Somali is a domestic cat breed. It is quite similar to the Abyssinian except for its longer hair.
Somali is a domestic feline that resembles an Abyssinian in nearly
every way apart from its longer fur. This is owing to the fact that
Somalis originated from Abyssinians nearly half a century back. Theirs
is an artificially created breed that began in ninety sixties when some
longhair kittens were noticed in an Abyssinian litter. Normally these
were seen as an undesirable feature by breeders for show class cats,
and thus these animals were sold off as pets. With time, some people
began to take interest in these pretty felines and started their
development in earnest. Over the next couple of decades acceptance came
from registering bodies. Today Somali is recognized as a breed in most
parts of the world though it is not common everywhere.
Somali is
medium in its size, body and appearance. It is relatively lithe but
muscular with an elegant design. Fur is long and made prominent in a
bushy tail and often in a ruff around neck. It is quite soft and occurs
in a number of colors, with ruddy being the commonest, including fawn,
lilac, blue, silver, cream and chocolate though not all colors are
recognized everywhere. Individual hair are ticked and often have
multiple color bands along their length. Eyes are lined with darkish
color and perioral area is white. Owing to their wild looks and fluffy
tails Somalis are often called ‘fox cats’.
Owing to persistent
inbreeding over time, Somalis have developed certain genetic defects in
some of their lines. These include dental, blood and biochemical
disorders. There are efforts underway to eradicate these through
breeding and propagation of only healthy genes. Generally though these
cats are quite healthy and in fact easier to handle than most longhairs
since they shed very little. They lose their hair altogether once or
twice an year and don’t shed continuously.
Somalis are playful
and interactive cats who love to participate in all chores and
activities of their humans. Loving animals, they are quick to adjust to
a multi-pet household with children. All they require is some space ,
love and attention from their humans.
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Tags: abyssinian, abyssinians, bushy tail, color bands, domestic cat breed, elegant design, fawn, felines, genetic defects, half a century, inbreeding, kittens, lilac, longer hair, longhair, longhairs, silver cream, sixties, somali, somalis
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