ABYSSINIAN
Standard of Excellence

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The overall impression of the ideal Abyssinian would be a colourful cat with a distinctly ticked coat, medium in size and regal in appearance. The Abyssinian is lithe hard and muscular, showing eager activity, and a lively interest in all surroundings. Well balanced temperamentally and physically, with all elements of the cat in proportion.

Head A modified, slightly rounded wedge without flat planes; brow, cheek and profile lines all showing a gentle contour. A slight rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead, which should be of good size, with width between the ears and flowing into the arched neck without a break.
Muzzle A firm chin not sharply pointed or square, should be neither receding nor protruding. Allowance should be made for jowls in adult males.
Ears Alert, comparatively large and moderately pointed, broad and cupped at the base and set wide apart. Hair on the ears, short and close lying and preferably tufted.
Eyes Almond shaped (neither round nor oriental), large brilliant and expressive. Eyes accentuated by dark lid skin, encircled by light-coloured area.
Colour - Amber, Hazel or Green.
Body Medium long, lithe and graceful, but showing well developed muscular strength without coarseness. Abyssinian conformation strikes a medium between the extremes of the cobby and the svelte, lengthy type. Proportion and general balance more to be desired than mere size.
Legs & Feet Proportionately slim, medium-fine boned. The Abyssinian stands well off the ground, giving the impression of being on tiptoe. Paws small, oval and compact.
Tail Broad at base, fairly long and tapering.
Coat

Soft, silky, fine in texture but dense and resilient to the touch, with a lustrous sheen. Short to medium in length but long enough to accommodate two or three bands of ticking.

The underside of the body, chest and innersides of the legs uniformly coloured with the ground colour, harmonizing with the upper parts of the body, without any ticking, bars, necklaces or markings on stomach or belly. Darker shading along the spine line. White or off-white only above the lips, beside the nostrils and down the chin permitted as long as it does not extend to the chest. The tips of the ears are in the same colour as the ticking. The back of the hind feet is dark, hairtufts between the toes are in the same colour as the ticking. The colour of the tail is an extension of the darker shading along the spine and ends in a solid dark tip, coloured with the colour of the ticking, without any rings.

  • Hair tips to be darkest, with the undercoat clear to the roots.
    • Necklace If present, must be broken.

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    Standard of Excellence

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    Undesirable
  • Off-colour pads.
  • Long narrow or short round head.
  • Barring on legs.
  • Rings on tail.
  • Coldness or grey tone in the coat, - allowances made for around the elbows.
    • Withhold First Place
  • White locket.
  • White extending onto the chest.
  • Too little or lack of ticking in parts of coat where desired.
  • Unbroken necklace.
  • Grey undercoat close to skin, extending throughout a major portion of the body.
  • A visible kink.

    • RECOGNISED COLOURS Ruddy
    Sorrel
    Blue
    Fawn         		Black Silver
    Sorrel Silver
    Blue Silver
    Fawn Silver

    NOTE: No evidence of sex linked red permitted.


    SCALE OF POINTS
    Total 100 points
    Head, incl. Muzzle, Skull, Ears, & Eyes (shape, set & colour) 25
    Body, incl. Torso, Legs, Feet & Tail 30
    Coat – Colour & Texture 25
    Coat - Ticking 20


    Allowable Outcrosses: None.


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    Standard of Excellence

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    RUDDY
    Coat Rich golden brown, ticked with black or dark brown, with apricot-brown undercoat.
    Belly & Inside of Legs Ruddy orange or rich apricot.
    Nose Leather Brick Red.
    Pads Black or brown, with black between the toes and extending up the back of the hind legs.

    SORREL (CINNAMON)
    Coat Rich copper-red, distinctly ticked with chocolate brown, with apricot undercoat.
    Belly & Inside of Legs Clear apricot.
    Nose Leather Rose pink.
    Pads Pink, with chocolate brown between the toes and extending up the back of the hind legs.

    BLUE
    Coat Soft blue, ticked with deeper blue, with pale cream or oatmeal undercoat
    Belly & Inside of Legs Oatmeal.
    Nose Leather Dark pink.
    Pads Mauve-blue, with deep blue between the toes, and extending up the back of the hind legs.

    FAWN
    Coat Warm fawn with powdered effect, ticked with a deeper shade of the same colour, with pale fawn undercoat.
    Belly & Inside of Legs Clear pale fawn.
    Nose Leather Pink or pinkish-tan.
    Pads Pink or pinkish-tan, with a deeper shade of fawn between the toes and extending up the back of the hind legs.

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    Standard of Excellence

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    SILVER ABYSSINIANS

    In all silver varieties, the undercoat is to be white, with ticking appropriate to the particular variety. The combination of silvery white undercoat and appropriately coloured ticking will give an overall appearance as described below. Any yellow pigmentation anywhere on the body is undesirable, and is considered a fault.

    BLACK SILVER
    Coat Clear silver, ticked with black.
    Nose Leather Brick red.
    Pads Black, with black between the toes and extending up the back of the hind legs.

    SORREL (CINNAMON) SILVER
    Coat Clear silver, ticked with warm chocolate brown.
    Nose Leather Pink.
    Pads Pink, with copper red between the toes and extending up the back of the hind legs.

    BLUE SILVER
    Coat Clear silver, ticked with blue.
    Nose Leather Dark Pink.
    Pads Mauvish-blue, with blue between the toes and extending up the back of the hind legs.

    FAWN SILVER
    Coat Clear silver, ticked with warm fawn with powdered effect.
    Nose Leather Pink or pinkish-tan.
    Pads Pink or pinkish-tan, with a deeper shade of fawn between the toes and extending up the back of the hind legs.

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