Cat
Breed Description:
The Somali breed of cats are recognized by their striking, bushy tail. This tail when combined with their ruddy coat, gives them the appearance of a "fox" so they carry the nick name of "fox cats". The Somali breed of cats will be seen with a stripe down its back, and they also tend to have large ears, a full ruff and breeches. All of this combined contributes to the "fox" like appearance. The Somali breed of cats possesses coats which are ticked; this is a variation on tabby markings. There are Somalis that display full tabby stripes on portions of their bodies. For showing the breed this is seen as a flaw, and tabby Somalis are only sold as neutered pets. The Somali breed of cats have a dark rim around their eyes as well as a small amount of white on their muzzles and chins/throats. White elsewhere on their bodies disqualifies them from show-status.
Temperament:
The Somali breed of cats are energetic and seem quite loving. This breed of cat is incredibly intelligent and tends to be rather active. These cats very often get quite close to their owners. Although the Somali breed of cat loves to play, they are very gentle. these cats make excellent companions for older children. They are great family pets. They will always be near whatever you are doing.
Weight:
Males tend to weigh in at 4 - 5 kg, females slightly smaller.
Health Problems:
In the 1990s, many purebred Somalis had significant dental problems due to congenital problems magnified by inbreeding. As a result, many Somali cats had to have all their adult teeth removed. (Dental abscesses, especially below the gumline, can cause cats to stop eating, which often leads to hepatic lipidosis, a condition that's often deadly.) As of 2006, the CFA breed standard makes no mention of this, and breeders say they've made much progress in breeding out this unfortunate trait.
The Somali breed along with its parent breed the Abyssinian have been found to suffer from Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKDef), with around 5% of the breed carrying the defective gene. There is now a genetic test to identify this recessive disorder within the breed, and as such all breeding stock should be tested to ensure no more affected kittens need be produced.
Living Conditions:
The Somali breed of cat is an active breed, they make very good indoor cats. Somalis do not display a good "sense of the road" so an indoor lifestyle will keep them quite safe. Consider for this reason a second cat so the risk of external temptations dissipates slightly.
Exercise:
The Somali breed of cat will easily be walked on a lead. They can also be trained to fetch indoors and love the interaction with their owners.
Grooming:
The Somali breed of cats, unlike most long-haired cats, shed very little excess hair. Their coat is generally shed en masse, or "blown", once or twice a year, rather than constantly shedding like other long-haired cats. Weekly grooming is recommended.
Origin:
The Somali breed of cat is a long-haired Abyssinian. The breed appeared spontaneously in the 1950s from Abyssinian breeding programs when a number of Abyssinian kittens were born with bottle-brush tails and long fluffy coats. Abyssinians and Somalis share the same personality (active, intelligent, playful, curious) and appearance. The difference between these breeds is fur length. In the 1940s, we have come to understand, a British breeder known as Janet Robertson had the good sense to export some normal Abyssinian kittens to Australia, New Zealand, and North America. Descendants of these cats occasionally produced kittens with long or fuzzy coats, and in 1963, Mary Mailing, a breeder from Canada, entered one into a local pet show. As the story goes Ken McGill, the show's judge, asked Mary mailing for one of the cats to breed from. Ken McGill is given credit for the first official Somali, Mayling Tutsuta, McGill's cat.
As of the late 1970s, the Somali was fully accepted in North America, then later in the 1980s they were accepted in Europe. By 1991 the breed was accepted worldwide. 