Description
Appearance
Somalis have a striking, bushy tail, which, combined with their ticked and often ruddy coat, has earned them the nickname of "fox cats" in some circles. In addition to the fluffy tail, the Somali breed features a somewhat darker stripe down its back, large ears, a full ruff and breeches, contributing further to the overall "foxy" look.
Somali coats are ticked; each hair is ticked multiple times in two colors. Ticking is a variation on tabby markings, and occasionally a Somali may show full tabby stripes on portions of their bodies, but this is seen as a flaw, and tabby Somalis are only sold as neutered pets. The only tabby marking on a show Somali is the traditional tabby 'M' on the middle of the forehead. Like Abyssinians, they have a dark rim around their eyes that makes them look like they are wearing eyeliner, and they have a small amount of white on their muzzles and chins/throats. White elsewhere on their bodies disqualifies them from show-status. |
Personality
Somalis are active, loyal and gentle cats and they become very attached to their humans. They show their unconditional love by purring and kissing. Somalis are very dog-like in their devotion to their human family.
They want to participate in everything that is going on and they need plenty of action. Somalis are quite talkative but the voice is soft and quiet.
Somalis are intelligent and they learn tricks quite easily. They are very social animals and so it is a good idea to have two cats to keep company to each other. Somalis get along well with dogs and other pets as well.
Gentle and social somalis have had a lot of success in cat shows and especially males love to charm the judges.
They want to participate in everything that is going on and they need plenty of action. Somalis are quite talkative but the voice is soft and quiet.
Somalis are intelligent and they learn tricks quite easily. They are very social animals and so it is a good idea to have two cats to keep company to each other. Somalis get along well with dogs and other pets as well.
Gentle and social somalis have had a lot of success in cat shows and especially males love to charm the judges.
Lifespan and Size
The Somali will usually live up to 10 years of age, but with the proper care and nutrition can live up to 15 years of age. This is a medium to large cat with the females usually weighing up to 12.1lb (5.5kg) and the males weighing up to 15.4lb (7kg).
Description above from www.catsofaustralia.com, the Wikipedia article Somali cat and www.somakiss.net