TICA Standard
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CATEGORY DIVISIONS COLORS PERMISSIBLE OUTCROSSES |
Traditional Tabby and Silver-Smoke Limited to eumelanistic colors and agouti pattern only. None. |
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Head
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SHAPE
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Modified wedge with rounded contours as viewed from the front. A rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead without evidence of a sharp break. The head should be of ample length in general balance with the rest of the cat and gently curved from the forehead over the skull flowing into an arched neck.
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Per-Bast Zeus. Photo taken by Juan Ramirez Jardua
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MUZZLE
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The muzzle shall follow gentle contours in conformity with the head as viewed from the front and in profile. Chin shall be full and neither projecting nor receding, having a rounded appearance. Allowance to be made for jowls in adult males. The muzzle shall not be sharply pointed and there shall be no evidence of snippiness, foxy appearance or whisker pinch.
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PROFILE
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Without flat planes, showing gently curved transition between brow, nose and muzzle.
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Body
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TORSO
Medium long, lithe and graceful, showing well developed muscular strength without coarseness and is solid to the feel. The rib cage is rounded with no evidence of flat sides. The back is slightly arched giving the appearance of a cat about to spring. The flank shall be reasonably level without tuck up. Proportion and general balance to be desired more than mere size.
LEGS
Proportionately slim, long and well-muscled. The Somali stands well off the ground.
FEET
Oval and compact. When standing, giving the impression of being on tip toe.
TAIL
Long and tapering.
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Per-Bast Zeus. Photo taken by Juan Ramirez Jardua
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MUSCULATURE
Well-developed muscular strength without coarseness and solid to the feel.
Coat-Color-Pattern
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LENGTH
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The coat, very soft to the touch, is extremely fine-textured and double coated. Semi-long length, except over shoulders where a slightly shorter length is permitted. The more dense the coat the better. Preference is to be given to a cat with ruff and breeches.
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PATTERN
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Coat pattern is genetically a form of agouti ticking with even, dark-colored ticking contrasted with lighter bands giving a translucent effect.
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COLOR
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Tabby Division. The colors of the Somali in the Tabby Division should reflect warmth of color, giving the impression of a colorful cat. The more rufousing and depth of color the better. Deeper shades/tones preferred. Darker shading along spine allowed. White or offwhite to be confined only to the upper throat area, lips and around nostrils. Preference to be given to a good, even ticking.
Silver/Smoke Division. In the Silver Division, only the undercoat color will be different from the Tabby Division, with the six colors of ticking being the same in both divisions. In all Silver varieties, the desirable undercoat color is to be icy white, with ticking appropriate to the particular color, giving an overall sparkling silver effect. The orange brown/sorrel/cream bands within the ticking of the Traditional Tabby Division colors are replaced with white, with the band adjacent to the skin being the lightest. Yellow or brown pigmentation on the chest, belly, under tail, or inside of legs is not desirable,although minor patches of rufousing are not to be considered a fault if the overall impression is of silver. Some rufousing maybe present in the areas of ticking, especially along the spine, and the rufous polygenes may have a small effect on the silver undercolor as well, although lack of rufousing is more desirable. |
Per-Bast Zeus. Photo taken by Juan Ramirez Jardua
General |
The overall impression of the ideal Somali is a medium cat, regal in appearance. The Somalis foreign in type. Males proportionately larger than females, the female being finer boned and usually more active than the male. The Somali shows firm muscular development and is lithe and panther-like in activity, showing a lively interest in all surroundings. The coat of the Somali has an iridescent quality. Coat pattern is genetically a form of agouti ticking with even, dark-colored ticking contrasted with lighter bands giving a translucent effect. The Somali is of sound health and vigor, well-balanced physically and temperamentally gentle and amenable to handling.
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Penalizaciones / Penalize
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COLOR
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Cold, gray or sandy toneto coat color in ruddies, chocolates, or cinnamons or gray hair next to skin with absence of correct undercoat color. Distinct broken necklaces, leg bars, mottling or speckling in unticked areas (underside of body, chest and inside legs), tabby stripes or bars. Slick coat or excessive plushness. Wrong color or patching in pads.
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TICKING AND PATTERN
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Unevenness of ticking over body, lack of desired markings on head and tail.
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CONDITION
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Flabbiness of body, lack of coat luster, eye color, evidence of illness, emaciation and lack of muscle tone are faults and points shall be deducted.
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Withhold all awards
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Unbroken necklace. Reversed ticking (outermost tip of hair light instead of dark). In the Tabby division, white locket or white anywhere on the body other than around nostril, chin and upper throat areas.
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Points
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