Somali ~ Sorre
Somali ~ Sorrel Silver
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Somali ~ Sorre
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Somali ~ Sorrel Silver
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| A fox in the house For a long time, kittens with semilong, soft hair appeared in litters of Abyssinians (which were actually of a much heavier type than today). But breeders were not interested in them and did not use them in reproduction. The gene responsible for semilong hair was probably introduced by crossing Abyssinians with longhaired cats (Persians or Angoras). In Canada, it was not until the 1960s that breeders Don Richings and Mary Mailing and judge Ken MacGill became interested in these new cats. In 1967, American breeder Evelyn Mague managed to pin down the semilonghair gene in Abyssinians. The new breed was named the Somali, in reference to the neighboring country of Ethiopia, the supposed birthplace of the Abyssinian. Mague founded the Lynn Lee Cattery and the first breed club in the United States. She showed the first Somali in 1972. The C.F.A. recognized the breed in 1978. Lynn Lee's Picasso and Lynn Lee's Pearl, two Somalis from Mague's cattery, arrived in France in 1979. The F.I.Fe. approved the breed in 1982. It is highly prized by more and more people. |
| Friendly and affectionate. Likes attention. Playful, intelligent, and very active, but gentle and soft - voiced. Demonstrative. |
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Head
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A modified, slightly rounded wedge without flat planes; the brow, cheek, and profile lines all showing a gentle contour. A slight rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead, which should be of good size with width between the ears flowing into the arched neck without a break. |
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Eyes
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Almond shaped, large, brilliant, and expressive. Skull aperture neither round nor oriental. Eyes accented by dark lidskin encircled by light colored area. Above each a short dark vertical pencil stroke with a dark pencil line continuing from the upper lid towards the ear. |
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Ears
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Large, alert, moderately pointed, broad, and cupped at the base. Ear set on a line towards the rear of the skull. The inner ear shall have horizontal tufts that reach nearly to the other side of the ear; tufts desirable. |
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Neck
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Carried gracefully. |
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Body
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Torso medium long, lithe, and graceful, showing well-developed muscular strength. Rib cage is rounded; back is slightly arched giving the appearance of a cat about to spring; flank level with no tuck up. Conformation strikes a medium between the extremes of cobby and svelte lengthy types. |
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Paw
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Long and thin, well-muscled. Compact, oval paws. The Somali appears to stand on tiptoe. |
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Tail
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Having a full brush, thick at the base, and slightly tapering. Length in balance with torso. |
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Coat
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Semilong, dense, very fine, and soft hair. Short on the face, front of the legs, and shoulders; semilong on the back, flanks, chest, and belly. It is long on the throat (ruff), behind the thighs (britches), and tail (plume). The undercoat is not long as in the Persian. Color: Ticked coat, that is, the presence on each hair of alternating bands of dark and light coloration. At least two or three bands, up to eight banks. The tip of the hair must have a dark band. Let us mention several varieties: - ruddy ("usual" in Great Britain): black bands and apricot bands - blue: slate blue bands and cream bands - red (or sorrel): chocolate bands and apricot bands - fawn beige: dark cream bands and dull beige bands - black silver: black bands and white bands - sorrel silver: chocolate bands and white bands - blue silver: blue bands and white bands The C.F.A. accepts the ruddy, red, blue, and fawn. A greater number of colors is accepted in Europe. |
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Fault
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Round, Siamese type head. Pronounced stop. Round eyes without markings the same color as ticking. Small or pointed ears. Body too stocky. Short legs and tail. Disqualify: absence of or too little ticking. Ringed tail and legs. Whip tail. White locket, markings on the belly, etc. |
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Disqualify
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White locket or groin spot or white anywhere on body other than on the upper throat, chin, or nostril area. Any skeletal abnormality. Wrong color paw pads or nose leather. Any other colors than the four accepted colors. Unbroken necklace. Incorrect number of toes. Kinks in tail. |
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Character
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This very lively cat is active but not exuberant. Hardy, well-balanced, and even-tempered, he is calmer than the Abyssinian. Somalis have a gentle temperament and are sociable toward other cats and strangers. Very playful, they get along well with children. Gentle and very affectionate, they demand lots of attention but are less possessive than the Abyssinian. Although a bit sensitive to cold, they do not tolerate apartment life very well. They are big hunters, so a yard suits them. In terms of grooming, they require only weekly brushing. During shedding, they should be brushed daily. Somali kittens are born with nearly bicolor coats: dark on the back and light on the underparts. Ticking appears very gradually. Similarly, the length and final appearance of the coat are not attained until the second year. |
| Usually hardy. As with all cats, teeth and gums should be checked regularly for signs of inflammation. |
Somali ~ Sorrel Silver