Abyssinian (23) (ABY)
General Type Standard

The Abyssinian cat is a balanced medium to large-sized animal of foreign type.   The lithe and muscular body should be medium to large in size and have a well-ticked close-lying coat, which conforms to the standard for that colour.
 
Head - All head contours should be gently rounded especially from the brow to top of head.  Wide between the ears, forming a moderate wedge, which tapers from the outer edge of the ear base to a slightly rounded muzzle.  A slight indentation forms the muzzle.  Allowance should be made for fuller cheeks in adult males.  A slight nose break is essential; a bump on the nose is undesirable.  The line from the nose tip to the very firm chin should be straight.  An elegant neck should arch in an unbroken line from top of head to shoulders.
 
Ears - Set wide apart, large, well cupped, pricked, and furry on their inner edges. Ear tufts are desirable.  From the front view the line of the ears should follow the head wedge. Conforms to the standard for that colour.

Eyes - Set well apart, large, expressive and a rounded almond shape in an oriental setting.  Colour to be a clear deep shade of amber, green or hazel.

Body – Lithe and muscular body, medium to large in size.  Back straight from shoulder to rump and rib cage rounded.

Legs and Feet - Legs slender and elegant, in proportion to body; small oval feet.
 
Tail - Thick at base, tapering and long enough to reach the cat's shoulders.

Coat - Short, fine but not soft, dense in texture and lying close.  Distinctly ticked, resulting in at least four bands of colour.  The roots must be the colour of the base hair and the final band must be the ticking colour.

Markings - Pigmentation lines of the ticking colour must extend from the inner edge of the eye to the top of the head; and also from the outer edge of the eye to the edge of the ear.  The hair around the eyes is pale and the eyelid edge darker.  The back of the ears should be darker at the tips, preferably with clear brighter colour at the base.  Chin, lips and nostrils should be the colour of the base hair or cream; white here is undesirable.  White markings, such as a locket, anywhere else are not permitted.  A line of the ticking colour should extend from the back of the head along the spine and tail, ending in a solid tail tip of that colour, the same colour to extend well up the hock.  There should be no heavy necklet or bars or any other marks, although a faint well broken necklet or slight leg barring is acceptable.

SCALE OF POINTS

Withhold all Awards for:

• White markings, such as a locket (see Withhold Certificates (1) below)
• Cobby, coarse, small or Oriental type  
• Aggressive temperament 

Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Breed Classes for:

• White extending down the neck
• Unbroken necklets
• Absence of required pigmentation marks on head and around eyes in adults
• Absence of darker tail tip
• Rings on tail
• Lack of overall silver effect owing to excessive yellow pigmentation in silver exhibits
• Ill-defined or incorrect ticking
• Fewer than four bands of colour in adults
• Absence of firm chin
• Lack of slight nose break
• Whip tail
• Fine boned
• Small boned
• Any defect as listed in the preface to the SOP booklet

Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Breed Classes for two or more of the faults listed below:

• Pinched muzzle or lack of muzzle indentation
• Pale or muddy eye colour
• Eyes not in oriental setting
• Heavy, broken necklets
• Absence of spinal shading in adults
• Absence of darker markings on hind legs
• Substantial barring on legs
• Dark roots on a major part of the body
• Fluffy, soft, over-long or rough coat
• Yellow pigmentation anywhere on a silver cat

USUAL (23) (ABY n)
Overall Appearance - Rich golden brown ticked with black.
Base Hair - Ruddy orange or apricot.
Ticking Colour - Black.
Nose Leather - Brick Red.
Paw Pads - Black

SORREL (23a) (ABY o)
Overall Appearance - Lustrous copper ticked with chocolate.
Base Hair - Bright apricot.
Ticking Colour - Chocolate.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Pink.

BLUE  (23c) (ABY a)
Overall Appearance - Soft warm blue ticked with deeper blue-grey.
Base Hair - Pinkish mushroom.
Ticking Colour - Blue-grey.
Nose Leather - Dark pink.
Paw Pads - Mauvish blue.

CHOCOLATE (23b) (ABY b)
Overall Appearance - Rich copper brown ticked with dark chocolate.
Base Hair - Rich apricot.
Ticking Colour - Dark chocolate.
Nose Leather - Pinkish chocolate.
Paw Pads - Chocolate.

LILAC (23d) (ABY c)
Overall Appearance - Warm (pinkish) dove-grey ticked with deeper dove-grey.
Base Hair - Pinkish cream.
Ticking Colour - Pinkish dove-grey
Nose Leather and Paw pads - Mauvish pink.

FAWN  (23e) (ABY p)
Overall Appearance - Warm fawn ticked with deeper fawn. 
Base Hair - Fawnish-cream.
Ticking Colour - Fawn.
Nose Leather and Paw pads - Pink.

RED (23f) (ABY d)
Overall Appearance – Warm red ticked with deeper red.
Base Hair – Reddish apricot
Ticking Colour - Red.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Pink.

CREAM (23g) (ABY e)
Overall Appearance – Soft warm cream ticked with deeper cream.
Base Hair –Cream.
Ticking Colour – Darker cream.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Pink.

USUAL SILVER  (23s) (ABY s)
Overall Appearance - Clear silver ticked with black.
Base Hair - Silvery white.
Ticking Colour - Black.
Nose Leather - Brick Red.
Paw Pads - Black.

SORREL SILVER (23as) (ABY os)
Overall Appearance - Cool silvery peach ticked with chocolate.
Base Hair - Silvery white.
Ticking Colour - Chocolate.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Pink.

BLUE SILVER (23cs) (ABY as)
Overall Appearance - Silvery blue-grey ticked with deeper blue-grey.
Base Hair - Silvery white.
Ticking Colour - Blue-grey
Nose Leather - Dark pink.
Paw Pads - Mauvish blue.

CHOCOLATE  SILVER (23bs) (ABY bs)
Overall Appearance – Cool silvery brown ticked with dark chocolate.
Base Hair - Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Dark chocolate.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Pink or pinkish chocolate.

LILAC SILVER (23ds) (ABY cs)
Overall Appearance - Silvery dove-grey ticked with pinkish dove-grey.
Base Hair - Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Pinkish dove-grey.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Mauvish pink.

FAWN SILVER (23es) (ABY ps)
Overall Appearance - Silvery fawn ticked with fawn.
Base Hair - Silvery white.
Ticking Colour - Fawn.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads - Pink.

RED SILVER (23fs) (ABY ds)
Overall Appearance – Silvery red ticked with deeper red.
Base Hair – Silvery white.
Ticking Colour - Red.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Pink.

CREAM SILVER (23gs) (ABY es)
Overall Appearance – Silvery cream ticked with deeper cream.
Base Hair –Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Cream.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Pink.


TORTIE ABYSSINIAN
Tortie colours may be either random or symmetrical. Blazes, solid legs or tails are all permissible.

USUAL TORTIE (23t) (ABY f) (Preliminary)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of rich golden brown ticked with black and reddish apricot ticked with red.
Base Hair – Mixture of ruddy orange or apricot and reddish apricot.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of black and red.
Nose Leather – Brick red or pink or mottled with both colours.
Paw Pads – Black or pink or mottled with both colours.

SORREL TORTIE (23at) (ABY q)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of lustrous copper ticked with chocolate and reddish apricot .
Base Hair – Mixture of bright apricot and reddish apricot.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of chocolate and red.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Solid or mottled pink.

BLUE TORTIE (23ct) (ABY g)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of soft warm blue ticked with deeper blue-grey and cream ticked with deeper cream.
Base Hair – Mixture of pinkish mushroom and cream.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of blue-grey and cream.
Nose Leather – Dark pink or pink or mottled with both colours.
Paw Pads – Mauvish pink or pink or mottled with both colours.

CHOCOLATE TORTIE (23bt) (ABY h)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of rich copper brown ticked with dark chocolate and reddish apricot ticked with red.
Base Hair – Mixture of rich apricot and reddish apricot.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of dark chocolate and red.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Pinkish chocolate or pink or mottled with both colours.

LILAC TORTIE (23dt) (ABY j)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of warm (pinkish) dove-grey ticked with deeper dove-grey and cream ticked with deeper cream.
Base Hair – Mixture of pinkish cream and cream.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of pinkish dove-grey and cream.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Mauvish pink or pink or mottled with both colours.

FAWN TORTIE (23et) (ABY r)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of warm fawn ticked with deeper fawn and cream ticked with deeper cream.
Base Hair – Mixture of fawnish cream and cream.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of fawn and cream.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Solid or mottled pink.

TORTIE SILVER (23ts)(ABY fs)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of clear silver ticked with black and silvery red ticked with red.
Base Hair – Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of black and red.
Nose Leather – Brick red or pink or mottled with both colours.
Paw Pads – Black or pink or mottled with both colours.

SORREL TORTIE SILVER (23ats) (ABY qs)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of cool silvery peach ticked with chocolate and silvery red ticked with red.
Base Hair – Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of chocolate and red.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Solid or mottled pink.

BLUE TORTIE SILVER (23cts) (ABY gs)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of silvery blue-grey ticked with deeper blue-grey and silvery cream ticked with deeper cream.
Base Hair – Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of blue-grey and cream.
Nose Leather – Dark pink or pink or mottled with both colours.
Paw Pads – Mauvish pink or pink or mottled with both colours. 

CHOCOLATE TORTIE SILVER (23bts) (ABY hs)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of cool silvery brown ticked with chocolate and silvery red ticked with red.
Base Hair – Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of dark chocolate and red.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Pinkish chocolate or pink or mottled with both colours.

LILAC TORTIE SILVER (23dts) (ABY js)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of silvery dove-grey ticked with pinkish dove-grey and silvery cream ticked with deeper cream.
Base Hair – Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of pinkish dove-grey and cream.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Mauvish pink or pink or mottled with both.

FAWN TORTIE SILVER (23ets) (ABY rs)
Overall Appearance – Mixture of silvery fawn ticked with fawn and silver cream ticked with deeper cream.
Base Hair – Silvery white.
Ticking Colour – Mixture of fawn and cream.
Nose Leather and Paw Pads – Solid or mottled pink

Changes approved at GCCF Council meeting, held 26th June 2013