In most pedigree cat breeding clubs, Abyssinian cats can be mated from the age of 12 months, sometimes even from 14 months.

Die litter size  is one to four kittens, but statistically the most common are two kittens per litter. This also leads to the relatively small distribution of the Abyssinian cats compared to the more well-known cat breeds such as the Siamese cats (four to six kittens per litter).

Abyssinian cats may only be crossed with each other.

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Foreign cat breeds are not permitted as crossing partners. In breeding der somali cats  the only allowed crossing partner is the Abyssinian cat. The resulting cats are so-called "Abyssinian variant", heterozygous Abyssinian cats with the recessively present gene for long hair. Abyssinian Variant kittens are currently used by most Somali cat breeders only for breeding Somali cats, as long hair inheritance is not desired in Abyssinian cat breeding.

 

When crossing within the Abyssinian cat breed, as with some other cat breeds, it is essential that the blood groups  of the breeding animals must be observed, as otherwise the offspring may die.

 

There are three blood groups in Abyssinian cats: A (just under 95 %), B and AB (each < 3 %, for statistical information see[3]). With certain blood group combinations, such as blood group B × A in particular (A/A, homozygous homozygous), the entire offspring has the so-called Feline neonatal isoerythrolysis  (FNI, "Fading kitten syndrome" or "kitten mortality") and the death of the animals.

Only members of a recognized pedigree cat breeding club, which in turn may be affiliated with one of the larger umbrella organizations, can breed officially. There you register your kennel name (breeding name, English: cattery).

 

This is a uniquely assigned and registered breed name, z. B. von Abydos-Menes. The breeder is solely responsible for choosing both the kennel name and the derived names of the individual cats that result from breeding in this kennel. The club provides the Abyssinian cat breeder with the pedigree for the animals in his kennel.

 

This also enables the cats to be exhibited and awarded in national and international pedigree cat exhibitions.