Gryf (the cat in the picture) is a Rudi Abyssinian cat photographed by the famous Helmi Flick in a studio, probably at a cat show in the USA. The spelling of the word “rudi” comes from Gloria Stephen’s book Legacy of the Cat (see left). That is probably cat fancy speak. “Ruddy” is the conventional spelling and its dictionary meaning is a reddish color. The coat is orange-brown with dark brown or black ticking. You can see the dark brown on the back and down the flanks. The Abyssinian is a tabby but a special one as the only marks are the vestige of the tabby “M” mark on the forehead and the dark tip to the tail. Kittens have black that extends from the top of the head, which may go down the back. You can see the “shadow” of darker fur under the eyes on prominent cheek bones.
The Abyssinian cat is said to originate from the west coast of India thence to Abyssinia and then to Europe. Who knows? We do know that this elegant cat is in the top five for popularity. The ears are large. I have seen overly large ears that spoil the balance. This is a cat that should have balance but some overbreeding takes place. The early Abyssinian cats where moderate in conformation looking like moggies in profile but they are now meant to be slender (foreign shape).
