Somalisk kat
History
The Somali is a longhaired Abyssinian. If you want to read about the history of the Abyssinian click here. The first Somali cats occurred in the litters of Abyssinians in 1940. The british breeder Janet Robertson exported some of her Abyssinian kittens to North America, Australia and New Zealand. Many of the following litters from these cats had long hair and started to attract interest from show judges and other breeders. One of the judges that showed an interest and started to breed them was Ken McGill from Canada. An american Abyssinian breeder Evelyn Mague was the first breeder to give her longhaired Abyssinians a different name, calling them Somalis. Another Canadian Breeder, Don richings, began to work with Mague using kittens he had obtained from McGill. The breed was recognized internationally by 1991.
Behaviour
Somali cats are very intelligent athletic cats. This breed thrives off interactions with its owner and will love to play with moving toys. Somali’s just like Abyssinians love to be up high clambering around on top of your cupboard and doors or climbing trees. These cats are very social but tend to prefer human company to other cats or animals. These fun loving cats make a great family pet as they love the attention they can get from children.
Varieties
Ruddy, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Blue, Lilac and Fawn and silver all with agouti hair.
Breed Details
- Status: Common