breed claim that these cats are absolute champions
in this cat discipline. abyssinians are cats that live their life to the
fullest!
Miscat's Igor Karkaroff (ruddy)
Miniature mountain lions
Abyssinians take ones breath away with their appearance! They are not big
cats, but of average size, but due to their athletic and flexible body, powerful
appearance and graceful movement, and especially the coat, they unmistakably
look like miniature lionesses or lions from the Rocky Mountains. Their
mysterious, big, expressive eyes always shine whether they are gold, emerald or
amber color.
Their coat is silky to the touch, thick, resilient and extremely shiny. The
color of the coat is light at the roots and each hair has 2-3 darker bends to
the top. The hair tips are dark – the term for this characteristic is ticked
tabby. There are several admitted abyssinian colors: ruddy (intense dark apricot
with black tips), blue, chocolate, sorrel (dark apricot with reddish-brown tips)
and fawn. There are also silver varieties of the mentioned shades, which suit
this breed beautifully.
Funky Valentine J.C. Bach (blue) and Baltasar
(sorell)
Abyssinians are distinctly shorthair cats, with very little undercoat. This
makes them the ideal pet, because they shed lightly, almost unnoticeably.
Brushing once in several weeks is more than enough! Also, it has been noticed
that an allergic reaction to abyssinians is lesser, since their skin flaking is
minor or there is none at all.
Semi-longhair variety of the abyssinian is called the Somali cat. The name
hints to the closeness of these two breeds, because Somalia and Ethiopia, once
called Abyssinia, are neighboring countries.
Funky Valentine Charlotte (fawn) i Bastet Moon
(ruddy)
Similar to many cat breeds, there are two types of abyssinians – traditional
and modern. The modern type is of a more fragile constitution, slender body,
sharper lines and emphasized pointed ears. The traditional abyssinian type are
powerful and muscular such as ancient Egyptian cats from Bubastis.
Walt Disney - One Hundred and One Dalmatian, 1961
Abyssinians - artist's muses
In the popular culture of the 60s and 70s abyssinians
frequently appeared in children movies. Sergeant Tibbs from the Disney classic
“101 Dalmatians” was inspired by an
abyssinian cat.
Walt Disney - Cats from outer space, 1978
In another popular comedy from the Disney production “The Cat from Outer
Space” an abyssinian is in the main
role.
David Bowie
It is known that cats were always the companions of creative people, and
legendary musician David Bowie and Isaac Hayes looked for their muses among
abyssinian cats. Among abyssinian lovers there is an anecdote which says: they
are dangerous cats because they can easily make an addict out of a man! Who
meets them, can no longer imagine a day without an abyssinian cat.
Iglesias Aus Abusir - Izzy, photo Bojana Janjić N1
Abyssinians are one of the oldest and most popular breeds of cats, but due to
circumstances, this magnificent breed remained almost unknown in the countries
of eastern Europe. Even today, only a few cat lovers are familiar with this
breed. Abyssinian kittens are available in Serbia, in a professional and
responsible internationally registered cattery Funky Valentine WCF in Belgrade.
You can meet and cheer for these exceptional cats at Meow Fest, a traditional
international cat show in Belgrade.
More about Meow Fest...
Abyssinian cats from Funky Valentine cattery in Belgrade, Serbia
are healthy and properly vaccinated. Cats are growing up free, they are
house trained and cuddly.
Cats from Funky Valentine cattery are true pedigree cats.
Cats have unique microchips and international World Cat Federation (WCF) pedigrees. WCF pedigree is a
listing of ancestors over 4 generations and their championship titles. Pedigrees
are protected with numbered holograms. Our cats may compete in
Belgrade
Meow Fest or other
international cat
shows.
Our breeding cats
Jokercats Tekla for Funky Valentine, female fawn silver ABY
ps, 20.12.2016.
Miscat's Igor Karkaroff for Funky Valentine, male ruddy
ABY n, 19.6.2018.
Nektarcats Oliv for Funky Valentine, female ruddy
ABY n, 24.4.2018.
Our kittens
The kittens arrive at new homes with a certified WCF pedigree, a certificate of
transfer of ownership, a health passport with vaccine certificates and a
contract.
Funky Valentine Amalyia, Anna Bella, Kyra the Great, Leonid
the First
Funky Valentine Babylon 11, Baltasar, Bastet Moon, J.
Sebastian Bach
