Aspects
An Abyssinian cat with semi-long fur is called a Somali cat. Even in terms of breed criteria, they are the same except for coat length.
But if the Abyssinian is frequently compared to a tiny puma, the Somali is more like a stuffed toy cat. The Somali is a medium-sized, lean animal with long legs, just like the Abyssinian. Men can weigh up to 5 kg, and women can weigh up to 4 kg. These sporty cats have long legs and short, oval paws with unicolored pads, just like many other oriental cat breeds. The neck is delicate and beautiful, and the tail is neatly brushed with a wide base.
The big, wide eyes and ears on the Somali skull are particularly distinctive and convey attention to detail. Amber, light brown, or green eyes have a pleasing contour and are big and almond-shaped. The wedge-shaped head itself has a sleek contour.
Due to its scant undercoat, the Somali’s semi-long coat is extremely fine and velvety. It is preferred to have examples with distinct ruffs. Like the Abyssinians, these cats have shorter coats over the shoulders, but they typically have a dark-colored stripe across their backs. This starts at the point where the shoulders meet and terminates at the tail tip. A “single stripe” that extends from the hind legs to the heels is another common feature.
Another distinctive feature of Somalis is their coloring, which is referred to as ticking or mottled. This indicates that each hair has two to four bands of light and dark color that alternate, with the darkest color always occurring near the tip. However, these stripes are mostly present on the head, back, tail, and outside of the legs rather than throughout the entire body. The animal’s basic color is consistent throughout the belly, chest, and insides of the legs.
The earliest marks on the coat of a Somali or Abyssinian may occur as early as the sixth week of life, but the full coloring might take up to two years to develop. After that, the coat develops a consistent pattern and resembles a wild rabbit in terms of hue.
Colors
The only colors permitted by the breed standard are those derived from eumelanin, a pigment that contributes to dark coloration by absorbing a lot of light. Thus, four colors have been established for these two related breeds: blue, fawn (sand), sorrel (chestnut), and reddish or wild.
Wild: Resembling a warm brown, this is the original hue of the Somali people. The foundation has black marble and is colored from dark apricot to orange. Also called reddish or tawny, the wild is the source of all other hues.
Blue: This hue describes the many intensities of shades of blue and gray, not the color blue itself. Blue is the wild hue diluted by a mutation in the gene that determines how intense the color is. These Somalis have blue-gray fur with dark steel-blue-gray stripes visible in each hair.
Sorrel: They are the Somalis with chocolate brown ticking, who have a chestnut or cinnamon-red coloration. It is important to distinguish between the sorrel and royal red colors since the former is caused by a mutation in the gene that produces black fur.
Fawn: It’s the sorrel diluted. Fawns from Somalia have a light cream base color, a pink nose, and a warm cream mottling.
While certain breeder associations do not acknowledge specimens of different hues, they do exist. This is the instance of the lilac dilution and chocolate color.
Personality
The Somali is an intelligent, active, and dynamic oriental cat. Because it is particularly inquisitive, it follows its owner and wants to take part in everything. He truly enjoys playing, especially intellectual games, which speaks to his natural interest. This cat needs to wander around a lot, so keeping it inside the house is not the best option. This is particularly true if they don’t already have a feline friend at home, as Abyssinians and Somalis are gregarious animals that detest being by themselves. They give their whole attention to their human family, but they would enjoy having a companion kitty. You should be aware of your Somali cat’s dominance when searching for the ideal feline companion. From an early age, kittens from the same litter get along well with one another and are ideal companions.
Starting point
Many breeds of short-haired cats carry the long-hair gene, which is frequently inherited in an obscure manner. Because of this, long-haired individuals have consistently been seen in the breeding of Abyssinians, who eventually give birth to Somali people. They were once thought to be unsuited for breeding, but since 1967, deliberate breeding has taken place, primarily in the United States. They were given the name Somalis in honor of Somalia, the neighboring nation of Abyssinia that is now known as Ethiopia, to set them apart from Abyssinians.
As one may infer from its name, the Abyssinian is not indigenous to Abyssinia, modern-day Ethiopia, therefore the choice of this name is more than intriguing. Furthermore, it is untrue that the cats of Pharaonic Egypt, where they were revered as gods, are the ancestors of the Abyssinians. It is thought that the sister race of the Somalis, the Abyssinians, originated in Southeast Asia. Recent genetic discoveries on Ethiopians provide support for this. The Abyssinian tabby is a unique breed that is absent from both Egypt and East Africa, possessing a mutation in the tabby gene. However, it does show up in kittens from the Indian Ocean’s coastal regions, which stretch from Singapore to Sri Lanka. Images from a nineteenth-century English cat magazine depict cats that resemble Abyssians and were labeled as Asian cats. It is thought that English traders transported these wild-colored cats to Europe, East Africa, and the Middle East.
The 19th century saw the beginning of modern Abyssinian and Somali breeding in England. There, a cat with agouti coloring that was rumored to have originated in Abyssinia caught people’s attention. Given that British forces left East Africa in 1868, it is likely that this landed in England with them. An Abyssinian was displayed at London’s Crystal Palace three years later, and the breed received official recognition in 1882. Harrison Fair, the national cat club of England’s president at the time, created the breed standard. The Somali arrived in the US shortly after, and the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) granted it official recognition in 1911.
The number of Abyssinian cats and other breeds was significantly decreased by the two World Wars. We also need to mention that the average number of kittens in each litter shrank, from one to four to just two. The 1960s cat leukemia outbreak also had a major role in the breed’s extinction. The Abyssinian population is not at all like the most well-known cat breeds, even if it has been stable since the 1970s.
Long-haired cats have been showing up in litters of Abyssinian cats since 1950, particularly in England. The question of how the long hair gene entered the breed’s genetic makeup remains unanswered to this day. It is thought to be the product of an isolated mutation or interbreeding with non-African races soon after the world wars caused the Abyssinian population to dwindle. The Somali Cat Club of America studied every known Somali cat family tree during the 1970s to provide a definitive solution to this query. As a result, each tree had a single breeding Abyssinian male present. This specimen, which was purchased and transported to the United States from England, must have tended to long hair, as it has been inherited by all of its progeny. This specimen, which was purchased and transported to the United States from England, must have tended to long hair, as it has been inherited by all of its progeny.
The Somali cat was created through the deliberate breeding of these long-haired species, starting in the 1960s. The first official litter of these cats was born in the United States in 1972, and the Somali Cat Club of America was established in 1979, marking the formal recognition of the breed. The purpose of this club is to serve as the central body for all associations of Somali cat breeders. The largest umbrella organization in Europe came after it in 1982. Breed rules state that a Somali cat may only be crossed with another Abyssinian cat; no other breeds are permitted.
Since the offspring of this hybrid are Abyssinian cats with the recessive gene for long hair, they are referred to as “Abyssinian variant” kittens. The Abyssinian variety is mostly employed in Somali breeding because long-haired animals are not preferred in Abyssinian breeding.
Nutrition and well-being
The Somali cat is a simple breed that doesn’t need special maintenance. Because of the scarcity of its undercoat, its semi-long hair does not require significant care. Usually, it is sufficient to comb them once a week.
The greatest way to ensure your cat’s health is to get high-quality food that is strong in protein. Don’t hesitate to make this investment. As carnivores, these tiny cats can only consume a limited quantity of carbs, but they get all the nutrients and proteins they need from high-quality meat.
Of course, your playful cat needs to see the vet every year, particularly if it has access to the outdoors. You can ask the veterinarian for guidance on antiparasites, as well as to review all of your kitten’s health issues and administer the required immunizations.
Like its brother the Abyssinian, the Somali breed is prone to various illnesses despite not being as popular and consequently not being overexploited. One of these is feline newborn isoerythrolysis (IEN), which makes a mother and her kittens incompatible and is caused by a particular combination of the three blood types (A, B, and AB). This is the result of a male belonging to blood group A mating with a female belonging to blood group B.
Antibodies against blood group B are given to the newborn kittens by breast milk, which causes an excessive hemoglobin release and severe anemia. Regretfully, acute IEN is always lethal and can only be prevented if the cat breeder is aware of the blood types of their cats and practices responsible breeding.
Somalis are susceptible to progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), just like Abyssinians. When local metabolic abnormalities of the tissue cause retinal alterations, night blindness is frequently the initial symptom. In cats with the recessive degenerative form, symptoms usually start to show up in the second year of birth, however, they can take up to six years to manifest. As a result, until the animals are six years old, a veterinarian must inspect the animals used for breeding annually. The development of DNA assays to diagnose this illness is still ongoing.
It is also known that red blood cells are deficient in the pyruvate kinase enzyme. This results in anemia because red blood cells have a much shorter lifespan, which drastically lowers their quantity. While pyruvate kinase insufficiency can be treated with blood transfusions, there is no specific treatment for the condition. Carrier cats may not get the disease because it is a recessively inherited condition. But if two cats with the recessive gene mate, the resulting litter will be lacking in this vital enzyme.
Breeding
Instances of genetic illnesses like the ones listed above highlight how crucial responsible and expert breeding is. A conscientious breeder guarantees the well-being of his pets and their progeny.
A conscientious breeder of felines conducts routine tests for genetic disorders like APR, carefully selects their offspring to avoid feline neonatal isoerythrolysis, and releases kittens exclusively to well-mannered individuals, frequently accompanied by a protection agreement. She also provides guidance and assistance to buyers of their kittens in the initial weeks and months. Additionally, it gives them access to their child’s immunization history and the outcomes of any potential tests. This adds up to time and financial outlays for things like premium food for the mother and her young, vet bills, shots, potential deworming, and breeder’s association dues. It all adds up, and this cost does not even account for the breeder’s labor-intensive hours spent caring for his animals. All of these costs need to be considered when buying a Somali. The Somali cat is much more unique than the Abyssinian. They can fetch up to 700 euros from an animal enthusiast, however a breeding cat will undoubtedly cost more.
You should be ready to spend a good deal of money, especially if you plan to bring home multiple cats.
For a lower cost, you can also buy adult cats that are not allowed to reproduce. Another option is to visit an animal shelter. Many specimens with short or long hair that need a suitable new home can be found there. Who knows? Perhaps you’ll discover the dream cat there.
