The Somali: Exquisite Beauty and Brains Too!

by Marjorie Dorfman | More from this Blogger

The Somali cat is considered to be a longhaired cousin of the ancient Abyssinian, and its long and silky coat was at one time considered to be an undesirable trait among breeders who did their best to eliminate it from their breeding stock. In the i960s, however, cat fanciers began to appreciate the exquisite beauty of these creatures and the breed was born, named for Somalia, the country bordering Abyssinia.

These well-proportioned, medium-sized cats are beautiful to look upon, and bear a strong resemblance to a small fox, with large ears, masked face, full ruff and very bushy tail. Lovers of life, Somalis are highly intelligent extroverts and very sociable creatures. They are known for their sudden bursts of energy, at which time they toss whatever they can pick up in the air and sometimes run sideways like a monkey. They can and do open cupboards and drawers, and consider running water a favorite toy. They thrive on attention and retain their kittenish personalities for all of their lives. Many Somali owners boast that these lovable cats are always a joy to be around.

Their coats are usually one to three inches long with much shorter fur across the shoulders. Known as agouti or ticked, each hair contains four to twenty bands of color. The Somali's coat comes in beautiful shades of ruddy, red, blue and fawn. Their tails are naturally fluffy and their feet have tufts between the toes. Eyes are large and almond shaped and, range in color from deep green to an intense copper.

Somalis are known to have small litters of three to four kittens at most. They develop slowly, not reaching maturity until about eighteen months of age. These cats make wonderful companions and get along well with other pets and children.

Do YOU own such a beautiful cat? Please share your experiences.

Related Articles:

"The Abyssininan: An Ancient and Noble Heritage" http://pets.families.com/blog/the-abyssinian-an-ancient-and-noble-heritage

Learn more about Marjorie Dorfman

Marjorie Dorfman is a freelance writer and former teacher originally from Brooklyn, New York.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger