Abyssinian Cats and Kittens

Abyssinain Cats and Kittens

History, Care, Photos, Breed Discription

My cat Pepper always looked slightly Abysinnian to me. She always had a slightly "exotic" look. People often asked what her breed was.

I knew she wasn't purebreed or anything close to that. I adopted her from a rescue that specializes in pregnant and new mom cats with their newborn litters. Mom was a black and white "tuxedo cat" but Pepper and her litter mates were all striped so I assumed daddy was a tabby. Although starting out as a gray striped kitten, her coat has evolved into a brown ticked coat.

Time to research Abysinnian cats!

The earliest account of an "Aby" is when British soldiers brought home cats after serving in the Abysinnian War in what is now Ethiopia. Mrs. Captain Barrett-Leonard received her cat "Zula" in 1868. This breed is first mentioned in literature in 1874 and was officially recognized as a breed by England in 1882.

Aby's were crossed with British Shorthairs and the Oriental breeds once in Britain so their original appearance has changed over the years from what Zula looked like. Every once in awhile there is a dominant gene mutuation for long hair. This trait has since been bred into what we now call the Somali breed which got it's jumpstart in the 1970's.

Geneticists have determined that Aby's are very closely related to the small wild cats along the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia countries. Their appearance and bone structure makes them very similar to the Egyptian Mau cats, the ones we all know from the statues, art, hieroglyphics, mummified cats and worship of Bast in ancient Egyptian culture. Mau's are considered to be the Adams and Eves of modern domestic cats.

Aby's come in several different colors. Abyssinian kittens are born light and without ticking. As they get older, their fur darkens and gets the tri-color ticking. Sometimes stripes appear. Adult Aby's have a little longer tuft of hair at the tips of their large, wide set ears, large, almond eyes and a wedge shaped head. They have extra long legs and small feet which give the appearance of walking on tippy toes. Aby's have a long thin tail that ends in a point and black along the backs of their legs. There is a certain elegance to their bone structure.

• Usual/Ruddy/Tawny coats are the most common. There are 3 colors on each hair - brown, dark brown or black, and burnt orange. Noses are a brick red with a black outline.


• Sorrel/Red/Cinnamon coats are various shades of apricot and red with brown ticking. Pink noses are outlined in dark red.


• Blue coats are a combination of cream, light and dark gray. Noses are gray or reddish with a gray outline.


• Fawn coats are a pinkish cream color with darker shades of cream.


• More rare shades of Aby coats are tortiseshell, chocolate and lilac.

Aby's are very intelligent cats. They are curious but cautious. They are quite loyal and need to be with someone. Lots of toys and interaction is best. Males tend not to mind other cats but females prefer to be divas. If you aren't home very much and go away on business trips or vacations alot, Aby's aren't for you because loneliness can cause depression in an Aby.

The Abyssinian cat is very playful and loves to climb and jump. Outdoor Aby's love trees and fences. Be sure an indoor cat has a kitty tower and other high places to hang out. At our house, it's a carpeted cat tower, the top of the washer and dryer, the back of the couch, and even the top of the china cabinet where I find my Pepper! She also loves to jump high to catch a feathery toy attached to one of those kitty cat fishing pole toys. Some Aby's can be trained to play fetch. Some love playing in or with water.

Abysinnian cat care is very easy. They shed very little. During the beginning of summer, brush your Aby once a week using one of those rubbery brushes and follow with a wipe down with a slightly damp cloth. Trim nails every 2 to 4 weeks as necessary.

Make sure your kitty gets it annual vet appointments and keep an eye out for the following conditions~ Progressive Retinal Atrophy (a recessive gene that can cause blindness), Neurological Storage Disease and Renal Amyloidosis (kidneys). Be watchful for a breed-related stress disorder called Psychogenic Alcopecia (overgrooming causing hairloss).

The Abyssinian cat life expectancy is 9 to 15 years. The males tend to weigh 9 to 12 pounds and the females a few pounds lighter. Altered cats weigh a little more.

If you would like to adopt a pure bred Abysinnian, there are lots of reputable breeders. Find someone in a cat magazine or contact an association who specializes in Abysinnians. Make sure the cattery allows the breeding cats lots of room and a great, interactive environment. You don't want to patronize anyone who keeps their cats permanantly jailed in cages, treated like baby machines! The breeder should be in the business because they love cats. The kitten you adopt should be 12 to 16 weeks old and have received it's first round of shot from the vet. Also make sure that the breeder doesn't breed cats suspected to have any of the genetic disorders mentioned above.

If you have no intention of breeding or showing your new cat, then check out the rescues like I did to find a kitty that has the look of an Aby.

So, does my Pepper have some Abysinnian in her? Perhaps. Maybe her great, great grand daddy sowed some wild oats. She does have tiny extra long hairs at the tips of her ears, a wedge shaped head, extra big eyes, little feet, brown ticked fur and black at the backs of her legs. On the flip side, her ears are not wide set nor does she have extra long legs.

MEOW!

All About FIV - Feline Immunodeficiency Virus

FIV is a slow-acting virus. It's a cat's version of HIV that results in AIDS for humans. People cannot catch FIV, so don't worry!

Many times FIV is not detected until the cat has become quite sick. The virus reproduces inside white blood cells (the ones that fight infection) and spreads throughout the lymphatic system. Swollen lymph nodes and fever is the initial result. Over time, the immune system becomes increasingly weakened and the cat loses it's ability to fight even the simplest of infections. Healthy cats can fight off the normal bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi of their environment but FIV cats become severely ill or can die from such infections.

The most common means of transmission is through bites. Free-roaming and feral males who are aggressive (they bite and get bit) are at highest risk for getting and passing on FIV. A less common way of transmission is from pregnant mother to newborn/nursing babies.

Signs and Symptoms of FIV:

• Recurrent illness or infections. Skin, bladder, and upper respiratory tract infections are common.
  
• Poor coat condition.


• Persistent fever and loss of appetite.


• Inflammation of the gums and mouth.


• Persistent diarrhea.
  
• Eye infections and other conditions.


• Progressive weight loss and eventual wasting away.


• FIV cats are more likely to suffer from cancer and blood diseases.


• Miscarriages of litters of infected pregnant mothers.


• Seizures or other neurological problems.


• Unexplainable behavior changes.

FIV Testing:

To diagnose FIV, the vet simply takes some blood to be tested in the office or a lab for the presence of a certain antibody. If the result comes up positive, then a second test (different method) will be ordered to make sure the first one wasn't a false-positive.

• Kittens born to FIV-positive mothers are not necessarily infected but must be tested every 60 days until they are at least 6 months old to be certain.


• A cat that have been infected within the previous 12 weeks might have a false-negative result because it's body hasn't started producing the FIV antibodies yet. If a cat has been exposed to an FIV cat or has gotten bitten or into a fight with an unknown cat, it should be retested again no later than 60 days from the incident. Two tests are best.
  
• Cats in the late stages of an infection have very weakened immune systems and may not be producing detectable levels of the antibody anymore. This would create a false-negative result.
  

Protecting Your Cat from FIV:

• Keep your cat indoors and away from unknown cats.


• Never adopt a cat that hasn't been tested for FIV first.
  
• Cats that were feral or of unknown backgrounds/parentage should be tested twice for FIV before bringing them home.


• If one of your cats has FIV, it needs to be quarantined away from the other cats. Rough play or a fight could result in a bite which spreads the FIV to other cats. Gentle cats who don't play this way are less likely to spread the disease.


• Make sure your cats receives its FIV vaccinations on schedule. Note-vaccinations are not a guarantee of protection but they do put the odds in kitty's favor.

Taking Care of an FIV Cat:

• Keep FIV cats indoors and away from other cats and animals. They need to be protected from injuries, germs, viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa that might cause infections.


• Talk to the vet about spaying or neutering.


• No raw meat, eggs or unpasteurized dairy products. These items might have parasites or bacteria that an FIV cat is unable to fight off.


• Dry food is less likely to spoil or become contaminated while sitting out. Avoid canned food.


• See the vet every six months for a thorough checkup, blood count, serum analysis, urine test and weight check. FIV cats need constant watching because their health is always in jeopardy. Call the vet asap with even the smallest of concerns.


• Keep kitchen and bathroom counters and floors clean and disinfected. Take shoes off at the door and vacuum carpets often. Dirt brings in all sorts of nasty stuff.


• Wash and disinfect water bowl and food dish every day.


• Keep the litter box super clean and disinfect it once a week.

The lifespan of an FIV cat depends upon how soon the disease is caught and the nature of the cat's infections. Some cats can live many more years under ideal conditions.

After the passing of an FIV cat, the home needs to be cleaned up before a new kitty can join the family. It's not the FIV you will be cleaning up. It's the various germs that your HIV left behind during it's final months of poor health. Disinfect all kitty supplies by washing thoroughly with hot soapy water and drip drying. Give these items a second wiping down with bleach water and air drying. Throw away soft toys and get new ones. Spray cat towers and beds with a disinfectant spray. Give all floors a very thorough vacuuming or mopping.

The Genetics of Tri-Color Cats - Calicos & Klinefelters

Are all calicos female? Are males calicos worth millions of dollars? So say the urban myths. I will try to explain these cats without going into genetics too deeply and giving myself (and possibly you) an aneurism, stroke or too much brain damage!

Everyone has DNA. Half came from mom and half came from dad, passing down their own genetic information to their children. DNA is made up of individual units called chromosomes. These chomosomes describe how the child will look - size, color, shape, all kinds of stuff.

The chromosomes for gender (sex) are named X and Y. Everyone has two of these, one came from from mom and one, from dad.

Females are XX and males are XY. Mom (XX) gives one X to every child. She does not have any Y's to dole out. Dad (XY) either gives an X to make a daughter or a Y to make a son.

Chromosomes are made up of genes. Genes hold the characteristics mentioned above. The genes for colors of cat fur (except white) are on the X chromosome. The white color gene does not live on a gender chromosome.

Now I will start oversimplifying because I don't want anyone to fall out of their chair with an intense headache:

The genes for the colors black/gray and brown/orange/red live on the X chromosome only. They do not live on the Y one. A female cat has 2 X's so she can therefore inherit a gene for black on of her X's and for brown on her other X. She can receive both colors. However, a male only has one X and can therefore only inherit one color (either black or brown, but not both).

Since the color white does not exist on the X and Y gender chromosomes, all cats can inherit white.

Let's say a female cat inherits white from one of her parents. She also inherits black on one of her X's and brown on the other X. She has all 3 colors going and can be a calico. Woo-hoo!

It's a bit trickier for a male cat. Let's say he inherits white from one of his parents. Since he's a boy, he only receives one X (from mom) and it might have black or brown on it. Dad gave him a Y which does not have color genes on it. This is what usually happens - you get a white male cat plus brown or black but both.

Enter the world of the Klinefelter cat. These are male kitties with all 3 colors. It's not a magic trick, just a genetics oopsie daisy. What happened is Klinefelter male cats have 3 gender chromosomes: two X's and one Y. He's a white cat who received brown on one of his X's and black on the other X. This is rare but does happen every once in awhile.

Klinefelter male cats are rarely able to become fathers themselves. I'll spare you the details and just say that their hormones and manliness are affected. Klinefelter's Syndrome has side effects beyond just coloring. It exists throughout the animal kingdom, even in humans.

I hope you enjoyed this information and that I didn't cause you any brain damage with the mini genetics lesson.

>^.^<

GOTHIC KITTENS FOR SALE ON EBAY?!

Did you read or hear about the lady in Pennsylvania who came up with the stupid marketing strategy of selling "gothic kittens?" The poor dears had ear, neck and tail piercings and were being sold on Ebay. Ebay doesn't allow the sale of live animals so I guess someone came across their ad and tipped off Ebay to immediately cancel the listing. The SPCA raided the house after receiving a tip and took three kittens and an adult cat. The stupid lady was running a grooming salon out of her business. Talk about bad business decisions!

I hope she pays a fine, does time and serves community service for animals (how about making her scoop elephant poop for the circus?). I hope the judge orders she never own, babysit, or handle another animal for the rest of her life. Is there such thing as a restraining order to keep her 1000 feet away from any kind of animal?