Somali
cat Breed Profile
The Somali is a medium-sized cat with a long body and nicely developed muscles.
In this article
Size
Weight
medium: 8-12 lbs.
medium: 8-12 lbs.
Coat
Length
Long
Color
Red, Ruddy, Blue, Fawn, Sorrel
Less Allergenic
No
Care
Longevity
9-13 yrs.
Needs
Moderate, High
Traits
Grooming Needs
Moderate, High
Social Needs
Moderate, High
Eye Color
Green, Gold
Club recognition
Associations
CFA, ACFA , TICA
Somalis are active enough generally to keep their weight under control if given enough space to jump and climb.
The Somali is a medium-sized cat with a long body and nicely developed muscles.
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The Somali is an active cat who loves to jump and play. In spite of that, she is an easy cat to have in your home. Somalis love people and other animals. Somalis are social cats and like to have some company. This company can be provided by another cat or when people are not at home.
They will play with their own toys for hours, but also enjoy a good period of time of interactive play with their parents. Somalis will talk in their soft, quiet voice.
The Somali is loving and affectionate and loves to spend time with her parent. While the Somali is a long haired cat, the coat is easy to care for since it is not woolly. A daily brushing as part of play time will keep the Somali's coat soft and silky. She will reward her groomer with a loving purr.
Somalis are active cats and generally will keep their weight under control with compensating exercise. They should have some high perches and cat trees available so they can jump and climb.
The Somali is essentially the longhaired version of the Abyssinian. The Abyssinian was developed in Great Britain from a cat brought into that country by Lord Robert Napier, following a military expedition to Abyssinia. The cat Lord Napier brought to Britain was named Zulu, and he was the foundation of the beautiful breed known today as the Abyssinian, as well as the Somali breed.
The unique ticking pattern on the coat of the Abyssinian reminded people of the camouflage pattern on the coat of the wild rabbit. In order to perpetuate this, Zulu was bred to random-bred cats that carried a similar look to their coat and the Abyssinian breed was created.
Some of the kittens born in the Abyssinian litters seemed to be long haired. Since long hair was not a trait desirable in Abyssinians, the long haired kittens born were altered and placed as pets. However, many breeders loved the way the long hair looked on Abyssinian cats and, in the late 1960s, these breeders created a longhaired version of the Abyssinian and called her the Somali. The beautiful ticked coat can be seen on the Somali just as it can on the Abyssinian. Thanks to her unique look, lovely personality, and her easy care, the Somali quickly became popular.
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