Zula the Abyssinian
The Abyssinian Cat is thought to have descended from cat called Zula. Zula was a female kitten taken by a British soldier from the port of Alexandria back to the UK. The Abyssinian breed was cultivated in England by breeding Zula with an English tabby cat and then breeding one of Zula’s offspring with another tabby. The Abyssinian breed became steadily popular until it was introduced into the States were it become one of the most loved short haired cats. To this day people believe there are still wild Abyssinian cats populating parts of North Africa.
Abyssinians short haired coat is tawny and ticked. You can find tabby-like markings on the paws and tail in some cats but you shouldn’t find any such marking on the body. Usually the eyes are almond in shape either gold or green in colour with a distinctive black line around the iris. They have large ears and a golden coat is very characteristic of the breed. Other colours are cinnamon, fawn, red, and blue and if you’re lucky you might see a silver variation also.
Personality wise the cats are friendly and like to be active. You won’t get them to sit for long on your lap as they are curious and like to play and explore their surroundings. This lively cat can become down in the dumps if it doesn’t get enough attention. It is considered to be highly intelligent and there is a long haired version called the Somali.