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About Somalis
Nobody knows exactly, what is the origin of this wonderful breed, which belongs to shorthair breeds (in FIFe). Probably there was a spontaneous mutation in some lines of Abyssinian in USA. In some litters were kittens with semi-long hair. Some breeders were interested in these kittens and breeded Somali.
Somali cats are medium big, muscular, elegant. Head should have a shape of round wedge, soft lines and shouldnīt be too much sharp. Eyes should be almond and they should have green or amber colour. Ears should be large and wide placed. Tail should be long and well furnished. Coat should be fine.
Colour of Somali is called as ticked tabby. Each hair has stripes, so-called ticking. Ticking should be multiple. There cannot be another drawing on the coat except back strip and weak strip on the chest, this strip must be interrupted. There are full colours and silver colours of cats of this breed.
Basic colour is ruddy, where ticking is black and basic colour of hair is brown-red. Blue colour has ticking blue and basic colour is cream. Colour so-called sorrel has ticking chocolate and basic colour is apricot. Colour so-called fawn has ticking dark-creme and basic colour is light-creme. There are chocolate and lila colours, too, but these colours are not recognized by FIFe.
Basic colour is silver-white, for ticking goes the same as for full colours.
Dominant colour is black, which is determined by gene B. Recesive gene to this gene is gene b, which determines chocolate colour, but this colour isnīt recognized by FIFe by this breed, thatīs why we donīt také an interest in this colour. Next recesive gene to gene B is gene b1, which determines colour sorrel.
Dilution of the colours is determined by gene d. It is a recesive gene, thatīs why cat, which has diluted colour, must have both these genes (this cat is recesive homozygot). Diluted colour to black is blue and to sorrel is fawn.
Silver colour is determined by gene I (inhibitor). It is dominant gene, but its speciality is, that this gene must not be always expressed.
For those, who donīt understand genetics, there is a table of colour heredity. This table is valid for silver colours, too. The table shows all combinations of genes B, b1, D and d.
|
|
black |
blue |
sorrel |
fawn |
|
black |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
|
blue |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
blue, fawn |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
blue, fawn |
|
sorrel |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
sorrel, fawn |
sorrel, fawn |
|
fawn |
black, blue, sorrel, fawn |
blue, fawn |
sorrel, fawn |
fawn |
Breed and colour of cats is expressed by EMS codes. For Somali are valid this codes:
SOM n black
SOM ns black-silver
SOM a blue
SOM as blue-silver
SOM o sorrel
SOM os sorrel-silver
SOM p fawn
SOM ps fawn-silver
Somali cats are very communicative and friendly, curious and intelligent. They donīt like a solitude, they get on well with another cats or with dogs. With their nice still voice they say, that itīs time to eat or play. They are very tender.
If the cat becomes three times evaluation CAC on national or international cat shows, belongs a title champion (CH) to her.
If the cat becomes three times evaluation CACIB on international cat shows in two countries, belongs a title interchampion (IC) to her.
If the cat becomes six times evaluation CAGCIB on international cat shows in three countries, belongs a title grandinterchampion (GIC) to her.
If the cat becomes nine times evaluation CACE on international cat shows in three countries, belongs a title Europa champion (EC) to her.