What You Don't Know About Somalis

Ablaze with color, aglow with love!

- Candilee Jackson

In the year 2000, I was a complete newbie to the world of feline showing, and my first show was an eye-opener: I had no idea how many cat breeds there were, many of them totally new to me. As an educator and life-long learner, I had a great deal of research ahead of me if I planned to stay in this hobby.

One of the first breeds I met was the Somali. Jan Pitelka, owner of TheCatGarden Somali Cattery in New Lenox, Illinois, introduced her breed to me. Her show cat fascinated me; it had gorgeous, shiny, fluffy red fur with incredible black markings, including mascara. On being told that these cats are known as the “little foxes of the cat world,” I could see the resemblance clearly. Now, twenty years later, I remember Jan’s story well. Living rurally in Illinois, she and her son looked out the front door one afternoon to find a fox in their front yard. Her son quickly reminded her that “the ear set isn’t right.” That is when Jan realized she had been showing too long!

A very intelligent cat, the Somali is vibrantly colored, and its pride is that bushy plume of a tail. “The combination of ticked, dramatically colored fur, striking facial marks, large ears, full bushy tail and britches gives the Somali a ‘little fox’ look which immediately captivates.” (CFA Breeds) Recognized for championship by CFA in 1979, the Somali is a close relative to the Abyssinian and like the Aby, is shown in four colors: ruddy, red, blue and fawn. A very friendly cat, the Somali looks its best with daily grooming, and is highly active and energetic. (Purina)