He really is a beauty, you are lucky to have such a gorgeous creature. Lovely pics all round, but I especially love the last pic, fantastic shot, and really made me smile.
Abyssinian are definitely very intelligent cats. My friend has three purebreds as well - though truth be told (not to her!), Begeera is more handsome than any of them.
My cat (an Oriental) talks to me non stop or until I tell him to keep quiet. And he will always "answer back" if I talk to him - for as long as I hold a "conversation" with him. He can get particularly loud when I'm on the phone - he feels he's missing out on conversation! though it can drive me nuts sometimes