Twenty-five years ago, I stumbled upon Abyssinians at a cat show on Cape Cod and fell in love with their beauty, alert responsiveness, and their grace. I’ve owned Abys ever since and always in pairs to afford them interesting feline company. Leo and Oscar, our new Abby brothers from PureAbby Cattery, are the kings and the jesters of our household. I spent time researching breeders and Janet, hands-down, was the right choice. She told us that she had these two siblings, inseparable from birth, who’d stolen her heart. She was understandably eager for them to stay together. My son and I drove 16 hours round trip from Vermont to bring them home —and together they are. Leo and Oscar are the completion of each other and of our family. Oscar, in particular, gets along famously with Hazel, our golden retriever; he sleeps snuggled up against her belly, toys and flirts with her to chase him, and allows Hazel to clean his darling face. Like all Abbys, Leo and Oscar have distinct personalities with many sides, all captivating: from sweet cuddliness to pure rambunctiousness, speeding around the house and up and down cat posts like happy demons. They are highly sociable, always nearby, and never hesitate to make their wishes known to be pet, fed, and occupy the center of our attention – which we happily give them. We hit the Abby jackpot with these two males. Thank you, Janet! It’s been a sincere pleasure working with you from the start, and I enjoy staying in touch to update you on our beautiful Abbys. [envira-gallery id=”13083″]

In the fall of 2020,  the cat count in our house was at an all-time low of 1, with our 15-year-old DSH Baxter, living out his senior years albeit with some health issues.  We found ourselves thinking about what might come next and knowing that my husband often spoke of dogs (big gasp! because we are a CAT house!), it became quite clear that he was very interested in cat breeds that were known for their:  a) high level of intelligence, b) trainability,  c) strong bonds with their owners and d) temperament that would be accepting of other cats in the house.  After completing multiple quizzes for “what is the best cat breed for me?”, results indicated that the Abyssinian breed was at the top of the list.  The next stage of our breeder research led us to Janet Wells of PureAbby.  It was apparent from the initial questionnaire on Janet’s website that she is very discerning as to where her kittens are placed so we were thrilled to be selected for the Spring 2021 waiting list.  The hardest part over the ensuing months was, of course, the waiting…made even more exciting as Janet shared photos of the new litters, detailing milestones and feats of mischief!!

With our new kitten’s name at the ready, Sedona, the day came to pick her up.  Sedona did not disappoint.  She is beautiful, the product of careful breeding.  She has all the personality traits expected of Abys.  She is smart, trainable (for example will come when her name is called), likes to be up high to look you straight in the eye when asking for her treat.  Need some help in the kitchen? Sedona is ready to lend a