Cat Colors - The Abyssinian Cat

The Abyssinian cat colors are many and varied. Whatever the beautiful color, it should be warm and glowing.

An Abyssinian kitten is born darker than its eventual color will be. The color is totally developed when it reaches maturity. Stripes and lines in an Aby’s coat are undesirable.

in all these color variations the insides of the legs and the underbelly should be of a tint that harmonizes with the main color.

Usual or Ruddy Aby

When it comes to Abyssinian cat colors, the most popular is the usual or ruddy. It is one of the most beautiful of cat colors Some say the overall appearance resembles burnt sienna. Others think this color makes the cat resemble a small cougar. It certainly gives the Aby its distinctive “wild cat” look. Base color: the Usual / Ruddy Aby has a warm reddish base color. It is an apricot color – also described as burnt orange. The insides of the legs and the underbelly should be of the same color as the undercoat: a warm reddish color.

Ticking color: the ticking or darkest color is black, which you find in the back stripe and tip of 

the tail as well. Also the feet and the back of the hind legs are black.

Pads: The pads are black or brown, there is black between he toes, and this color extends slightly up the backs of the paws.

Nose: the nose leather is of brick red color.

(Thank you to the Abysphere cattery for permission to use this Abyssinian photo.)

Red or Sorrel Aby

The red variation of the Abyssinian cats was originally a spontaneous mutation of the usual or ruddy Aby. This color variation lack the black color of the ruddy Aby. The gene that causes the red color is recessive. This means that for a kitten to become red / sorrel it needs to get the red gene from both its parents.

Base color: the base color of the red Aby is a bright apricot or yellow-brown, and the same color is on the insides of the legs and the underbelly. White cheeks are not desirable.

Ticking: the ticking color is chocolate brown, and the back stripe and tip of the tail are of the same color. The feet and the backs of the hind legs are also chocolate brown.

Pads: the pads are pink, and there is chocolate color between the toes which extends slightly up the backs of the paws.

Nose: the nose leather is pink.

Cat Colors - Blue Aby

You could say that the blue Abyssinian cat is a pastel version of the usual or ruddy Aby.

Base color: The base color is a warm beige and white color is undesirable. It is also on the insides of the legs and underbelly.

Ticking: the ticking color is blue – various shades of slate blue. The back stripe and the tip of the tail are of the same blue color, as are the feet and the backs of the hind legs.

Pads: The pads are mauve, and there is slate blue between the toes and reaching slightly up the backs of the paws.

Nose: The nose leather is dark pink.

This beautiful blue Aby boy is Abychat Blue Thunder of the Crystalpaws Abyssinians.

Fawn Aby

If the blue Aby was a pastel version of the usual Aby, then the fawn Abyssinian cats are a pastel version of the red Aby.

Base color: the base color is a pinkish cream, white undercoat is undesirable.

Ticking: the ticking color is dark cream. The back stripe and the tip of the tail are of this dark cream color.

Pads: the pads are pink-mauve, and there is a deep pinkish color between the toes, which extends slightly up the backs of the paws.

Nose: the nose-leather is salmon-colored.

Here you can see how elegant the fawn color is - this is Crystalpaws Fawn Fantasy.

Chocolate Aby

The chocolate color gene came from an outcross to a chocolate-point Siamese cat in the 1970’s.

Base color: the base color of a chocolate Aby is described as rich apricot color.

Ticking: the ticking color is chocolate. The back stripe and the tip of the tail are of the same color.

Pads: the pads are chocolate in color.

Nose: the nose-leather of a chocolate Aby is pink.

Thank you, Debbie Dixon of Crystalpaws Abyssinians for the permission to use the photo of your beautiful Crystalpaws Coco-Noisette here.

 Cat Colors - Lilac Aby

Here is a lilac Aby girl Crystalpaws Lilac Ghost.

The lilac Abyssinian cat is a pastel version of the chocolate aby. Base color: the undercoat of a lilac aby is of a pinkish cream color. Ticking: the ticking color is a pinkish grey, which color is at the tip of the tail and soles of the feet as well. Pads: the pads are of a mauvish pink color. Nose: the nose-leather is also of mauvish pink.

Cat Colors - Silver Aby

This particular shade used to be popular at the turn of the 20th century, but was more or less forgotten until the 1960’s when the color was re-introduced. The overall effect of this color is that of sparkling silver.

Base color: The undercoat is always of a pure silvery white color. Any yellowish color is undesirable.

TICKING:

There are several variations of the silver Aby. 
In black-silver Aby the ticking is black, and this color is also on the tip of the tail and soles of the feet.

This black silver beauty is Crystalpaws Bellatrix Black

Sorrel-silver (or cinnamon-silver) Aby’s ticking is red-brown. The tip of the tail and the soles of the feet are of the same color.

Here is an example of a sorrel silver Aby girl, Silversmoke Gigi of Crystalpaws cattery.

Blue-silver Aby has dark blue-grey as the ticking color, and the same color in on the tip of the tail and the soles of the feet.

Fawn-silver Aby’s ticking color is deep warm cream, the tip of the tail and soles of the feet are of the same color.

Here is a picture of a very rare cream silver Abyssinian, Crystalpaws Vanillaessence. Debbie tells about her: "she is possibly the first cram silver female with only Abyssinians in her pedigree to be born in the world. "(Usually cream silvers have a Somali cat as one parent)  

NOSE:

The nose leather in black-silver is brick red outlined with black.

Sorrel-silver has a brick red nose leather outlined with brown.

Blue silver’s nose leather is brick red outlined with blue-grey.

And fawn-silver Abys have brick red nose leather outlined with deep pink.

Thank you, Debbie Dixon of Crystalpaws Abyssinians and Oleg Alexeev of Abysphere Cattery for the permission to use your photographs.

Do you know a lovable, funny, unforgettable Aby? If so, you can tell all about it by clicking here!

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