Know Your Cats - The Somali
A Somalis is extremely active and athletic. It needs lots of room to run about and objects to climb on such as book shelves or the refrigerator.
Just by looking at one, you might say that the Somali had just emerged from an ancient forest. This wild-looking cat is a long-haired version of the Abyssinian. Its fur is lush and a bit shaggy, with no likelihood of becoming like wool. However, the coat of the Abyssinian has two to three bands of color from its roots to the ticking. Somali cat fur has ten or more hues, making their color density rich.
The two most common types of Somalis are the Usual (or Ruddy) and the Sorrel (or Red). The Usual possesses a golden-brown coat ticked with darker brown or black while the Sorrel has a warm copper coat ticked with a chocolate-like hue. The Silver Sorrel has a sorrel topcoat and an undercoat that is pale.
History
The Somali’s history can be traced back to the 1930s when the long-haired gene was introduced to the Abyssinians. Yet, Somalis did not continuously produce in North America until the 1950s and 60s. In 1972, a breed club was established and by 1978 the Somali was recognized by all governing bodies in America. Today, the breed is commonplace in Europe and has grown immensely in Australia, where Somalis are bred with very little help from the Abyssinians.
Temperament
A Somali’s temperament is one of a feline that is playful, good tempered, and rather smart. They show a great deal of interest for everyone and everything in their home. Their “meow” is rather low toned as they rarely ever vocalize. This feline usually begs for attention with an attentive stare as it bats their owner gently with its tail.
It dislikes being confined indoors and left alone for long periods of time. If such a cat is never allowed outdoors, it needs a variety of interesting toys, scratch posts, and structures to climb on. Posts and structures must be changed or moved frequently to prevent the cat from becoming bored. Since it is agile and has a lot of energy, it will tend to run a great deal as well as jump on and off of furniture, shelves, countertops, and windowsills.
Appearance
The Somali’s appearance consists of a coat of medium-length fur which is fine-textured, silky, and dense. Its undercoat is pale, ticked, with a chocolate color to give it a silvery peach effect. The Ruddy has a light brown coat ticked with black. Darker shading is present along its spine and tail, tapering to a black tip. Two short vertical lines, one above each eye, is a distinct trait.
They have a body that is elegant, medium-length, being slightly larger than the Abyssinian, but not as fine-boned as a Siamese cat. The legs are long and slender as its feet are small and round with pink pads. Their tail resembles a long furry brush and is long, large at the base, and slightly tapering.
A head of a Somali is shaped like a wedge and has a medium-sized nose with a pink nose pad; ears that are large, well set apart, and pointed; and eyes that are large, almond-shaped, having an amber, green, or hazel color.
SOURCE:
Taylor, David The ultimate cat book, Balinese (pp. 72-73) Simon & Schuster,
New York
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