Somali cats 

Handsome, strong and fairly tall, the Somali breed is wild-looking. But nothing could be further from the truth about his nature. Somalis are some of the most companionable cats in all the cat breeds.  They are cheerful and loving and highly demonstrative in their affection. They are incredibly playful and amusing, too.  They will invent their own games if no-one is willing to play with them, and will amuse themselves for hours.

Somalis have developed out of a mutation in the Abyssinian breed.  In the 1950s long haired kittens started turning up in pedigree litters of shorthaired Abyssinians in Britain, the USA and even here in South Africa.

Embarrassed breeders were reluctant to admit these cats existed at first and quietly sold them as `pets’.   But given time, breeders noticed their beauty and began to develop them as a breed of their own, which they named “Somali”. 

In the late 1970s, the breed achieved championship status in the USA and ten years later in South Africa.

The Somali has large, tufted ears similar to a Lynx and, although only a medium-sized cat, it is well-muscled and appears to stand tall on long front legs.  It has a strong, well-rounded head and fairly short face.  Their eyes are large and almond shaped and very expressive.

Its coat is this creature’s crowning glory.  Although dense it is both fine and silky.   Depending on the colour of the outer coat, the undercoat is a soft oatmeal or apricot colour.   The outer coat has at least three bands of colour on each hair, ticked.  In Ruddy Somalis, these bands are black.  In the Sorrel, the bands are a light chocolate colour.  In the Blue Somali, the ticking is blue and in the Fawn, it is fawn. 

The Silver Somali is also very popular with an almost white undercoat with black ticking, giving it a silvery, shimmering look.  Somalis also come in chocolate and lilac but these are rare.

Facial markings are striking, with `thumbprints’ on the ear tips and fluffy tail, matching their coat colour.

Coat care is minimal.  Somalis require regular brushing to remove dead or tangled hair because of the special texture.  And every cat needs a healthy diet of both food, love and companionship.

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