The Somali really is a breathtaking cat to behold; having a wild, feral look whilst also being elegant and graceful. The Somali displays a remarkable fox-like appearance, with its large ears, full ruff, breeches and bushy tail. Somalis are sometimes referred to as longhaired Abyssinians, as Abyssinians are the parent breed of the Somali.
Body: Somalis are well-proportioned, medium sized cats with lithe, muscular bodies normally weighing between seven and twelve pounds. They usually reach their full size at about eighteen months of age. Somalis are foreign in type (neither cobby nor svelte). They have long legs and oval paws with thick tufts between the toes.
Fur:
The Somali has a semi-longhair coat. The fur is long around the neck,
tail, tummy and breeches with
shorter fur across the shoulders. The longer fur of the
Somali is usually around two to three inches. The coat is incredibly
soft and silky, non-matting, easy to care for and requires little
grooming.
Somalis have two seasonal moults but
shed minimally the rest of the year leaving relatively little hair
around the house.
Ticking: The Somali has a ticked (agouti) coat. The ticking (i.e. black in a Usual Somali) is darker than the base colour (apricot) and runs across each individual hair in bands. There may be three to fourteen bands of colour along each hair giving the impression of a gloss or shimmer to the cat.
The Somali has a line of the darker ticking colour which runs along the spine and down the tail to the very tip, giving the cat an exotic, wild look. Ear tips, facial markings, toe tufts and heels are also the same colour as the ticking. The Somali then has the complementing solid base colour on its underside.
Ticking is often described as the essence of the Somali due to the fact that it gives the cat such a unique look.
Colours:
Somalis come in a variety of 28 colours, the most widely recognised
being Usual, Blue, Sorrel and Fawn. They usually have no white on them,
other than around their mouths, noses and under their chins. This does
not apply to silvers, which have a silvery-white base colour.
Head: Somalis are sweet-faced with the Tabby ‘M’ on their foreheads. They have strokes of darker colour like pencil lines from the corners of their eyes. Dark colour also surrounds their eyes, making the Somali look as if it is wearing eyeliner. The Somali has proportionately large, tufted ears set wide apart and broad at the base.
Eyes: The Somali has large, expressive almond shaped eyes. They are alert and luminous ranging in colour from intense green to rich amber.
Somalis are extroverted, intelligent cats that love to play and crave attention. They are captivating and expressive, with alluring personalities. Somalis have a naturally happy disposition, they are even-tempered and easy to handle. They are Inquisitive cats showing an alert, lively interest in their surroundings. Curious and into everything, they are often a little mischievous! If you have only seen Somalis at cat shows, you need to see them in their own homes where they can relax and be themselves to really appreciate their unique personalities.
Intelligent: Somalis are intelligent and capable of
working things out, they learn quickly and remember remarkably well.
They do like to be involved in the goings-on of the household; whatever
you are doing your Somali will be there to ‘help’. They are also
extremely inquisitive, which can sometimes get the Somali into trouble!
Anything left lying around becomes a toy. An open cupboard door is
irresistible, as are open rubbish bins, windows and drawers, some
Somalis even learn to open cupboards and drawers themselves!
Affectionate: Somalis are very interactive and thrive on human companionship. They need lots of love and attention from their owners and like to be treated as one of the family. The Somali needs a close relationship with its owner to be really happy. Somalis are extremely affectionate, they will lick your hand, rub your face and nuzzle your neck, then curl up to sleep on your lap. Being very people oriented they will almost always be by your side, be it in the living room sharing the sofa, on your bed at night or getting under your feet in the kitchen! Somalis are also great with children as they are very gentle natured.
Playful: Somalis are outgoing and very social cats.
Possessed with a zest for life, they love to play. They
are natural show-offs and always happy to act up to an audience. They
remain playful all their lives so the adults have just as much fun as
the kittens.
Somalis have bursts of energy several times a day, at which time they dash around the house, skidding on shiny floors and leaping into the air as they toss their toys about. Many Somalis love to play with water and are fascinated by dripping taps. Somalis also play well with other cats and seem happiest if kept with another Somali, or a cat of about their own activity level. Two Somalis will often entertain themselves taking it in turns to chase each other the length of the house.
Talkative: Somalis are adept communicators and have a charming chirrup which they use frequently. If you speak to a Somali you will nearly always get a chirrup in response and after living with a particular Somali for a long time you may learn what his different chirrups mean; I often have conversations with my Somalis. (Ok, I am officially crazy!) The meow of the Somali has a soft, appealing tone rather than the deep wail of some breeds.
Basic Requirements: Somalis require lots of individual love and attention, and a variety of different toys (which they will inevitably loose and need replaced!) A kitten will bond quickly with its new owner through quality time spent playing together. Somalis do very well as indoor cats, provided that they are given plenty of room to run and play. It is essential to buy some sort of climbing/scratching post for an indoor Somali. Aside from that the Somali has all of the other basic needs of a cat: Good food, fresh water, a clean litter tray, regular vet-checkups and regular vaccinations.
Grooming:
Somalis are exceptionally clean animals that don’t require a great deal
of care to keep their coats in good condition. Their soft, silky fur
needs occasional brushing to keep it free from mats and prevent the cat
swallowing too much hair;
I brush my Somalis thoroughly about once a week.
Pay particular attention to the area under the armpits, the ruff and the
breeches as these can sometimes become matted if left. Most Somalis love
being brushed, seeing it as affection and will lie there purring while
the job is being done.
Training: Somalis are intelligent but can be very wilful and headstrong. When training, I have never found it necessary to punish a Somali as they respond much better to rewards than to punishment. Scolding a Somali is pretty pointless anyway as it is usually ignored! They can be easily trained using affection as the reward and by repetition. For example, to train my Somalis to use the scratch post I simply move them to it every time they try to scratch the sofa, before long it becomes natural for them to scratch the post and they go to it first. When they do get it right, I reward them with plenty of attention and cuddles. Although, being so intelligent they will usually figure out that they can still do it when you are not watching. Once I am sure that they know a rule, if I catch them being naughty a simple “don't!” is enough to remind them they are doing wrong.
