The Somali is a breathtakingly beautiful cat, with a
vibrantly colorful coat, full plume tail, and alert
personality. The combination of ticked, dramatically colored
fur, striking facial markings, large ears, dark hocks, and full
bushy tail and britches gives the Somali a wild “little fox” look
which immediately captivates. The Somali is a combination
of beauty and personality; a very intelligent cat, its zest for
life and love of play (many will fetch toys, open cupbaords,
and play with water) blossom with human companionship.
The Somali is the epitome of everything most people want
in a companion animal – lively, alert, and actively engaged
in everything that piques their curiosity – but when playtime
is over, they will seek all the attention and affection their
caretakers are willing to give. Once you’ve lived with a Somali,
you’ve experienced the best!
The Somali is a well-proportioned, medium-sized cat with
firm muscular development. The medium-length, soft
and silky coat requires little grooming. The coat is longer
around the ruff, tummy, and britches – with that lovely,
fluffy, full tail. The feet have tufts of hair between the toes.
The large, almond-shaped eyes range in color from intense
green to rich copper. The coat pattern is agouti (also called
“ticked”), which has multiple bands of color on each hair.
The Somali comes in four recognized colors in CFA: ruddy,
red, blue, and fawn. The colors showing in the ticked fur of
the back and tail harmonize with the solid, lighter color on
the cat’s undersides.
How did the marvelous breed come about? Basically, the
Somali is a longhaired Abyssinian, the result of a recessive
gene in the Abyssinian cat. How this gene was introduced
into the Abyssinian gene pool is a subject of much
speculation and controversy; nevertheless, it happened,
and the result is our beautiful Somali, for which we will
be forever grateful! A recognized breed in CFA since 1979,
Somalis have enjoyed many successes in the show ring.
Nothing is more delightful to watch than an impeccably
groomed Somali perform in the judging ring. A natural
clown, the Somali will show itself to the fullest while playing
with any toy a judge chooses. Whether in the judging ring
or at home, the Somali shows an enthusiasm for living that
makes it a wonderful companion and member of the family.
When searching for a Somali, keep in mind that most
breeders make kittens available between twelve and sixteen
weeks of age. After twelve weeks, kittens have had their basic
inoculations and developed the physical and social stability
needed for a new environment, showing, or being transported
by air. Keeping such a rare treasure indoors, neutering or
spaying, and providing acceptable surfaces (e.g. scratching
posts) for the natural behavior of scratching (CFA disapproves
of declawing or tendonectomy surgery) are essential elements
for maintaining a healthy, long, and joyful life. Pricing on
Somalis usually depends on type, applicable markings,
and bloodlines distinguished by Grand Champion (GC),
National, National Breed and/or Regional winning parentage
(NW, BW, RW), or of Distinguished Merit parentage (DM).
The DM title is achieved by the dam (mother) having
produced five CFA Grand Champion/Premier (alter) or DM
offspring, or the sire (father) having produced fifteen CFA
Grand Champion/Premier or DM offspring. For more information, please send
inquiries to CFA at cfa@cfa.org.