アビシニアンはフォーリンタイプの中型の猫です。
大きな耳、アーモンド形の目、すらりとした筋肉質で引き締まったボディー、細長い手足が特徴です。
手足は長く、非常に長いしっぽを持っています。

標準的な体重は3～5kgとされています。
アビシニアンはトラディショナルカテゴリーのタビー・ディビジョンのアグーティ・タビーのみでCFAではルディ、レッド、ブルーおよびフォーンのみ、TICAでは他にシルバーが認められています。
アビシニアンやそれを起源とするソマリでは、その毛色にルディやソレルというほかの猫にはない名前がついています。

毛はダブルコートで、密に生えています。

(ロシアンブルーも同じダブルコートですが、ロシアンとはかなり違います。）
ルディは赤褐色がかったブラウンタビー、一方のソレルは赤っぽいブラウンにアプリコットの地色が合わさるとレッドのように見えるため、団体によってはレッドと呼称されることもあります。

​一番特徴とされるのはティッキングです。これは1本のにグラデーションが入っているアビシニアン特有の毛色です。

ルディーならば一番下毛の赤い色から一番先端の黒色までにグラデーションを付けながら入っています。

いくら色が濃くてもアビシニアンはティッキングがきちんと入っていなければ良い色とは言えません。

アビシニアンの毛色は淡色のソリッド（単色）に見えますが、1本の毛に色合いの変化がある「ティックド・タビー」と呼ばれる毛の集合体となっています。
そのため、見る方向によって毛色の印象が変化し、輝いているように見えます。

カラーで言うとレッドの色が濃くなりますがティッキングが潰れがちになります。

レッドはルディーのようにハッキリとした黒いマーキングが無くて1色なのですが、ソリッドカラーとは全く異なります。

よく見るとごま塩のようなティッキングがあり、それが細かく入っていますと本当に美しくキラキラ光って見えるのが特徴です。

フォーンやブルーも同様で、色は違いますがティッキングがきちんと入っている事が一番とされています。
仔猫の頃はしっぽや手足にタビーらしい縞模様がまれに浮き出ることがありますが、大きくなるにつれて細かいティックドに変化していきます。
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アビシニアンの頭部は、直線が無く丸みのある楔形とされています。

輪郭はやわらかく丸みを帯びています。

大きな耳は聞き耳を立てているような付方をしているのが望ましく、やや離れ少し外向きについています。
額にはＭ字の模様があり、クレオパトララインといわれるアイラインの入ったくっきりした目元は非常に魅力的です。(ルディ、ブルー)
アーモンド形の大きな目はCFA.TICA共にグリーン、カッパー、ヘーゼル、ゴールドの4色が認められています。

アビシニアンの毛色チャート

アビシニアンの毛色遺伝チャートですが、今は亡きCFA高野賢治ジャッジが詳しく解説されています。

​アビシニアンスタンダード 

CFAスタンダードより抜粋

POINT SCORE(CFA)

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 bea colorful cat with a distinctly ticked coat, medium in size and regalin appearance. The Abyssinian is lithe, hard and muscular, showingeager activity and a lively interest in all surroundings. Well balancedtemperamentally and physically with all elements of the cat in proportion.

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HEAD: a modified, slightly rounded wedge without flat planes; thebrow, cheek, and profile lines all showing a gentle contour. A slightrise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead, which should be ofgood size, with width between the ears and flowing into the archedneck without a break.

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MUZZLE: not sharply pointed or square. The chin should be neitherreceding nor protruding. Allowance should be made for jowls inadult males.EARS: alert, large, and moderately pointed; broad, and cupped atbase and set as though listening. Hair on ears very short and closelying, preferably tipped with black on a ruddy Abyssinian, chocolatebrown on a cinnamon Abyssinian, slate blue on the blue Abyssinian,or light cocoa brown on a fawn Abyssinian.

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EYES: almond shaped, large, brilliant, and expressive. Neitherround nor oriental. Eyes accentuated by fine dark line, encircled bylight colored area.

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BODY: medium long, lithe and graceful, but showing well developedmuscular strength without coarseness. Abyssinian conformationstrikes a medium between the extremes of the cobby and the sveltelengthy type. Proportion and general balance more to be desiredthan mere size.

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LEGS and FEET: proportionately slim, fine boned. The Abyssinianstands 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.

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COAT: soft, silky, fine in texture, but dense and resilient to the touchwith a lustrous sheen. Medium in length but long enough to accommodate two or three dark bands of ticking.

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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 fawnAbyssinians.

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DISQUALIFY: white locket, or white anywhere other than nostril,chin, and upper throat area. Kinked or abnormal tail. Dark unbrokennecklace. Grey undercoat close to the skin extending throughout amajor portion of the body. Any black hair on a cinnamon Abyssinian.Incorrect number of toes. Any color other than the four acceptedcolors.

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ABYSSINIAN COLORS

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Coat color: warm and glowing.

Ticking: distinct and even, with dark(tail tip color) colored bands contrasting with undercoat coloredbands on the hair shafts. Undercoat color clear and bright to the skin.Deeper color shades desired, however intensity of ticking not to besacrificed for depth of color. Darker shading along spine allowed iffully ticked. Preference given to cats UNMARKED on the undersides,chest, and legs; tail without rings.

Facial Markings: dark linesextending 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: goldor green, the more richness and depth of color the better.

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RUDDY: coat ruddy brown (burnt-sienna), ticked with black; theextreme outer tip to be the darkest, with orange-brown undercoat.Tail tipped with black. The underside and inside of legs to be a tintto harmonize with the main color. Nose leather: tile red. Paw pads:black or brown, with black between toes, extending slightly beyondthe paws.

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CINNAMON: coat rich, warm glowing red, ticked with chocolatebrown, the extreme outer tip to be darkest, with red -orange undercoat. Tail tipped with chocolate-brown. The underside and inside oflegs 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.

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BLUE: coat warm beige, ticked with slate blue, the extreme outer tipto be the darkest, with blush beige undercoat. Tail tipped with slateblue. The underside and inside of legs to be a tint to harmonize withthe main color. Nose leather: old rose. Paw pads: mauve, withslate blue between toes, extending slightly beyond the paws.

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FAWN: coat warm rose-beige, ticked with light cocoa brown, theextreme outer tip to be the darkest, with blush beige undercoat. Tailtipped with light cocoa brown. The underside and inside of legs tobe a tint to harmonize with the main color. Nose leather: salmon.Paw pads: pink with light cocoa brown between the toes, extendingslightly beyond the paws.

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The following information is for reference purposes only

and not an official part of the CFA Show Standard.

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Abyssinian Color Class Numbers

Ruddy ...............................................................0380 0381

Cinnamon.........................................................0382 0383

Blue...................................................................0384 0385

Fawn .................................................................0386 0387

AOV................................................................................. None None

Abyssinian allowable outcross breeds: none.

TICAスタンダードより抜粋

ABYSSINIAN BREED

HEAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 points

Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Ears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Eyes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Muzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

BODY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 points

Torso . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Legs and Feet . . . . . . . . 10

Tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Boning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Musculature . . . . . . . . . . . 5

COAT/COLOR/PATTERN . . . 30 points

Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Pattern (Ticking) . . . . . . 10

Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

CATEGORY: Traditional.

DIVISIONS: Tabby and Silver/Smoke.

COLORS: Limited to eumelanistic colors and agouti pattern only.

PERMISSIBLE OUTCROSSES: None.

HEAD:

Shape: Modified wedge with rounded contours as viewed from the front. A rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead without evidence of a sharp break. The head should be of ample length in general balance with the rest of the cat and gently curved from the forehead over the skull flowing into an arched neck.

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Ears: Large, alert, and moderately pointed, broad and cupped at base and arched forward, set as though listening. Hair on ears short and close-lying, preferably tipped in conformity with the color requirements. A “thumb print” marking is desirable on the back of the ear.

Eyes: Almond shaped, large, brilliant and expressive. Skull aperture follows almond shape of eyes being neither round nor oriental. Eyes accentuated by darker lid skin, encircled by a light colored area. Above each eye appears a short vertical darker pencil stroke amidst the light area. At the sides of each eye appears a curved darker pencil line as if a continuation of the upper eyelid. Eye Color to be gold, copper, green or hazel, the more richness and depth of color the better. There is no relationship between coat and eye color. Points shall be divided equally between shape and color.

Muzzle: The muzzle shall follow gentle contours in conformity with the head as viewed from the front and in profile. Chin shall be full and neither projecting nor receding, having a rounded appearance. Allowance to be made for jowls in adult males. The muzzle shall not be sharply pointed and there shall be no evidence of snippiness, foxy appearance or whisker pinch.

Profile: Without flat planes, showing gently curved transition between brow, nose and muzzle.

BODY:

Torso: Medium long, lithe and graceful, showing well developed muscular strength without coarseness and is solid to the feel. The rib cage is rounded with no evidence of flat sides. The back is slightly arched giving the appearance of a cat about to spring. The flank shall be reasonably level without tuckup. Proportion and general balance to be desired more than mere size.

Legs: Proportionately slim, long and well-muscled. The Abyssinian/Somali stands well off the ground.

Feet: Oval and compact. When standing, giving the impression of being on tip toe.

Tail: Long and tapering. Musculature: Well-developed muscular strength without coarseness and solid to the feel.

COAT/COLOR/PATTERN:

Length: Coat resilient to the touch with a lustrous sheen, fine in texture. Medium length, long enough to accommodate four to six alternating light and dark colored bands. The coat lies fairly close to the body; however, the undercoat should be adequate enough to avoid any evidence of slickness. Woolliness undesirable. Coat is longest at the spine, gradually shortening over the saddle, flank, legs and head.

Pattern: Coat pattern is genetically a form of agouti ticking with even, dark-colored ticking contrasted with lighter bands giving a translucent effect.

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TABBY DIVISION:

The colors of the Abyssinian/Somali in the Tabby Division should reflect warmth of color, giving the impression of a colorful cat. The more rufousing and depth of color the better. Deeper shades/tones preferred. Darker shading along spine allowed. White or offwhite to be confined only to the upper throat area, lips and around nostrils. Preference to be given to a good, even ticking.

SILVER/SMOKE DIVISION:

In the Silver Division, only the undercoat color will be different from the Tabby Division, with the six colors of ticking being the same in both divisions. In all Silver varieties, the desirable undercoat color is to be icy white, with ticking appropriate to the particular color, giving an overall sparkling silver effect. The orangebrown/sorrel/cream bands within the ticking of the Traditional Tabby Division colors are replaced with white, with the band adjacent to the skin being the lightest. Yellow or brown pigmentation on the chest, belly, under tail, or inside of legs is not desirable, although minor patches of rufousing are not to be considered a fault if the overall impression is of silver. Some rufousing may be present in the areas of ticking, especially along the spine, and the rufous polygenes may have a small effect on the silver undercolor as well, although lack of rufousing is more desirable.

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GENERAL:

The overall impression of the ideal Abyssinian/Somali is a medium cat, regal in appearance. The Abyssinian/Somali is foreign in type. Males proportionately larger than females, the female being finer boned and usually more active than the male. The Abyssinian/Somali shows firm muscular development and is lithe and panther-like in activity, showing a lively interest in all surroundings. The coat of the Abyssinian/Somali has an iridescent quality. Coat pattern is genetically a form of agouti ticking with even, dark-colored ticking contrasted with lighter bands giving a translucent effect. The Abyssinian/Somali is of sound health and vigor, well-balanced physically and temperamentally gentle and amenable to handling.

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PENALIZE:

Color Faults: Cold, gray or sandy tone to coat color in ruddies, chocolates, or cinnamons or gray hair next to skin with absence of correct undercoat color. Distinct broken necklaces, leg bars, mottling or speckling in unticked areas (underside of body, chest and inside legs), tabby stripes or bars. Slick coat or excessive plushness. Wrong color or patching in pads. Ticking and Pattern Faults: Unevenness of ticking over body, lack of desired markings on head and tail. Condition: Flabbiness of body, lack of coat luster, eye color, evidence of illness, emaciation and lack of muscle tone are faults and points shall be deducted.

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WITHHOLD ALL AWARDS (WW):

Unbroken necklace. Reversed ticking (outermost tip of hair light instead of dark). In the Tabby division, white locket or white anywhere on the body other than around nostril, chin and upper throat areas.

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Temperament must be unchallenging; any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify. The cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally complain aloud but may not threaten to harm. In accordance with Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN, the following shall be considered mandatory disqualifications: a cat that bites (216.9), a cat showing evidence of intent to deceive (216.10), adult whole male cats not having two descended testicles (216.11), cats with all or part of the tail missing , except as authorized by a board approved standard (216.12.1), cats with more than five toes on each front foot and four toes on each back foot, unless proved the result of an injury or as authorized by a board approved standard (216.12.2), visible or invisible tail faults if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.4), crossed eyes if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.5), total blindness (216.12.6), markedly smaller size, not in keeping with the breed (216.12.9), and depression of the sternum or unusually small diameter of the rib cage itself (216.12.11.1). See Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN for more comprehensive rules governing penalties and disqualifications.