SomaliCharacteristics, history, behaviour and care

In the 1940s, the British breeder Janet Robertson sent Abyssinian kittens to Australia, New Zealand and North America. Their descendants sometimes had longhaired or fluffy kittens. The first known longhaired Abyssinian in North America, Raby Chuffa of Selene, appeared in 1953.

Most breeders did not want to talk about these kittens, but some began breeding them. The American breeder Evelyn Mague called them “Somalis”, because Somalia borders Abyssinia (today's Ethiopia). In 1972 the first entirely longhaired litter was born.

CFA recognised the breed in 1979 and FIFe in 1982. By 1991 the breed was widely accepted around the world.

How the breed developed

• The 1940s – British Abyssinians exported to Australia, New Zealand and North America.
• 1953 – the first known longhaired Abyssinian in North America.
• 1972 – the first entirely longhaired litter.
• 1979 – recognised by CFA.
• 1982 – recognised by FIFe.

• Active families with a busy home. FIFe says it likes it when a lot is going on.
• Homes with another cat or pet. It does not like being alone.
• People with time for daily play. It loves variety.
• People who can brush a semi-long coat.

The FIFe profile describes it as an elegant, medium-sized cat, slender but muscular, with long, thin legs. German Wikipedia gives 2.5–4 kg for females and 3.5–5 kg for males.

General appearance

The head is wedge-shaped, with gentle contours. The ears are relatively large, broad at the base and set wide apart, and the eyes are almond-shaped. The tail is bushy, and the neck has a dense ruff.

Each hair has light-dark-light-dark bands, between 4 and 20 colour bands on one hair, which gives a flecked look, without stripes. The very fine hairs make the coat softer than in other breeds. The usual colour is reddish brown with black ticking (ruddy); all associations also accept blue, sorrel and fawn, and most accept the silver variants too. In total there are 28 colours.

Related breeds and how to tell them apart

The Abyssinian is the same breed, with short hair; it has the same FIFe standard. How the long-hair gene reached the Abyssinians remains a mystery.

The FIFe profile describes it as intelligent and playful, a lover of variety. It does not like being alone and gets on well with other animals. It is discreet but persistent in its affection and becomes very attached to its family. It jumps and climbs on furniture with ease, fetches toys and plays the “clown”. After playing, it retreats to a high place, from where it watches the world, relaxed.

Socialisation

It gets on well with other animals and bonds closely with its family.

A kitten gets used to new people, noises and other animals most easily in its first months of life.

Habits at home

Like all cats, it sleeps a lot: usually 12–16 hours a day. It is most active early in the morning and in the evening, but partly adapts to the family's routine.

Cats instinctively bury their droppings, so it quickly learns to use a litter tray. It scratches rough surfaces to shed the old outer layer of its claws, so it needs a scratching post or board.

It is very active: it jumps, climbs and plays a lot. It likes high places from which to watch.

Tips for a balanced life

• Give it shelves and tall climbing trees.
• Change its toys often: it loves variety.
• Do not leave it alone for many hours.

Coat care

The fine, semi-long coat is brushed 1–2 times a week, especially on the ruff and tail, and more often during moulting.

Common health problems

Wikipedia says the Somali is among the breeds most affected by pyruvate kinase deficiency, a red blood cell disease caused by a recessive mutation of the PKLR gene. It can also have hereditary retinal degeneration, caused by the rdAc mutation, also found in Abyssinians and Siamese.

Recommended genetic tests

For pyruvate kinase deficiency (the PKLR gene) and for retinal degeneration (the rdAc mutation) the mutations are known, so the parents can be genetically tested.

Is it hypoallergenic?

Cat allergy is caused mainly by the Fel d 1 protein, found in saliva and skin glands; it is behind the allergy in 90% of people who are allergic to cats. Kittens, females and neutered males produce less of it, but still enough to trigger symptoms. No breed is completely hypoallergenic.

Other care

• A check-up at the vet once a year.
• Vaccinations and parasite treatment on the schedule set by the vet.
• Trim the claws if they do not wear down on their own.
• Clean its teeth or give it food that helps keep them clean.

The cat is a carnivore: it needs animal protein. Unlike a dog, it must get vitamin A, arachidonic acid and taurine from its food. Water is very important, because cats usually drink little; several water bowls around the house encourage it to drink.

Tips for a healthy diet

The table gives a starting estimate, calculated with the formula from the Merck Veterinary Manual for a healthy adult cat. The last column shows what this means in dry food with 3,500–4,000 kcal per kilogram. If you also feed wet food, reduce the dry portion.

• Adjust the portion to its weight: neutered cats put on weight easily.
• Weigh it monthly; the ribs should be easy to feel under your fingers.
• Kittens need more calories: Merck recommends 2.5 times the resting energy requirement.

Dangerous foods and substances

Some common household items are dangerous for cats:

• Lilies (and daylilies): they can destroy a cat's kidneys. Even the pollen or the water in the vase is dangerous.
• Paracetamol: extremely toxic to cats, which lack the enzyme that breaks it down. Never give it human medicines.
• Flea spot-ons and collars for dogs containing permethrin: the concentration meant for dogs is dangerous for cats.
• Foods: chocolate, coffee, alcohol, onions, garlic, grapes and raisins.

Maturity

Females usually reach sexual maturity at 5–10 months, and males at 5–7 months. The age varies from breed to breed.

Mating and pregnancy

Pregnancy in cats lasts 64–67 days, 65 on average. A first litter usually has fewer kittens than later ones. Only healthy cats that match the breed standard are used for breeding.

Blood type

Cats have blood type A, B or AB. Type A is the most common: in a study from England, 87.1% of non-pedigree cats and 54.6% of pedigree cats had type A. This matters for breeding: if the mother is type B and the kittens are type A, the antibodies in her first milk (colostrum) can destroy their red blood cells. The condition is called neonatal isoerythrolysis. That is why breeders test the blood type of both parents.

We found no published data on how common type B is in this breed; the test is done before mating anyway.

Caring for the kittens

Kittens are weaned at 6–7 weeks. They are ready to go to their new home at about 12 weeks, when they can be separated from their mother.

Neutering

Neutering used to be done at 6–9 months, but it is more and more often done before puberty, at around 3–6 months. It prevents unwanted kittens, urine marking in males and the loud “calling” of females in heat. A 2024 study found that neutered cats live one year longer on average. After the operation, the metabolism slows down and appetite increases, so the portion has to be reduced.

How to choose a kitten

• Ask for the pedigree from a recognised cat association (for example, a FIFe member).
• The kitten leaves its mother at about 12 weeks.
• Ask for the results of the parents' genetic tests for pyruvate kinase deficiency and rdAc.
• Look at the mother and at the place where the kittens are raised: it should be clean, with kittens used to people.
• Ask about vaccinations, parasite treatment and the blood type of the parents.

• The “fox cat”. Its slender body, bushy tail and large ears earned it the nickname “Fox Cat”.
• A neighbouring name. “Somali” was chosen because Somalia borders Abyssinia, after which the Abyssinian is named.
• Up to 20 colours on one hair. Each hair can have between 4 and 20 colour bands.
• Hidden at first. Abyssinian breeders did not want to talk about the longhaired kittens.

How is it different from the Abyssinian?

Only in the length of its coat: the Somali has semi-long hair, a bushy tail and a ruff.

Why is it called the “fox cat”?

Because of its slender body, bushy tail and large, pointed ears.

Can it stay alone?

It does not like to; it is happiest when the house is busy.

How much does it weigh?

Females 2.5–4 kg, males 3.5–5 kg.