Everything you need to know about Somali cats

Somali cats are very beautiful. They look like real aristocrats - flexible, graceful, with a fluffy "fox" tail, piercing eyes and a sophisticated collar. At the same time, they are curious as kittens, playful, gentle - real companion cats. If you are looking for a kind and cheerful, at the same time unobtrusive cat with a character of a dog - there is no one better than a Somali.

The exact details of the origin of Somali cats are unknown, but periodically long-haired kittens appeared in the litters of the Abyssinian breed, and this happened in different areas. The appearance of the so-called long-haired gene is associated with the name of the breeder Janet Robertson. In the 1940s, her Abyssinian kittens were sold all over the world. So, after a while, kittens with long hair and a tail of increased fluffy appeared among the Australian, Canadian and American Abyssinians. At that time, this was considered a marriage of the breed, and the kittens did not participate in further breeding.

In the 1960s, Canadian and American cat breeders decided that the long-haired Abyssinian kittens would be a separate breed. The success of long-haired kittens is associated with the name of another breeder - Mary Mayling, it was she who showed them at an exhibition in Canada, where they made a splash. In 1978, the Somali breed was recognized by the CFA, and now the Somalis have received worldwide recognition. In the same year, a description of this breed was drawn up and a standard for it was approved.

The breed got its name from the country on the border with Ethiopia, where Abyssinian cats probably appeared, suggested by its breeder Evelyn Magew from America.The first representative of the breed was officially registered in the name of the same Mary Mayling in 1965. And the club of "Somalis" started working in 1972.

It is logical to conclude that Somalis are the closest relatives of the Abyssinians. In 1979, the Somalis acquired champion status. The following year, the Somalis were accepted by all felinology clubs, they were admitted to exhibitions. A year later, Somali cats are spreading in European countries, and after 10 years they are recognized by international organizations. Now Somalis can participate in any exhibition held in the world.

It still remains a mystery why the long-haired gene appeared. After all, Abyssinians are short-haired cats. They have a thick and soft coat, which is shorter in the shoulder area. The head of the Somali is small and very neat. In contrast to the head, the ears are very large. Some of the breed have tassels on their ears. The front paws have 5 toes, and the hind paws have 4. Hair grows densely between the toes. The eyes of the Somalis are very expressive, almond-shaped and can be brown or green, or amber-golden.

In length cats grow up to 26-30 cm, height - up to 30 cm, and weighing 3.5-5 kg. Somali cats are very bright, attractive animals. Due to the contrasting colors of the muzzle and large ears, as well as an inquisitive look, they look like chanterelles. The bushy tail enhances the similarity.

The breed standard also provides for the following features:

• the head is wedge-shaped, smoothly rounded to the chin;
• ears are wide;
• the length of the tail is proportional to the length of the body;
• the eyes are drawn in black with an "arrow" at the top;
• paws are rounded to the line of the toes;
• the cheekbones are poorly expressed, they narrow under the line of vibrissae.

The coat is unevenly distributed over the body, the length is minimal on the shoulder blades, slightly longer on the back, and the coat on the belly is the longest. The cats have a fluffy collar on their necks, and fluffy pants on their hind legs.

Like any other cat breed, Somalis have both advantages and disadvantages. Let's start with the pros, namely:

• the breed is absolutely adorable;
• playful, curious;
• trainable;
• unobtrusive and have excellent intuition;
• smart and quick-witted;
• unpretentious in food;
• excellent health.

There are also disadvantages, albeit insignificant, such as:

• Somalis do not tolerate loneliness very badly, even for a short time;
• are rather capricious and can sometimes disobey the owner;
• they like to play with the hair of the owners, so it can be difficult for long-haired people with such cats;
• prone to kidney disease;
• unusually mobile, which can tire people prone to contemplation.

Somali cats are amazing. They are relatives of the Abyssinian cats, from them curiosity and lively character were passed on to them. But the Somali felines are quieter and more tactful when compared to the Abyssinians. Somalis are loved by all family members. They perfectly find contact with children, even the smallest. They love to play with them, are patient and will never scratch the child, even if he gave them discomfort.

With an adult, the Somali cat behaves differently. Even with the great curiosity of the cat in relation to all the actions of the owner, he will not impose his society on him and will not bother him... Somalis love to communicate incredibly. Even if a person comes to the house for the first time, the cat will demonstrate everything that it knows how to attract its attention.But they intuitively feel when their interest is irrelevant, when a person is in the wrong mood to play and communicate, then they are left on the sidelines.

Representatives of this breed are very intelligent. They are quite easy to train, they accept the basic set of standard commands well, they can even learn to bring small items to the owner. Some Somalis can perform a number of tricks, since they are not inherent in stubbornness, and they also take with interest any actions on the part of the owner. But, of course, they are still cats, not dogs.

Somalis adapt well and quickly to changing conditions. They can easily get along with other pets in the house, and although they are amazing hunters, they can even make friends with rodents. The breed remains playful and curious until old age. They really like small objects and details, and most of all - the drops of water from the tap, which they catch with their paws.

The Somalis have extraordinary agility. They effortlessly climb onto the tallest objects in the house - a wardrobe, a refrigerator, and also know how to "seep" into hard-to-reach places. The motor skills of the representatives of the breed are well developed - they are able to hold small objects in their paws and play with them. They are very nimble, agile, energetic. Sometimes it seems like they don't need rest.

They love to be with one of the family members, but if the owners are not up to him, they will go about their business. Left alone for a long time, he can get naughty. An excellent way out is to get your pet a "partner", preferably also from the feline family.

Distinctive features of long-haired Abyssinians are as follows:

• are non-aggressive to either owners or strangers;
• easy to contact, friendly;
• smart, quick-witted;
• love "hugs", affectionate, gentle;
• well trained, remember commands, amenable to training;
• capricious, they can "turn off" an overly intrusive person.

Despite its non-aggressiveness, Somali cats do not always react calmly to the inconvenience caused to them... If there are babies in the family, it is better not to leave them alone with the cat. Having played out, the child can inadvertently pull the cat by the tail or whiskers and get hit with a paw or a bite.

The Somalis are long-haired "copies" of the Abyssinians. They have equally lithe and graceful bodies of medium to large size. The muzzle is very expressive. However, there are also differences, namely:

• coat length;
• fluffy collar and fluffy tail, reminiscent of a fox.

During the moulting period, the Somalis look rather unsightly, but the rest of the time they are very beautiful. The color of the representatives of the breed can be different, but ticking is always there. The presence of a ticked color is the main sign of a Somali. A ticked color is the presence of dark transverse stripes on each hair. The more stripes a cat has, the more valuable it is.

Initially, only two shades were present in the color palette - these are wild and sorrel. Now it is much wider and every year it becomes more and more refined. The main range of colors of Somalis today is represented by such colors as:

• wild - reddish or brownish-red coat tone, black at the ends; a dark back strap must be mandatory;
• roe - creamy-matte wool, in some places it has a warm color, at the base the shade is very light; among "roe deer" it is the uniform color that is most appreciated;
• blue, or rather - a smoky blue tint on top, and inside - light beige or cream; on the surface, stripes of a gray-blue shade are clearly visible, of the same tone and pillows on the legs;
• sorrel - copper-red color with a disappearance of light brown, apricot shade at the base; in cats of this color, the nose and pads of the paws are painted pink, and on the tip of the tail and ears there is brown hair;
• silvered - any color in which the shade of the undercoat and ticking is white.

If you buy a Somali kitten to participate in exhibitions, then you need to consider what is considered a marriage of the breed, namely:

• the presence of a sandy or gray shade;
• black areas at the base of the coat;
• residual patterns - stripes on the legs, spots on the body;
• white spots are an indicator for a kitten's disqualification; let's say white color only on the chin, throat, nostrils;
• crocheted tail;
• closed necklace;
• the presence of an extra finger or, conversely, an incompleteness.

The cost of a representative of the breed starts at 11,000 rubles. Of course, the price depends on the sex of the kitten, what external data it has, what pedigree it has. There are several Somalis' nurseries in the country, the largest in Moscow.

There are nurseries in Kiev and Minsk. If you buy a kitten via the Internet, then first of all, check the seller's reputation and reviews about him. Feel free to call or write to customers who have purchased kittens from this breeder and ask if they are happy with their purchase. This will allow you to avoid wasting money as, as mentioned, Somalis are not cheap.

Care for a Somali cat (like any long-haired feline) must be very careful. Long coats require brushing and regular brushing. The Somalis have a fine, soft coat of medium length that looks well groomed and does not roll into tangles. But this, of course, does not mean that there is no need to comb out the wool.

In addition to wool, the representatives of the breed have an undercoat that grows quite densely. This requires a furminator. If you use it, the molt will not be as strong. This, of course, will have a positive effect on cleaning the premises. Although it should be noted that Somalis, despite their relative long hair, do not shed as much as other breeds with a similar fluffiness.

If a Somali woman is kept in a city apartment, then you need to walk with her regularly. If you are sure that there are no ticks on the lawn on which you are planning to walk, then you can put a harness on the cat and let it walk. If this is not the case, it is best to walk the cat in an area that is fenced and sprayed from insects. It may be worth using a special anti-mite collar as well. You can let the cat out onto the loggia, provided that it is glazed and well fenced off.

After walking, cats must be washed. Somalis are quite calm about water, in addition, they exclusively trust the owner, so there should be no problems with bathing and washing paws. Somalis need toys, scratching posts and other devices to play with. It is advisable to change toys so that they do not bother the cat. Because if this happens, a curious animal will go looking for "toys" on the owner's table or bedside table.

The Somali cat needs good nutrition. The owner can cook her own food or buy ready-made food. Both options are acceptable.The finished feed must contain at least 40% meat. This, of course, is not cheap, but otherwise is unacceptable. If you choose ready-made food, then you cannot alternate it with natural food. Otherwise, the cat may face digestive ailments.

If you settled on natural food, then it should be balanced very strictly: for kittens in a 3: 1 ratio of animal to vegetable, and for adults - 2: 1.

Representatives of the Somali breed are distinguished by excellent health. Teeth and gums are sometimes troublesome and should be checked periodically. Teeth need daily brushing. Because of their friendliness and curiosity, Somalis often show attention to other animals - birds, dogs, other cats. Not all of them are happy with this pressure and do not want to communicate. Therefore, sometimes Somalis are injured by animals.

Between 9 and 12 weeks, kittens can be vaccinated for the first time. This is a comprehensive vaccination: it protects against chlamydia, distemper, calicivirus, rhinotracheitis. After a month, you can get a booster shot. Rabies is vaccinated either with a primary vaccine, or with a second one - it depends on the owner's wishes. Subsequently, vaccinations are given at the age of one year, and then every year.

There is one serious medical condition that affects Somalis. This is pyruvate kinase deficiency. This is due to the presence of a recessive gene that causes the development of jaundice. The risk group consists of kittens up to six months and individuals after 12 years. Jaundice is treated with glucose and saline injections. Intravenous injections.

According to statistics collected by veterinarians, Somali cats are susceptible to diseases such as:

• renal amyloidosis - unfortunately, there is no treatment; only cats are sick, caused by a violation of protein metabolism;
• dislocation of the patella - this pathology is hereditary; if the form of the disease is severe, then it is treated through surgery;
• obesity - mainly males suffer after the castration procedure; appetite increases, so you need to be especially careful to monitor what and how much the cat eats.

If the animal does not have enough vitamins, then gum inflammation (gingivitis) may occur, as well as the formation of tartar. Not to mention the need for regular deworming, as well as checking for fleas. This is especially important for those cats that walk outside. Every 6 months it is necessary to visit a veterinarian for a preventive examination.

A cat usually starts to heat up at 8 months of age. However, it is recommended to give birth no earlier than reaching one year of age. Due to the aristocracy and sophistication of the breed, it is difficult for Somali women to become pregnant, among them very often individuals who are incapable of pregnancy and bearing offspring come across. That is why kittens are so expensive.

To increase the likelihood of getting pregnant, meetings with a cat should be held in the cat's territory. The cat needs to be there for 3-4 days to get comfortable and reduce stress levels. If the fact of pregnancy of a cat is established, then she needs a lot of attention and affectionate communication.

Kittens are born with collars and pants (of course, in their infancy, but still distinguishable). The mother cat takes care of the kittens very carefully. It is better to leave the kittens with their mother until they reach 12 weeks of age, otherwise they will experience severe stress. This can affect both their mental state and physiological.If the cat is not taken to mating, estrus will occur more and more often, maximum - three times a month. They have impaired functioning of the reproductive system, cysts and polyps are formed.

For more information on Somali cats, see the next video.