Published on 05/15/2008

The Somali is a long-haired Abyssinian cat. This breed appeared spontaneously in the 1950s from Abyssinian breeding programs. Unlike most long-haired cats, Somalis shed very little.

Adopting Kittens: Somali Appearance and Personality

The Somali is a long-haired Abyssinian cat. This breed appeared spontaneously in the 1950s from Abyssinian breeding programs. Unlike most long-haired cats, Somalis shed very little. Their coat is typically shed once or twice per year, rather than continual shedding like other long-haired cats.

Many purebred Somalis had significant dental problems in the 1990s. As of 2006, breeders say they have made much progress in breeding out this genetic problem and there is no mention of it in the CFA breed standard.

The Somali cat along with its parent breed of Abyssinian has been found to suffer from Pyruvate Kinase deficiency. About 5% of the breed carries the defective gene. There is a genetic test to identify this recessive disorder. All breeding stock should be tested to ensure affected kittens are not produced.

The following appearance description is offered to help you decide if the Somali cat is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Appearance Description

• Medium size
• Long hair
• Leggy and elegant
• Presents a glowing presence and ticked fur
• Muscular
• Solid and surprisingly heavy
• Full muzzle with dots on the whisker pads
• Eyes can be green or gold, large, expressive and almond-shaped
• Large flaring ears and etched facial markings resemble the Abyssinian
• Ruff around throat, fluffy britches and a big brush tail
• Four colors are recognized by CFA which are ruddy, red, blue and fawn
• Colors are right, bright and warm

The following personality description is offered to help you decide if the Somali cat is right for you, your family and lifestyle.

Personality Description

• Lively sense of humor
• Active
• Curious
• Bold
• Can manipulate latches and knobs, open cupboards and doors
• Adapt quickly to many situations
• Happiest with a companion
• Can play alone
• Will warm quickly to other cats
• Most learn to like dogs
• Love interactive games such as fetch, chase
• Do well in apartments
• Not extremely vocal
• Voices are soft
• Will follow their humans
• Most love to eat fresh fruits, vegetables and breads

Grooming Tips

• Coats are relatively tangle free
• Grooming is not difficult
• Occasional brushing

Follow the link in the resource box of this article to find pictures and more information about many different breeds of cats.

Written by: Connie Limon. Visit “Adopting Kittens” at http://smalldogs2.com/AdoptingKittens to find a complete online reference for choosing and caring for the perfect kitten, which matches you and your lifestyle. Learn about litter box training at http://smalldogs2.com/LitterBoxTraining

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box.