The Somali cat, also called the Fox Cat, is a medium to large longhaired African breed which inherited a recessive gene for long hair from the Abyssinian.

It evolved from Abyssinians which were exported to North America, Australia, and New Zealand in the 1940s, though it was commonly believed longhaired non-Abyssinian cats or a cousin of the Abyssinian was introduced into the gene pool. Their descendants were longhaired Abyssinians or Somalis which first appeared in 1953 and were named for Somalia being the neighbor to modern-day Ethiopia (Abyssinia) and where their ancestors were imported from. With a well-balanced, affectionate, sociable, and playful personality, beautiful appearance, and endearing, soft meow, the Somali cat is a great family pet or companion animal.

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Somali Traits: What to Know Before You Buy

• This breed has some grooming needs. Although its coat is fine and silky-soft, you should brush it 3 times a week.
• It’s an active breed, having a muscular and agile body. Toys and perches are a must-have.
• It’s famous for its dextrous paws which it uses to play with toys similar to how a monkey would.
• Thanks to its large ears, fluffy coat and bushy tail, it’s nicknamed the Fox Cat.
• Somalis are intensely curious and need to explore, a characteristic that leads some owners decide to baby-proof their cabinets and drawers.
• As a long-haired relative of the Abyssinian, Somali cats have lithe and athletic bodies and both their markings and fluffy tails provide them with a notable resemblance to a fox.
• Despite their huge personalities, Somalis aren’t especially outspoken vocally. Their vocalizations are soft, but they aren’t afraid to let you know what they want.

Somali Personality

The Somali cat has a temperament that is balanced and friendly towards children, strangers, and other pets, an easygoing, social, affectionate, playful, intelligent personality, and high-energy, curious, tenacious, and active behavior. It loves to play and explore its surroundings and enjoys company. This adventurous breed is not for the sedentary home or owners who cannot give it plenty of attention. On the other hand, as a very quiet breed, it doesn’t meow much. When it does meow, it’s very soft.

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Somali Size and Weight

The Somali cat has a muscular body, large almond-shaped eyes, large pointy ears, and bold facial markings, a fluffy tail and fine, silky-smooth fur. It is medium-large in size with a semi-long, ticked coat. Males and females are about the same size of 11 to 14 inches in length, although males tend to be larger. Males on average are 8-13lbs in weight while females are 6-10lbs in weight. A Somali kitten is about 2 pounds at 8 weeks of age and remains a kitten until reaching maturity at 18 months.

Somali Price

Somali cats are relatively rare, but they’re also one of the most popular choices for show cats, and full-bred members of the species tend to be expensive as a result. A reliable breeder will charge between $1,000 and $1,500 for a purebred Somali, and that’s likely going to be your best bet. Somali cats are very rare at shelters, and rescues devoted to Somalis are practically unheard of.

There might also be a time investment. The rarity of Somali cats ensures that there are often waitlists involved in getting one. As always, be sure that you’re working with a reputable breeder. Fortunately, Somali cats aren’t especially prone to any particular genetic defects or illnesses. If the price of a Somali is too prohibitive, the short-haired Abyssinian has a very similar personality and is far more common.

Somali Kittens

Somali kittens aren’t that different from kittens of any other breed — but their bright and hyperactive personalities offer a good preview of what you can expect them to be like as adults. A Somali kitten is going to be every bit as rambunctious and playful as kittens of another breed, but their high intellect means that they can be more troublesome than the typical domestic kitten. That level of playful curiosity is only going to extend into adulthood as well, and their cleverness is only going to develop over time.

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The development of a Somali kitten is similar to that of a traditional domestic cat. At four to six months of age, a Somali kitten will lose its kitten teeth and grow its adult teeth. The six-month period sees some of the most prodigious growth as well. A Somali kitten will average a weight gain of about a pound a month until they’re a year old. At 18 months, they’ll be fully grown — but they’ll have grown out of their lanky proportions into a shape more resembling an adult cat by the time they’re a year old.

Somali Lifespan

Somali kittens aren’t that different from kittens of any other breed — but their bright and hyperactive personalities offer a good preview of what you can expect them to be like as adults. A Somali kitten is going to be every bit as rambunctious and playful as kittens of another breed, but their high intellect means that they can be more troublesome than the typical domestic kitten. That level of playful curiosity is only going to extend into adulthood as well, and their cleverness is only going to develop over time.

The development of a Somali kitten is similar to that of a traditional domestic cat. At four to six months of age, a Somali kitten will lose its kitten teeth and grow its adult teeth. The six-month period sees some of the most prodigious growth as well. A Somali kitten will average a weight gain of about a pound a month until they’re a year old. At 18 months, they’ll be fully grown — but they’ll have grown out of their lanky proportions into a shape more resembling an adult cat by the time they’re a year old.

Somali Breed vs. Mixed

Purebred Somali cats are essentially longhaired Abyssinians. They all have large almond eyes, large pointy ears, bushy tails, and fine coats. They are medium-large in size. The ticking on their coats has between four and twenty colors on each strand of fur.

Somalis can be bred with Abyssinian, although some of the kittens will lack the longhaired African cat’s coat. To identify if your cat is a purebred Somali or a mixed breed, you must look at the physical features, including the ticking colors on its fur. Body size, proportions, legs, feet, and behavior are also important factors, including the Somali’s famous dexterity. A purebred Somali will have all of the physical and personality features, while mixed breeds lack in some. Even if a cat appears to be purebred in appearance, you must also take personality and behavior into account.

Types of Somali Cats and Colors

The standard Somali color is golden brown with black ticking, also called the usual or ruddy color. A total of 28 colors are possible, with certain organizations accepting only some of them. All of the Somali registries allow ruddy, red (sorrel), blue and fawn. Most also allow ruddy silver, sorrel/red silver, blue silver, and fawn silver, while some registries may accept chocolate, lilac, red, cream, and various combinations of tortie along with silver tortie variants.

Here are the possible types of Somali cat colors:

• Ruddy: A golden brown
• Sorrel: A red-orange
• Blue: Referring to the darker tint on individual hairs, the base coat is a light oatmeal shade.
• Fawn: Blonde, with a deeper beige over the top.
• Chocolate: A darker brown on the back, legs and tail with a lighter belly
• Lilac: Similar to blue, but with a more purplish tint and darker oatmeal base color
• Red: A darker sorrel (red-orange)
• Cream: A white base with an apricot top
• Tortie: Tortoiseshell meaning a mixture of 2 colors (with the exception of white) either appearing randomly (mosaic tortie) or split evenly (chimera), including color variants such as ruddy tortie.
• Silver: A light silvery base color with a darker grey top, legs and tail, including color variants such as ruddy silver or silver tortie.

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