Australia is a vast country with a very small population for its size, within it, we have many fragmented Cat Councils under which exhibitors, and breeders can register and show their cats. These total 15 and are split over 8 Australian States. For instance, Queensland has 3, Western Australia 2, South Australia 2, Northern Territory 1, Tasmania 2, Australian Capital Territory 1, New South Wales 2 (they used to have only one but another Governing Body has recently formed) and Victoria 3. The sizes of these cat bodies vary, but the largest is the RASCC in N.S.W, followed by the FCC of Victoria. We are registered with the FCC(V), which is the largest of the three bodies within Victoria, and it has a membership of 800 plus. Most governing bodies have their own code of ethics, train their own judges and have their own breed standards.
As there are so many governing bodies throughout Australia, to ensure we all keep as much uniformity as possible the majority of governing bodies agreed to be affiliated and come under the auspices of two parent bodies. These are the Co-Ordinating Cat Council of Australia (the largest) and the Australian Cat Federation. Eventually it is hoped that we can all unite and work to one standard with the view to having one central registry for all of our cats but this will undoubtedly take many years to achieve.
Aby Breeders have generally declined over the years, this is mainly due to the economy and the Animal Companion Act recently implemented. This Companion Act restricts people to owning only one or two cats. Registered Breeders are permitted more, but all cats are required to be registered with local councils, so it can be policed. In the early 80's, a Victoria Aby specialist show attracted 26 exhibitors and 80 Aby exhibits. Last year, our biggest FCC(V) open show attracted only 10 Aby exhibitors and 23 Abys. An FCC(V) show averages about 9 Abys and throughout Victoria, there are only 10 active breeders, 8 of these show fairly regularly and 2 breed only. Although there are only a handful of us, the quality is generally very high and Abys frequently take Best in Show. To seek greater competition Victorians constantly exhibit in Qld, NSW, SA and at specialist Aby shows, consistently taking major awards. Because Australia is so fragmented and capital cities so far apart, Eastern and Southern Aust cats unfortunately rarely compete with Abys in WA and NT.
Most shows throughout Australia are still conducted behind closed doors, cats are vetted and left for several hours while the judging takes place. Recently exhibitor participation was introduced and this has mainly been influenced by the American style of showing. A few Show Managers experimented with a full American Style Show but the exhibitors now seem to prefer a "semi" American style which is often referred to as "Australian Open Style Show". Cats are openly judged in bays and other than being handled for judging purposes remain in the same cage all day. The disadvantage to bays is, they are in continue use by the judges and this tends to restrict the public from viewing the exhibits, speaking to their owners and the inability of exhibitors to distributed fliers. In Victoria entires for an all breeds show would average around 200, larger shows draw about 350. Number of rings range from one to six throughout Australia, the customary number in Victoria is usually two.
The show year runs from the end of January to mid November, but few breeders exhibit at the start of the show year preferring to wait until March when the weather is more clement. Most Councils divide the cats into groups for judging. Longhairs such as Persians /Birmans etc; are Group 1. Group 2 consists of Siamese/ Oriental etc; and Group 3 the remaining foreign type cats, which include the British. Some Councils in other States judge the Brits separately. Domestics are Group 4. The FCC(V) uses the following method to achieve their best in show awards. Best of colour in each breed is first decided upon, then the best and reserve of breed, finally a top ten for best Cat, Kitten and Neuter (alter) in each group. However, only the first five top exhibits in each group accumulate points towards the FCC(V) end of year awards. A separate article would be required to give an in depth explanation on how each governing body awards challenges, some councils are very lenient others extremely difficult. Briefly, some States use a point system, usually 100 are accumulated for a male (less for a female) to be granted their Champion and Grand Championship status. In FCC(V) (and most other States) 4 challenges under four different judges for each level are required to achieve Champion, Grand, Bronze, Silver and Gold Titles. To accomplish these awards, Abys of the same colour and sex first compete in the open class to gain champion status. Then all Aby Champions of the same sex regardless of colour compete together for Grand. Once Granded they then compete with all other group 3 Grand Champions to achieve the higher awards such as Bronze, Silver and Gold. If an Aby has either an ACF or CCCofA Champion or Grand Champion in front of its title, you can be assured that it has gained it by no mean feat. It would have been awarded best male/female in the champion or grand champion section in its respective group at least 10 times to have earned it.
The FCC (Vic) standard is as Follows: The Abyssinian cat is of foreign type and of medium build, firm, lithe and muscular. It should never be large or coarse. - The head is broad and tapering to a firm wedge set on an elegant neck - The body to be of medium length with a fairly long tapering tail - A cobby cat is not permissible.
HEAD: Is a moderate wedge of medium proportions The brow, cheeks and profile lines showing a gentle contour and the muzzle not sharply pointed. A shallow indentation forming the muzzle is desirable. In profile, the head shows a gentle rounding to the brow with a slight nose break leading to a firm chin.
EARS: Set wide apart and pricked. Broad at the base, well cupped and comparatively large. Preferably tufted.
EYES: Almond shaped and set well apart. Large, bright and expressive. Colour green, gold or hazel with richness and depth of colour.
BODY: Medium, lithe, graceful and well balanced.
LEGS: Proportionately slim however, deceptively well muscled. Length of legs should be in proportion with length of body.
FEET: Neat, oval and compact.
TAIL: Broad at base proportionately long and tapering
COAT: Short, fine and close lying with a lustrous sheen. Long enough to accommodate two or three bands of ticking.
MARKINGS: It is required that the appropriate darker hair colour extends well up the back of the hind legs preferably to the hocks, also showing as a solid tip at the extreme end of the tail. A line of dark pigmentation is required around the eyes. The Abyssinian has a tendency to white in the immediate area of the lips and lower jaw, but cream is preferred.
Awards should be withheld as follows: Heavy bars or rings on legs or tail Unbroken necklace Any white markings, other than under the chin or near the nostrils. White locket, kinked tail grey undercoat (other than on shoulders or elbows) Squint, Odd or incorrect paw pad colour.
SCALE OF POINTS:
TYPE: 20 Head and ears - 5 Eyes - 20 Body, tail, legs and feet -5 Overall balance and condition.
COLOUR: 20 Body colour - 25 Ticking - 5 Coat texture - TOTAL 100
Recognised colours throughout Australia are basically the same; Ruddy is what we term either Tawny or Usual. Red is referred to as Cinnamon or Sorrel. Then there are Blue, Fawn and Silver. In the earlier days some Councils made provision for colours such as Chocolate, Lilac, Sex-Linked Red, Cream, Tortoiseshell. The sex-linked colours are rarely encountered and certainly not encouraged in the mainstream genepool. Some Councils still use numbers to identify their breed colours, this can often be confusing as numbers are sometimes interpreted differently. To save this confusion the FCC(V) now uses colour names only.
Intermating between the four major colours is permissible and fully acceptable within the FCC(V), Silver is not. Silver can be bred to any of the other Aby colours however, the progeny can not be re-introduce to the mainstream Aby gene pool and is permitted only within a Silver programme. The non-Silver progeny from such matings are mostly petted out and have no show status whatsoever. Each State has it's own guidelines which they work under regarding Silver matings. Somalis too are inter-matable with Abys to expand their gene pool, but again the variant progeny have no show status in FCC(V) and are utilised to enhance the Somali gene pool only. Other councils do allow free intermating between Somalis and Abys, pedigrees are accordingly marked and Variants can be shown, though few exhibitor do. Ruddy is by far the most popular colour and I would estimate that 3/4 of the Abys shown are Ruddy. Red would be the next popular colour, followed by blue the least popular being Fawn and Silver. With the introduction of dilutes very few lines now remain homozygous for Ruddy.
Somalis are rarely shown in Victoria and the few that have been, have mainly resulted from Silver matings. The public had little interest in them in Victoria so therefore breeders lost heart. Apart from interstate trips, I rarely see a Somali, so therefore do not feel qualified to comment on their progress over the last decade.
The first importation of Abys into Australia from England was in 1959 when five arrived. The earlier cats differed greatly from today's Abys; they were larger in boning, had less rufous colour and often had a cold appearance. Necklacing was frequently present along with barring on legs and faint rings around the tail. Cats imported from the US (the first in 1980) have since had a great impact on Australian Abys. These cats introduced stunning vibrant colour, muscle-tone, longer elegant necks, slightly shorter heads, smaller frames and boning plus clarity of coat. Breeders flocked to use these earlier imports and a different style of Abyssinian began to evolve. Today's Abys are generally smaller in stature and more elegant however, visiting USA judges often comment that our Abys are larger than what they generally see in the States. A male's average weight is in the region of 81/2Lbs and female approximately 61/2Lbs.
Over the years, some of the more desirable characteristics that the older style of Aby produced have been eliminated, probably the most coveted of these being the Aby's trade mark - ear tufts. Other noticeable changes have been the lack of " thumb prints" on the top of the ears; some are faded and often non-existent. The strong and distinctive facial markings giving the Aby that "wild look" are occasionally lacking, leaving the cat with a bland appearance and eyes which should be almond shaped, are often more rounded and bolder. Ears too have changed to having a much rounder appearance to the top. The black on the hind legs going up to the hocks is displayed by only a few cats and the round tippy-toe feet are often replaced by a slightly more elongated look. Most of our cats have good profiles though some lines tend to produce a slightly straighter profile than is desirable against the Australian standard. Most Abys exhibited are free of necklaces, leg bars, and white is less evident on the throat area, though some Abys portray it more than others do. They also have good overall colour, but in my opinion a few are still lacking in overall style. One feature we seemed to have retained in most of our Abys is the beautiful dense, well-ticked coat, which is easy to groom, resilient and snaps back into place immediately when touched. Many overseas judges praise this coat texture.
The first imported American cat to have the greatest impact on the Aby gene pool here in Australia was a Ruddy male, Tausert's The Wild One (Sire: Gr.Ch.Bastis Zackariah Dam: Gr.Ch.Tausert's Kundalini). He produced many desirable features in his progeny and I consider him to be the foundation cat of our today's Abys. There would be very few pedigrees that do not bear his name in the background. There has been several Aby imports from the USA over the years and these too have had a significant impact on our gene pool and have been responsible for the improved quality we see today. Cats such as Ch.Lakme Negusa Nagasht Ruddy Male (S: Gr.Ch.Lakme Khalil Gibran D: Ch.Araby's Sha-e' Ya of Lakme). Gold Dbl. Gr.Ch.Lohrengel Barrow Bambi 111 Blue male (S: Lohrengel Barrow Bambi 11 D: Dbl.Gr.Ch.Jaanus Joystar of Lohrengel) Brz. Gd. Ch. Bastis Yankee Doodle Dandy Ruddy Male (S: Bastis Gr.Ch.Rusty Nail of Catknapp D:Gr.Ch.Bastis Janet Planet). Bastis Scarlet O'Hara Red Female (S:Gr.Ch.Catknapp Bert of Bastis D:Gr.Ch.Fellows Copper Starlet of Bastis). Crimsoncat's Bill 'O' Rights Fawn Male (S:Dearabi Jerame of Kiziekats D:Kitziekat's Redalert of Crimsoncats). Bibelot Lucky Beaute' Queen Ruddy Female (S:Gr.Ch.Masscat's Lucky Charm of Tausert's D:Qd Gr Ch Bibelot Beaute'). Bastis Cinnabar Red Male (S:Jamata's Rusty Halo D:Kenipurr Billie Direct of Bastis). Tausert's Khyber Ryfle Ruddy Male (S:Gr.Ch.Tausert's Ghunga Dhin D:Gr.Ch.Tausert's Farenheit 500). Gd. Ch. (USA)Aurata's Top Gun Ruddy male (S:Gr.Ch.Cinna's Jack Daniels D.M. D:Ch.Avenue Encounter-Kastania).
There have been many notable Australian Abys bred, but due to their changed appearance over the last 15 years, I will dwell on more recent cats. Please forgive me if I inadvertently fail to mention a cat that breeders feel deserves recognition, there may be some which have evaded my research. The show and breeding male that I consider to have had the most impact on today's Aby gene pool is. CCCA.G.C. Dbl. G.C. Abbana Sampson. (S: Taishun Texana (imp UK) D: Absin Orlena) - Taishun Texana incidentally is from Tausert's The wild One mated to Tausert's Meri Mekka. When Sampson appeared on the NSW show scene he would constantly take top honours and breeders quickly ordered kittens and incorporated his lines into their own stock. He was shown and bred for many years and he has been a tremendous asset to the breed with many pedigrees now carrying his name. He lived until 141/2 years of age. Other notable breeding a show Abys have been Gr Ch. Absin Howzat (Ruddy male) again from US lines, Gd.Ch.Merindalee Pocahontas (Red Female) Pocahontas is behind many of today's winning cats. Brz. Gd.Ch.Abbana Lil Dot (Ruddy Female) Lil Dot is a combination of the older Australia lines and Abbana Sampson and she was an excellent show cat and has bred some fine progeny. Gr.Ch.Zanditu Humphrey Bocat (Ruddy Male) the progeny of Tausert's the Wild One and Bastis Imp. Humphrey was a top winner in his day and is behind some of today's successful cats. CCCA. Gr.Ch. Gold. Gd.Ch. &(USA Gr.Ch)Merindalee Love Bite (Ruddy Male) a supreme in show winner many times over, he also produced excellent progeny which are still breeding quality cats. He was later exported to Hawaii. ACF.AOE.CCCA. Ch. Gold Dble Gr.Ch. Phoenix Selassie (Ruddy Male), again a magnificent show cat and winner. Two imported UK males that contributed greatly to our gene pool in the 80's have been Seawind Shaduf (Ruddy), and Ch. Seawind Seventh Wave (Ruddy) progeny from both of these cats incorporated with USA and Australian lines have reintroduced some of the more coveted features.
Abys around Australia triumphant this year are: CCCA. Dble. G.C. Gold G.C. Nile Bird of a Feather (Ruddy Female - shown in N.S.W). Merindalee Wolf Whistle (Ruddy Female - exhibited in S.A.). Devaraja Warlord (Ruddy Neuter Male - exhibited in Tas). CCCA. Gd.Ch. Gold Dble G.C. Nile Red Frigate (Red Male - exhibited in N.S.W.). Gr.Ch. Alazar X-Iting Dana (Ruddy Female - exhibited in Qld. Merindalee Goosebumps (Ruddy Neuter - exhibited in Vic). Devaraja Crackerjack (Ruddy male) currently taking the honours in W.A.
Until recently, importing from America has been a lengthy and involved process. We could never import directly, cats either had to first spend a period of time in England or Hawaii and then complete a further quarantine here in Australia, amounting to at least nine months quarantine in all. All that is now required is two rabies shots for a kitten and tetre test(s). A kitten must be 6 months of age before it can be imported into Australia and by the time all the requirements are fulfilled in the USA the cat will be approximately nine months of age before it can be exported. A month's quarantine here in Australia is then all that is required. - a much less traumatic experience for the cat. Being a rabies free country exporting works in our favour, almost all countries will permit direct importation from Australia. Before departing a cat requires a veterinary clearance from our Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service then depending on each Countries' importation requirements a rabies shot may be all that is necessary.
Generally, our Abys are healthy, but one would certainly need to check out any cattery for husbandry and the usual feline related problems. Abys do not appear quite as robust as they were 15-20 years ago and often do not live as long. A small number of Abys have died of kidney related problems and some of these have been conclusively diagnosed as Renal Amyloidosis. I have fortunately not heard of any luxating patellar in our Australian Abys, but that is not to say it doesn't exist.
The quality of Abys depicted in the CFA's yearbook and magazines is often outstanding. I feel there are a small handful of Australia breeders who would compare favourably with these. To quote Carolyn Osier after recently judging at the annual specialist Aby Show held in Sydney last year, "some of the Abys I have seen here today would hold their own anywhere in the world".