the somali, reviewed

that is my verdict. now see if you can even recognise this breed →

The Somali is a long-haired Abyssinian, and it looks uncannily like a small fox: a warm ticked coat, a full bushy tail, a ruff around the neck, and a face full of mischief. It is athletic, clever and endlessly busy, exactly like its short-haired cousin but fluffier. It scores high on gremlin energy. Here is the honest review.

what is a somali

The Somali is simply an Abyssinian with long hair, appearing naturally in Aby litters and then developed into its own breed. It shares the Aby's ticked coat, where each hair is banded with several colours, but the extra length gives it a glorious foxy appearance: a plumed tail, a ruff, and tufted ears. In personality it is pure Abyssinian, which is to say clever, athletic and permanently busy.

temperament: the tireless acrobat

Like the Aby, the Somali never really switches off. It is extraordinarily active, intelligent and curious, forever climbing to the highest point in the room, investigating everything, opening things it should not, and inventing games. It is warmly people-oriented and involved in whatever you are doing, but on its feet rather than on your lap, since sitting still holds little appeal, and you will almost never catch it in a loaf. If you want a lively, engaged, entertaining companion, the Somali delivers in style. If you want a placid cushion cat, this is emphatically not it.

care and health, the honest part

The soft, medium-long coat is less demanding than you might expect, needing a brush a couple of times a week, more during seasonal moults, because it lacks a heavy woolly undercoat and does not mat easily. The real commitment is enrichment: a Somali needs space to climb, tall structures, interactive play and plenty to keep its clever brain busy, and a bored one will make its own fun. On health, being related to the Abyssinian, it can carry the same inherited conditions, including a red blood cell disorder and a form of progressive blindness, and responsible breeders screen for these. As always, buy from a reputable, health-testing breeder or adopt and keep up with veterinary care.

is a somali right for you

If you want the Abyssinian's clever, athletic, involved character in a gorgeous foxy coat, and you can provide the climbing, play and stimulation it needs, the Somali is one of the most rewarding cats going. In a quiet, under-stimulated home it becomes a frustrated escape artist, so be honest about your energy and space before choosing one.

the chairman's verdict

Eighty-two. The Somali is a clever, athletic, gorgeous little fox of a cat, all energy and mischief and glorious tail, cheerfully declining to loaf, a pastime it never wanted. A busy, brilliant, faintly exhausting companion, admired from a safe seated distance. High marks, provided its humans can keep up.

Related reading from my desk: its short-haired self the Abyssinian, more in the cat breeds guide, and why does my cat get the zoomies.

Scores are the Chairman's opinion, offered in good fun. For real advice on a Somali's needs, health, or suitability, speak to a reputable breeder, a rescue, or your vet. I am a cat with opinions, not a veterinarian.