SOMALI CAT
HISTORY
Somali cats are closely related to the abessinian cat, which is why discussing the history of the one is almost impossible to do without the history of the other. The abessinian history goes on beyond the history of the somali cats, however the information of the exact origin has been lost in time. There are stories though, as there often are. For example, isn't it rather nice to think that the abessinian cats are direct descendants of the cat in the ancient Egypt? The recent genetic studies, however, point more to the direction of India and the first paper trail of the breed originates from the 19th century Britain.
​
So how did the road lead the the beginning of the somali breed? Well, after the second world war, the abessinian population had gotten very small and in the process of reviving the breed, an allele for longer hair was introduced, probably accidentally, to the gene pool of the abessinians. That resulted in occasional long-haired kittens being born in the abessinian litters. The long-haired kittens were at first considered unwanted but eventually some breeders got excited about them and started to breed them separately. Officially the somali breed was separated from the abessinians in the year 1979.
​
Somali cats are full of love, curiosity, social interaction and activity. They take part in anything that is happening in your house and you will never ever be alone again. Not even when you would prefer it. They are active to a point of you constantly needing to come up with new ways to activate them and keep them entertained. And even then there will most likely be no place in your house that the somali cats will stay out of. Especially when told not to go there because that means "some interesting shit here" in somali cat language!
​
Somali cats get very attached to their weird-looking hairless mamas and papas. They also often chat with their family with small coos (or by yelling from the bootom of their souls when in heat). Somalis enjoy the company of other cats so it might be worth while to consider taking two cats instead of one if you are thinking about taking your first cat. On the other hand, a very big clowder can be too much for a social somali as it can feel like it does not get all the attention it deserves.
​
CHARACTER
appearance
​Somali cat has a silky fur with a ticking that makes it shine. There are eight different FiFe approved colors. The basic colors are ruddy, blue, sorrel and fawn. Blue and fawn are so-called dilutions of ruddy and sorrel, respectively. Dilution in genetics means that the genetic basis for the color is the same but the dilution allele defines the final phenotype. In additon to the four basic colors, there are the silver variants: ruddy silver, blue silver, sorrel silver and fawn silver.
​
Somali cats are medium-sized and elegant. Their elegance is emphasized by their small paws and petite limbs. An adult female weighs approximately 3-4 kg and males around 4-6 kg. Somalis have large ears that work like little antennas, constantly mapping their surroundings. Somali cats have large almond-shaped eyes, the color of which can vary from gold to amber to green.
ulkonäkö
Lähteinä käytetty: TICA - The International Cat Association & Somakiss RY
![Somakiss MR - ABY-SOM [Converted] valkoi](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8dca3e_8f817658ce4d4073ada16dc5ffff45b7~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_198,h_296,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_3,enc_auto/Somakiss%20MR%20-%20ABY-SOM%20%5BConverted%5D%20valkoi.jpeg)
Rotuyhdistyksemme on Somakiss RY, jonka sivuilta löytyvät kattavat tiedot rodusta, pennun hankinnasta ja muista mieltä askarruttavista asioista. Voit aina myös kysyä minulta jos jokin askarruttaa!
Lisäksi voit tutustua Suomen Kissaliiton sekä kansainvälisen FIFE:n sivuihin, joilta löytyy paljon hyödyllistä tietoa rotukissojen kasvattamisesta sekä hoidosta.
