Somali

The Somali is essentially the longhaired version of the Abyssinian. The Abyssinian was developed in Great Britain from a cat brought into that country by Lord Robert Napier, following a military expedition to Abyssinia.

The cat Lord Napier brought to Britain was named Zulu, and he was the foundation of the beautiful breed known today as the Abyssinian, as well as the Somali breed.

The unique ticking pattern on the coat of the Abyssinian reminded people of the camouflage pattern on the coat of the wild rabbit. In order to perpetuate this, Zulu was bred to random-bred cats that carried a similar look to their coat and the Abyssinian breed was created. Some of the kittens born in the Abyssinian litters seemed to be long haired. Since long hair was not a trait desirable in Abyssinians, the long haired kittens born were altered and placed as pets. However, many breeders loved the way the long hair looked on Abyssinian cats and, in the late 1960s, these breeders created a longhaired version of the Abyssinian and called her the Somali. The beautiful ticked coat can be seen on the Somali just as it can on the Abyssinian. Thanks to her unique look, lovely personality, and her easy care, the Somali quickly became popular.

Characteristics

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