SGC. RW. Agilesomalis Althea
Best Ruddy Ticked Tabby TICA | 2012
Agilesomalis Althea is a good example of the breed!
Breeder: Helen Warn | Canada
Owner: Helen Warn | Canada
Photo credit: Helmi Flick
Best Ruddy Ticked Tabby TICA | 2012
Agilesomalis Althea is a good example of the breed!
Breeder: Helen Warn | Canada
Owner: Helen Warn | Canada
Photo credit: Helmi Flick
"Somali ... a touch of nature beauty, a wild little fox look!"
The Somali cat is an exotic looking, exuberant, and loving breed, with a wild appearance which is given by the colored ticked fur, facial markings, large ears, full ruff, dark hocks and bushy tail. The ticked fur is a common pattern that can be seen in some wild animals, and is found in foxes, mountain lions, squirrels, wild rabbits, etc, and gives the depth of color that is so characteristic of the somali cats. The perfect camouflage coat has proven successful for many wild animals, and from deserts to jungles. The breed is recognized in all of the major cat registry associations worldwide.
The Somali are foxy looking cats, with wonderful dispositions, and striking in appearance. They are called the "little foxes" of the cat world. The breed is known to have appeared spontaneously in the 1950's from Abyssinian breeding programs when a number of Abyssinian kittens were born with long coat and brush tails. The long-haired cousin to the Abyssinian, the Somali cat's long, silky coat was at one time considered to be an undesirable trait by Abyssinian breeders, who took careful measures to ensure that it did not show up in their Abyssinian litters.
Although the Abyssinian is one of the oldest known breeds, there continues to be speculation and controversy concerning its history. The first Abyssinian was shown in a Cat Show in England in the late 1800's. It was first mentioned historically in a book about cats published in England in 1874. The Abyssinian cats were imported to North America in the early 1900's, and is the foundation of the Abyssinian population in the USA nowadays. Today, they still retain the jungle look of Felis silvestris lybica, the African wildcat ancestor of all domestic cats. Recent studies by geneticists show that the most convincing origin of the Abyssinian breed is the coast of the Indian Ocean and parts of Southeast Asia.
The Somali are foxy looking cats, with wonderful dispositions, and striking in appearance. They are called the "little foxes" of the cat world. The breed is known to have appeared spontaneously in the 1950's from Abyssinian breeding programs when a number of Abyssinian kittens were born with long coat and brush tails. The long-haired cousin to the Abyssinian, the Somali cat's long, silky coat was at one time considered to be an undesirable trait by Abyssinian breeders, who took careful measures to ensure that it did not show up in their Abyssinian litters.
Although the Abyssinian is one of the oldest known breeds, there continues to be speculation and controversy concerning its history. The first Abyssinian was shown in a Cat Show in England in the late 1800's. It was first mentioned historically in a book about cats published in England in 1874. The Abyssinian cats were imported to North America in the early 1900's, and is the foundation of the Abyssinian population in the USA nowadays. Today, they still retain the jungle look of Felis silvestris lybica, the African wildcat ancestor of all domestic cats. Recent studies by geneticists show that the most convincing origin of the Abyssinian breed is the coast of the Indian Ocean and parts of Southeast Asia.
Bungalow Otto
Abyssinian cat | Ruddy | CFA 380
Abyssinian cat | Ruddy | CFA 380
However, the 1960's the cat fanciers began to realize the exquisite beauty of the long-haired Abyssinian, and the Somali breed was born. So, the Somali is the stunning long-haired descendent of the Abyssinian, and is named for Somalia which borders Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia, to represent their connection to each other.
In the United States, Evelyn Mague began working with Somalis at Lynn-Lee's Cattery, after finding that two of her Abyssinians, Lynn-Lee's Lord Dublin and Lo-Mi-R's Trill-By, carried the longhair gene. "Trilly" as she was called by Evelyn, was the beginning of the United States Somali breed. The cat "Trilly" is known mother as of the Somali movement around the world.
In 1978 a proposal to recognition of the Somali breed was submitted to CFA's Board of Directors. After the breed acceptance into The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) in 1979, in the Ruddy and Red colors, the breed continued to grow in both awards and recognition. The Blue color was accepted in 1986, and after, the fawn color in 1990.
Somali cats are active, playful, intelligent, affectionate and lots of fun. They thrive on attention and make wonderful companions, putting the myth of the 'aloof cat' to rest. As beautiful as they are to look at with their expressive almond-shaped green to amber colored eyes and delicate markings, Somalis captivate their owners with their incredible charm, charisma and sense of humor. They remain kittenish throughout their lives and love to play and entertain you with their clownish antics. These happy, bright little creatures are sure to bring love, joy and cheer into the lives of those who are lucky enough to own them.
Somalis are medium to large cats with a well-proportioned, slender frame. The coat is two to three inches long, but is easy to care for and seldom mats. Their lovely face is accentuated by markings that rival anything that could be achieved by a makeup artist, and they have an almost fox-like appearance, thanks to a full, fluffy tail, breeches and ruff.
In the United States, Evelyn Mague began working with Somalis at Lynn-Lee's Cattery, after finding that two of her Abyssinians, Lynn-Lee's Lord Dublin and Lo-Mi-R's Trill-By, carried the longhair gene. "Trilly" as she was called by Evelyn, was the beginning of the United States Somali breed. The cat "Trilly" is known mother as of the Somali movement around the world.
In 1978 a proposal to recognition of the Somali breed was submitted to CFA's Board of Directors. After the breed acceptance into The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) in 1979, in the Ruddy and Red colors, the breed continued to grow in both awards and recognition. The Blue color was accepted in 1986, and after, the fawn color in 1990.
Somali cats are active, playful, intelligent, affectionate and lots of fun. They thrive on attention and make wonderful companions, putting the myth of the 'aloof cat' to rest. As beautiful as they are to look at with their expressive almond-shaped green to amber colored eyes and delicate markings, Somalis captivate their owners with their incredible charm, charisma and sense of humor. They remain kittenish throughout their lives and love to play and entertain you with their clownish antics. These happy, bright little creatures are sure to bring love, joy and cheer into the lives of those who are lucky enough to own them.
Somalis are medium to large cats with a well-proportioned, slender frame. The coat is two to three inches long, but is easy to care for and seldom mats. Their lovely face is accentuated by markings that rival anything that could be achieved by a makeup artist, and they have an almost fox-like appearance, thanks to a full, fluffy tail, breeches and ruff.
The Somali coat comes in four recognized traditional colors in CFA: Ruddy (Usual, Wild), Red (Cinnamon, Sorrel), Blue, and Fawn. The colors showing in the ticked fur of the back and tail harmonize with the solid, lighter color on the cat’s undersides.
The coat pattern is agouti, also called “ticked", which has multiple bands of color on each hair. The ticked fur mantles the cat, with harmonizing solid color on its underside. The ear tips and tufts, eyeliner, top and tip of the tail, toes tufts, and hock are all the same colour as the ticking.
The Blue Somali has ground color that is warm beige, ticked with various shades of slate blue or even dark grey. The underside of the body of the cat, and insides of the legs are an even peach/apricot color, harmonizing with the ground color, and without barring, belly marks, necklaces, or even ticking. Darker shading along the spine is allowed. Nose leather is old rose. Paws pads is mauve, with slate blue between toes extending slightly beyond the paws, and dark hocks. Blue is the dilute form of ruddy.
The Fawn Somali has ground color that is warm rose-beige, ticked with various shades of light cocoa brown or even light brown. The underside of the body of the cat, and insides of the legs are an even cream color, harmonizing with the ground color, and without barring, belly marks, necklaces, or even ticking. Darker shading along the spine is allowed. Nose leather is Salmon. Paws pads is pink, with light cocoa-brown between toes extending slightly beyond the paws, and dark hocks. Fawn is the dilute form of red.
The Red (Cinnamon, Sorrel) Somali has ground color that is a rich red, ticked with various shades of chocolate brown. The underside of the body of the cat, and insides of the legs are an even red color, harmonizing with the ground color, and without barring, belly marks, necklaces, or even ticking. Darker shading along the spine is allowed. The overall impression is closer to orange color than the dark brown or mahogany color of the ruddy. Nose leather is rosy pink. Paws pads is pink, with chocolate-brown between toes extending slightly beyond the paws, and dark hocks.
The Ruddy (Tawny, Usual, Wild) Somali has ground color that is burnt-sienna, ticked with various shades of darker brown or black. The underside of the body of the cat, and insides of the legs are an even ruddy color, harmonizing with the ground color, and without barring, belly marks, necklaces, or even ticking. The black boots are desirable. Darker shading along the spine is allowed. Nose leather is tile red. Paws pads is black or dark brown, with black between toes extending slightly beyond the paws, and dark hocks. This color gives a Somali a slightly "wild" or "natural" look and is a great favorite.
The above four colors are also possible in a silver version, called respectively Black Silver, Cinnamon Silver, Blue Silver and Fawn Silver. The Silver is more frequently in Europe and less frequently in the United States, although many associations do not accept these color. In Silver colors, a particular gene inhibits the base coat color, leaving the ticking on a white undercoat. They are also accepted outside the United States in other colors in some other associations, however in Europe a wider range of colors is recognized, including chocolate and lilac, even sex-linked red, and torties. Each color has its own special appeal. Theoretically, the Somali can be found in twenty-eight colors total, but only the four traditional colors mentioned above are widely recognized.
The Somali allowable outcross is only the Abyssinian breed. The "shorthaired" offspring resulted from this breeding are known as "Abyssinian variant" or "Shorthair Somali". According CFA rules, they must be used only in Somali breeding program to increase the gene pool, even their descendents, and never in Abyssinian breeding program.
The coat pattern is agouti, also called “ticked", which has multiple bands of color on each hair. The ticked fur mantles the cat, with harmonizing solid color on its underside. The ear tips and tufts, eyeliner, top and tip of the tail, toes tufts, and hock are all the same colour as the ticking.
The Blue Somali has ground color that is warm beige, ticked with various shades of slate blue or even dark grey. The underside of the body of the cat, and insides of the legs are an even peach/apricot color, harmonizing with the ground color, and without barring, belly marks, necklaces, or even ticking. Darker shading along the spine is allowed. Nose leather is old rose. Paws pads is mauve, with slate blue between toes extending slightly beyond the paws, and dark hocks. Blue is the dilute form of ruddy.
The Fawn Somali has ground color that is warm rose-beige, ticked with various shades of light cocoa brown or even light brown. The underside of the body of the cat, and insides of the legs are an even cream color, harmonizing with the ground color, and without barring, belly marks, necklaces, or even ticking. Darker shading along the spine is allowed. Nose leather is Salmon. Paws pads is pink, with light cocoa-brown between toes extending slightly beyond the paws, and dark hocks. Fawn is the dilute form of red.
The Red (Cinnamon, Sorrel) Somali has ground color that is a rich red, ticked with various shades of chocolate brown. The underside of the body of the cat, and insides of the legs are an even red color, harmonizing with the ground color, and without barring, belly marks, necklaces, or even ticking. Darker shading along the spine is allowed. The overall impression is closer to orange color than the dark brown or mahogany color of the ruddy. Nose leather is rosy pink. Paws pads is pink, with chocolate-brown between toes extending slightly beyond the paws, and dark hocks.
The Ruddy (Tawny, Usual, Wild) Somali has ground color that is burnt-sienna, ticked with various shades of darker brown or black. The underside of the body of the cat, and insides of the legs are an even ruddy color, harmonizing with the ground color, and without barring, belly marks, necklaces, or even ticking. The black boots are desirable. Darker shading along the spine is allowed. Nose leather is tile red. Paws pads is black or dark brown, with black between toes extending slightly beyond the paws, and dark hocks. This color gives a Somali a slightly "wild" or "natural" look and is a great favorite.
The above four colors are also possible in a silver version, called respectively Black Silver, Cinnamon Silver, Blue Silver and Fawn Silver. The Silver is more frequently in Europe and less frequently in the United States, although many associations do not accept these color. In Silver colors, a particular gene inhibits the base coat color, leaving the ticking on a white undercoat. They are also accepted outside the United States in other colors in some other associations, however in Europe a wider range of colors is recognized, including chocolate and lilac, even sex-linked red, and torties. Each color has its own special appeal. Theoretically, the Somali can be found in twenty-eight colors total, but only the four traditional colors mentioned above are widely recognized.
The Somali allowable outcross is only the Abyssinian breed. The "shorthaired" offspring resulted from this breeding are known as "Abyssinian variant" or "Shorthair Somali". According CFA rules, they must be used only in Somali breeding program to increase the gene pool, even their descendents, and never in Abyssinian breeding program.