Videos Somali Breed Information
Nicknames -
Fox cat
Country of origin -
United States
Breed standards -
AACE, CFA, ACFA, CCA, TICA,
ACF, FIFe
The Somali is a long-haired Abyssinian cat. The breed appeared
spontaneously in the 1950s from Abyssinian breeding programs when a
number of Abyssinian kittens were born with bottle-brush tails and
long fluffy coats. Abyssinians and Somalis share the same
personality (active, intelligent, playful, curious) and appearance.
The only difference between them is the fur length and therefore
the amount of grooming required. Unlike most long-haired cats,
Somalis shed very little excess hair. Their coat is generally shed
en masse, or "blown", once or twice a year,
rather than constantly shedding like a Persian or other long-haired cat.
Somalis have a striking, bushy tail, which, combined with their
ruddy coat, has earned them the nickname of "fox cats" in
some circles. In addition to the fluffy tail, the Somali breed
features a black stripe down its back, large ears, a full ruff and
breeches, contributing further to the overall "foxy"
look. Their coats are ticked, which is a variation on tabby markings, and some Somalis may show full
tabby stripes on portions of their bodies, but this is seen as a
flaw, and tabby Somalis are only sold as neutered pets. The only
tabby marking on a show Somali is the traditional tabby 'M'
on the middle of the forehead. Like Abyssinians, they have a dark
rim around their eyes that makes them look like they are wearing
kohl, and they have a small
amount of white on their muzzles and chins/throats. White elsewhere
on their bodies disqualifies them from show-status.
1. Temperament
They are smart and lively, but also alert and curious. They are
freedom-loving and must have plenty of room to roam and explore.
They are best kept indoors or in outside runs for their own
safety.
2. Colors and Patterns
There are four main Somali colors officially accepted within the
United States: ruddy, red, blue, and fawn. European Somali
organizations have a different naming convention: "Usual"
for ruddy and "sorrel" for red. European Somali clubs
also promote various silver colors.
3. Genetic problems
In the 1990s, many purebred Somalis had significant dental
problems due to congenital problems magnified by inbreeding. As a
result, many Somali cats had to have all their adult teeth removed.
(Dental abscesses, especially below the gumline, can cause cats to
stop eating, which often leads to hepatic lipidosis, a condition
that's often deadly.) As of 2006, the CFA breed standard makes
no mention of this, and breeders say they've made much progress
in breeding out this unfortunate trait.
Copyright (c) 2008 Kitt Killion Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".
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