| Abyssinian | |||||
| POINT SCORE | |||||
| HEAD (25) | |||||
| Muzzle........................................................................................... 6 | |||||
| Skull .............................................................................................. 6 | |||||
| Ears............................................................................................... 7 | |||||
| Eye Shape .................................................................................... 6 | |||||
| BODY (30) | |||||
| Torso............................................................................................. 15 | |||||
| Legs and Feet............................................................................... 10 | |||||
| Tail................................................................................................. 5 | |||||
| COAT (10) | |||||
| Texture.......................................................................................... 10 | |||||
| COLOR (35) | |||||
| Color.............................................................................................. 15 | |||||
| Ticking........................................................................................... 15 | |||||
| Eye Color ...................................................................................... 5 | |||||
| GENERAL: the overall impression of the ideal Abyssinian would be | |||||
| a colorful 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; the | |||||
| 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: not sharply pointed or square. The chin should be neither | |||||
| receding nor protruding. Allowance should be made for jowls in | |||||
| adult males. | |||||
| EARS: alert, large, and moderately pointed; broad, and cupped at | |||||
| base and set as though listening. Hair on ears very short and close | |||||
| lying, preferably tipped with black or dark brown on a ruddy | |||||
| Abyssinian, chocolate-brown on a red Abyssinian, slate blue on the | |||||
| blue Abyssinian, or light cocoa brown on a fawn Abyssinian. | |||||
| EYES: almond shaped, large, brilliant, and expressive. Neither | |||||
| round nor oriental. Eyes accentuated by fine dark line, encircled by | |||||
| light colored area. | |||||
| 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 and FEET: proportionately slim, fine boned. The Abyssinian | |||||
| stands well off the ground giving the impression of being on tip toe. | |||||
| Paws small, oval, and compact. Toes: five in front and four behind. | |||||
| TAIL: thick at base, fairly long and tapering. | |||||
| COAT: soft, silky, fine in texture, but dense and resilient to the touch | |||||
| with a lustrous sheen. Medium in length but long enough to accommodate | |||||
| two or three dark bands of ticking. | |||||
| PENALIZE: off-color pads. Long narrow head, short round head. | |||||
| Barring on legs, dark broken necklace markings, rings on tail. | |||||
| Coldness or grey tones in the coat. White undercoat on blue or fawn | |||||
| Abyssinians. | |||||
| DISQUALIFY: white locket, or white anywhere other than nostril, | |||||
| chin, and upper throat area. Kinked or abnormal tail. Dark unbroken | |||||
| necklace. Grey undercoat close to the skin extending throughout a | |||||
| major portion of the body. Any black hair on red Abyssinian. | |||||
| Incorrect number of toes. Any color other than the four accepted | |||||
| colors. | |||||
| ABYSSINIAN COLORS | |||||
| Coat color: warm and glowing. Ticking: distinct and even, with | |||||
| dark colored bands contrasting with lighter colored bands on the | |||||
| hair shafts. Undercoat color clear and bright to the skin. Deeper | |||||
| color shades desired, however intensity of ticking not to be sacrificed | |||||
| for depth of color. Darker shading along spine allowed if fully | |||||
| ticked. Preference given to cats UNMARKED on the undersides, | |||||
| chest, and legs; tail without rings. Facial Markings: dark lines | |||||
| extending from eyes and brows, cheekbone shading, dots and | |||||
| shading on whisker pads are all desirable enhancements. Eyes | |||||
| accentuated by fine dark line, encircled by light colored area. Eye | |||||
| color: gold or green, the more richness and depth of color the better. | |||||
| RUDDY: coat ruddy brown (burnt-sienna), ticked with various | |||||
| shades of darker brown or black; the extreme outer tip to be the | |||||
| darkest, with orange-brown undercoat. Tail tipped with black. The | |||||
| underside and inside of legs to be a tint to harmonize with the main | |||||
| color. Nose leather: tile red. Paw pads: black or brown, with black | |||||
| between toes, extending slightly beyond the paws. | |||||
| RED (cinnamon gene): coat rich, warm glowing red, ticked with | |||||
| chocolate-brown, the extreme outer tip to be dark, with red undercoat. | |||||
| Tail tipped with chocolate-brown. The underside and inside of | |||||
| legs to be a tint to harmonize with the main color. Nose leather: | |||||
| rosy pink. Paw pads: pink, with chocolate-brown between toes, | |||||
| extending slightly beyond the paws. | |||||
| BLUE: coat warm beige, ticked with various shades of slate blue, | |||||
| the extreme outer tip to be the darkest, with blush beige undercoat. | |||||
| Tail tipped with slate blue. The underside and inside of legs to be a | |||||
| tint to harmonize with the main color. Nose leather: old rose. Paw | |||||
| pads: mauve, with slate blue between toes, extending slightly | |||||
| beyond the paws. | |||||
| FAWN: coat warm rose-beige, ticked with light cocoa brown, the | |||||
| extreme outer tip to be the darkest, with blush beige undercoat. Tail | |||||
| tipped with light cocoa brown. The underside and inside of legs to | |||||
| be a tint to harmonize with the main color. Nose leather: salmon. | |||||
| Paw pads: pink with light cocoa brown between the toes, extending | |||||
| slightly beyond the paws. | |||||
| The following information is for reference purposes only | |||||
| and not an official part of the CFA Show Standard. | |||||
| Abyssinian Color Class Numbers | |||||
| Ruddy ...............................................................0380 0381 | |||||
| Red....................................................................0382 0383 | |||||
| Blue...................................................................0384 0385 | |||||
| Fawn .................................................................0386 0387 | |||||
| AOV.................................................................................None None | |||||
| Abyssinian allowable outcross breeds: none. | |||||
| 1 of 1 Abyssinian Show Standard (revised 2008) | |||||
| Abyssinian | |||||
| © 2009 The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. | |||||