Somali Cats. Extensive information and FAQs about Somali Cats including Somali Cats breed description, breed history and origins and Somali Cats pictures.

The Somali is a combination of beauty and personality. The first thing that captures your attention is the beauty and uniqueness of the Somali.

They are very striking cats, with their colourful coats, bushy tails, facial markings and alert personalities.

History

The Somali is a longhaired Abyssinian, originating as an undesirable product of a recessive gene in the Abyssinian cat.

In early years, the Somali was not held in high regard; Abyssinian breeders were appalled to find these fuzzy kittens popping up in their litters, especially after all the hard work they had put into line breeding to "fix type," working with their imported English Abys.

In the United States, Evelyn Mague began working diligently for recognition and development of the Somali breed. Evelyn had the distinct honor of naming the breed with a bit of humor.

Since some Aby breeders saw the Somali as an unwanted interloper, she picked a name of equal stature to the one derived from Abyssinia - she chose to call them Somalis after Somalia, the ancient neighboring country of Abyssinia.

Description

The Somali is a well-proportioned, medium to large cat with firm muscular development, lithe body, showing an alert, lively interest in all surroundings.

Somali coats are generally two to three inches in length, non-matting, and easy to care for. They have a remarkable "fox-like" appearance due to their markings, bushy tail, full breeches, and ruff. The Somali is available in ruddy, red, blue, and fawn.

"The Ruddy Somali has an overall impression of an orange-brown or ruddy coat ticked with black, with darker shading along the spine allowed.

The underside of the body and inside of the legs and chest is to be an even ruddy tone, harmonizing with the topcoat, without ticking, barring, necklaces, or belly marks.

The Red Somali is a warm, glowing red ticked with chocolate brown. Darker shading is allowed along the spine. Again, the underside of the body is an even color, harmonizing with the topcoat


The Blue Somali's coat is ticked with various shades of slate blue, the extreme outer tip to be the darkest, with an ivory to blush-beige undercoat.

Somalis are extroverted, lively, alert cats that love to play, love attention, and thrive on human companionship.

They are very curious, captivating, and expressive, with alluring personalities. Somalis are intelligent, learn quickly, remember remarkably well, and show a playful sense of humor.

They are natural show-offs and born clowns. Somalis have a naturally happy disposition, desire the company of humans, and demand to be treated as one of the family.

Special Requirements

The Somali is a remarkably hardy cat, with few associated health problems.


Like many cats of all breeds and mixed breeds, Somali are prone to gingivitis. This condition should be monitored at annual veterinary visits (more often if a problem occurs). Feeding the cat a large portion of its diet as a high-quality dry food helps this problem.


It has just been discovered that a few lines of Somali may be prone to a type of anemia called auto immune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). If you have a Somali with anemia or anemia-like symptoms, request a PCV blood test.

This test is not usually done on a normal blood workup for cats, as AIHA is found much more commonly in dogs. The normal treatment for AIHA is steroid therapy.