Somali Cat, Or Somali

2023 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-27 22:49

The Somali cat, or Somali (Somali cat) is a long - haired cat breed that descended from the Abyssinian. The mischievous nature of the Somali is often compared to a monkey. These cats are almost always in a good mood. If guests come to the house, then after meeting the cat will certainly invite them to play. Somalia can turn your life upside down. For those looking for a cat that can lie quietly on the windowsill or on the couch all day, the Somali cat is not suitable. Somalia literally considers everything to be its property, including the owner. A particularly favorite game is playing with water. They are great companions, both for single people and for families, including families with children (6+) … Somali cats hate loneliness and confined space. They just need regular communication and plenty of space to play.

Weight: 3.5-5.5 kg.

Cost (price) of a kitten: 15,000-100,000 rubles (depending on the class of the kitten).

Life expectancy: up to 20 years (average 12-15).

Country of origin: USA.

Breed diseases: renal amyloidosis, myelodysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, lack of pyruvate kinase, dislocation of the patella, predisposition to gingivitis, periodontitis and caries.

The breed is recognized by felinological organizations: FIFe, WCF, CFA, TICA, AACE, ACF, ACFA / CAA, CCA-AFC, LOOF.

Somali cat, or Somalia: buying a kitten

Nicknames for a Somali cat

Somali cat: feeding

Maintenance of a Somali cat

Somali cat: caring for ears, eyes, claws and hair

Breed standard Somali cat according to GCCF

Somali breed standard according to CFA

History of the Somali cat

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, American and Canadian breeders who bred Abyssinian cats began to find one or two very dark kittens with longer coats in the litter. Such animals were distributed, wishing to hide the fact of their existence. Where the long hair came from the purebred Abyssinians is not exactly known. There can be two answers to this question: a spontaneous (spontaneous) mutation or the result of crossbreeding (crossing with some kind of long-haired cats). Long-haired offspring were discarded and never considered a new breed.

In 1965, American breeder Mrs. Evelyn Megew (Lynn-Lee cattery) decided to cheat and rescued the "wrong" kittens. She was not the first, but she was more persistent than the rest. The stubborn Mrs. Megew continued her search with fellow breeder Don Ritchings from Canada. They named the new breed Somali and created the Somali Fan Club (SCCA) in 1972.

A long-haired Abyssinian (breeder Mary Meiling) was first shown at a local cat show in Canada in 1963. Two years later, the first cat of the Somali breed was registered in Canada. He received the name Mai-Ling Tutsuta. In 1979, the breed was recognized by CFA in North America and triumphantly moved to conquer Europe, where it was recognized in 1982.

The unique color of the Abyssinians, ticked tabby, became richer in Somalia: up to 10 color zones (alternating stripes of black and yellow pigment) fit on long hairs, and the color saturation of the Somali was practically not inferior to the Abyssinian.

Somali cats have not escaped the influence of fashion and, in addition to the classic variants of Abyssinian colors - like a hare and a red fox - new, more subtle, sophisticated shades have appeared.

Somali standards in Europe and America differ slightly. Americans describe in detail the entire standard, especially focusing on the softness and roundness of the outlines in the structure of the head and muzzle, and in the WCF standard they limit themselves to describing the length and texture of the coat, while other articles recommend borrowing from the standard of the Abyssinian cat.

Today the Somali cat is very popular with fans all over the world, especially in Australia.

Somali cat appearance

Somalia is a fragile and graceful cat with a muscular flexible body. The ribcage is rounded, the back is slightly arched.

Triangular head of medium size, no pinch, insignificant stop. The chin is well defined and rounded. Smooth line of transition from head to neck. The neck is long and muscular.

The ears are large, pointed, alert, set wide apart. On the inner side of the ear, there are tufts of hair reaching almost to the other edge of the ear. The tips of the ears sometimes have tassels like those of a lynx.

The eyes are almond-shaped, large, shiny, highlighted by a dark border of skin, surrounded by a lighter area. The preferred eye color is dark gold or green.

The limbs are thin, long, and muscular. Legs are oval, small.

The tail is long, thick at the base, very fluffy.

The coat is very soft to the touch, thick, with a rich undercoat. Slightly shorter on the shoulders, somewhat longer on the back, and the longest on the belly. Around the neck there is a “frill” of long hair, like on the tail. "Frill" in cats is more pronounced than in cats.

A typical sign of a Somali cat is a ticked coat color (when each hair is colored in several tones, has transverse dark stripes; the more of them, the more valuable the animal is).

Main colors: wild (brown-orange wool with black hair tips, brick-red nose with a black rim, paw pads are dark brown or black), roe deer color (matt cream wool, light cream at the base, nose and pink pads), blue (smoky blue wool, at the base of a light beige or light cream shade, a dark pink nose with a dark rim, paw pads are gray-blue), sorrel (wool from light brown to copper red, at the base a bright apricot background, the tips of the ears and tail are brown, the nose and paw pads are pink). In addition to the main colors, silver variants are accepted: silver ruddy, silver sorrel, silver blue, silver fawn. In Europe, 28 colors are allowed.

The nature and temperament of Somalia

Somali cats are friendly, active, affectionate and empathetic. The mischievous nature of the Somali is often compared to a monkey. They are almost always in a good mood. If guests come to the house, then after meeting the cat will certainly invite them to play with her. The Somali cat can turn your life upside down. They are playful and persistent cats that love to be the center of attention.

Usually the pranks of these cats do not go beyond the conventionally permissible limits. For example, it is very difficult to imagine a Somali hanging from curtains, overturning a bin, or terrorizing a hamster in a cage. Of course, every cat is different.

Somali cats are great companions for both single and family people, including families with children (6+). By their nature, Somalis tolerate childish treatment patiently, but it is still necessary to explain to children how to properly handle a cat. Can't stand loneliness and confined space. They just need communication and plenty of room to run and play.

Wanting to keep abreast of everything that happens, Somalis accompany their owners everywhere, but gently and unobtrusively. Open the drawer and your Somali will be there to look into it and put his paw inside. These cats tend to literally consider everything as their property, including "their man". They are very curious and tactful. Somali cats are pretty silent. They do not like to be hugged, and when they are taken in their arms. When you are relaxing on the couch, the Somali will sit next to you, not on your lap.

At times it may seem that the Somali cat never sleeps. She is constantly on the move, jumping onto the windowsill to watch birds and other animals; jumps onto the fridge to see if you are preparing dinner the right way; climb onto the table to watch how you work at the computer; will turn on the water tap and will be fascinated to follow the stream of water.

Relations with animals, including rodents, birds and ferrets, are ambiguous and depend on the individual characteristics of a particular cat. The chances of Somali living peacefully with other animals are increased if they grow up together.

Somali's playfulness has not faded over the years. For those looking for a cat that can lie more or less calmly on the windowsill or on the couch all day, the Somali cat will not work.

Running, jumping, playing and eating are the favorite activities of Somalia. A particularly favorite game is playing with water. A cat can watch dripping water for hours or "catch" it with its paws. On occasion, she can take a shower with the owner. Somalis often throw toys into a bowl of water and then fish them out.

The Somali cat shamelessly begs for everything it can digest somehow. The open door to the kitchen has a truly magical attraction for her, especially if there is something not put in its place or there are just purchased products. She will taste fruits, pie, mustard, pickles, raw vegetables.

Ping-pong balls, bottle caps, crumpled pieces of paper, puzzles and teasers (feather toys, laser pointer), various ribbons, fur mice, and especially moving and noisy toys are suitable as toys for Somalia - all this will amuse your pet for a long time.

To satisfy Somali in jumping and climbing, it is recommended to buy a "cat tree" and the higher and harder it is, the better. If opportunities allow, then you can purchase a cat complex, which is mounted on the walls or under the canvas itself.

Somali health

Somali cats generally have good health, with few hereditary diseases: renal amyloidosis, myelodysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, hepatomegaly, pyruvate kinase deficiency, dislocated patella, neonatal isoerythrolysis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, hyperesthesia syndrome. But this does not mean that your Somali cat will have these sores. Currently, there are DNA tests that can identify carriers of these diseases and such animals are usually excluded from reproduction.

Somalis are prone to severe gingivitis, periodontitis and tooth decay, so regular cleaning is a must.

The average life expectancy of Somali cats is 12-15 years and more.