Somali Cat
The "fox cat" — an Abyssinian with a long, flowing, ticked coat and a magnificent bottlebrush tail that looks like it belongs on a wild animal. That iridescent agouti fur, those tufted ears, that foxy face. Complete guide: how a recessive longhair gene hidden in Abyssinians for decades suddenly created one of the most stunning cats on Earth. PK deficiency, PRA, and patellar luxation concerns.
📋 Breed Overview
📖 About the Somali — The Hidden Gene
The Somali is essentially a longhaired Abyssinian. During WWII, Abyssinian numbers crashed so severely that breeders had to outcross to other breeds — and those outcrosses carried a recessive longhair gene. For decades, longhaired kittens appeared in Aby litters and were quietly given away as pets. In the 1960s, breeders realized these "rejects" were stunning and developed them as a separate breed. The name "Somali" was chosen as a geographic neighbor to Abyssinia — even though the breed has nothing to do with Somalia. The magnificent bottlebrush tail is the breed's signature. PK-Def DNA test mandatory. Same ticked agouti coat as Abyssinian — each hair has 4-6 color bands. Colors: ruddy, blue, fawn, sorrel.