Smitten by the Somali: The Best of Both Worlds

It really doesn't matter to me whether a cat has a long impressive pedigree. All cats have irrevocably stolen my heart.

But for some reason I still can't quite put my finger on, I have always been attracted to the short hairs. It may be that in my experience I have found them to be more playful and animated than the "furry doorstops," a description used by my cat fancier friends for long-haired cats. It could simply be just that I have not yet had the pleasure of living with one.

But after receiving a photograph of a Somali the other day, the latest addition to my friend's feline family, saying my curiosity was piqued would be a huge understatement. I instantly fell in love and had to learn more about the breed.

Much to my surprise I learned that the Somali actually encompasses the best of both worlds: a gorgeous long hair with an agouti (ticked) coat pattern and a short hair temperament!

This is because the Somali is a long-haired cousin to the short-haired Abyssinian. Fortunately for long hair cat lovers, a recessive gene in the short hair Abyssinian is responsible for its long coat that comes in four colors; red, ruddy, fawn and blue.

Some folks consider Somalis to resemble a fox with their huge ears, distinctive facial markings, flowing long bushy tail and "britches." And while they are magnificent in appearance, these cats are certainly not "couch potatoes".

These medium sized muscularly built felines are highly curious and intelligent with a penchant for exploring cabinets and closets, opening doors and hiding in unusual places. They crave affection and will entertain their humans for hours on end. These cats are also fascinated by water and get a huge kick out of turning on faucets. To cut to the chase, the Somali is a compact furry feline ball of energy.

And what I found to be the icing on the cake, for folks like me not into spending a huge amount of time on coat care, the Somali's medium length silky coat requires little grooming.

Now my only problem is finding a logical way to convince my husband and our other two short-haired Orientals that adding a Somali to our household might be a good idea.

I guess I am going to have to find a local cat show where Somalis are entered so at least my husband has the opportunity to also fall in love. And a Somali kitten just might just be the ticket for getting our two cats off our couch for some exercise.

To learn more about the breed watch the video uploaded to YouTube by Janson Media.

Wouldn't you love to have a Somali sleeping with you under your covers? Leave a comment and let us know.