Somali
A longhaired Abyssinian, ticked the same way, with each hair banded several times. The full tail and ruff are why it gets called the fox cat.
Photo by Pieter Lanser from The Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Somali is a longhaired Abyssinian. Longhaired kittens appeared in Abyssinian litters and were eventually developed as a breed of their own, and the name follows the geographic joke of pairing Somalia with Abyssinia.
The ticked coat at length gives a fox like effect, with a full brush of a tail and a ruff, and the banding on each hair shows more clearly than it does on the shorthaired version.
Temperament
Every bit as busy as an Abyssinian. Somalis are athletic, curious and constantly occupied, and they open cupboards, taps and doors.
They are highly social and want to be involved in everything, and they are poor at being alone. They are moderately vocal and extremely trainable, and a Somali without enough to do finds its own entertainment at the household's expense.
Care and grooming
Easier than it looks. There is little undercoat, so the semi long coat rarely mats, and a comb twice a week is enough with more through the moult.
The Abyssinian conditions apply directly: progressive retinal atrophy in the rdAc form causing late onset blindness, and pyruvate kinase deficiency causing an inherited anaemia. Both have DNA tests and both are found at meaningful frequency, so ask for results.
Living and exercise
Vertical space, puzzle feeders and daily interactive play. This is a cat that needs a job.
They do well with another active cat and badly on their own in an empty house. Eleven to sixteen years is the usual expectation, and they stay active throughout most of it.
Something here wrong or out of date?