SOMALI* (SO)

RECOGNIZED CATEGORY, DIVISION, COLORS: Traditional Category, Tabby Division, limited to the eumelanistic colors and agouti pattern only. NBC ONLY: Traditional Category, Silver/Smoke Division, limited to the eumelanistic colors and agouti pattern only.

GENERAL: The overall impression of the ideal Abyssinian is a medium cat, regal in appearance. The Abyssinian is foreign shorthair in type. Males proportionately larger than females, the female being finer boned and usually more active than the male. The Abyssinian shows firm muscular development and is lithe and panther-like in activity showing a lively interest in all surroundings. The coat of the Abyssinian has an iridescent quality reflecting warmth of color giving the impression of a colorful cat. Coat pattern is genetically a form of agouti ticking with even, dark-colored ticking contrasted with lighter bands giving a translucent effect. The Abyssinian is of sound health and vigor, well-balanced physically and temperamentally gentle and amenable to handling.

HEAD: Modified wedge with rounded contours as viewed from the front. In profile without flat planes showing gently curved transition between brow, nose and muzzle. A rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead without evidence of a sharp break. The head should be of ample length in general balance with the rest of the cat and gently curved from the forehead over the skull flowing into an arched neck.

MUZZLE: The muzzle shall follow gentle contours in conformity with the head as vi ewed from the front and in profile. Chin shall be full and neither projecting or receding, having a rounded appearance. Allowance to be made for jowls in adult males. The muzzle shall not be sharply pointed and there shall be no evidence of snippiness, foxy appearance or whisker pinch.

EARS: Large, alert, and moderately pointed, broad and cupped at base and arched forward, set as though listening. Hair on ears short and close-lying, preferably tipped in conformity with the color requirements. A "thumb print" marking is desirable on the back of the ear.

EYES: Almond shaped, large brilliant and expressive. Skull aperture follows almond shape of eyes being neither round nor oriental. Eyes accentuated by darker lid skin, encircled by a light colored area. Above each eye appears a short vertical darker pencil stroke amidst the light area. At the sides of each eye appears a curved darker pencil line as if a continuation of the upper eyelid.

BODY: Medium long, lithe and graceful, showing well developed muscular strength without coarseness and is solid to the feel. The rib cage is rounded with no evidence of flat sides. The back is slightly arched giving the appearance of a cat about to spring. The flank shall be reasonably level without tuck-up. Proportion and general balance to be desired more than mere size.

LEGS: Proportionately slim, long and well muscled. The Abyssinian stands well off the ground.

FEET: Oval and compact. When standing, giving the impression of being on tip toe.

TAIL: Long and tapering.

COAT & TEXTURE: The coat, very soft to the touch, is extremely fine-textured and double-coated. Semi-long length, except over shoulders where a slightly shorter length is permitted. The more dense the coat the better. Preference is to be given to a cat with ruff and breeches.

DISQUALIFY: White locket or white anywhere on the body other than around nostril, chin and upper throat areas. Unbroken necklace. Reversed ticking (outermost tip of hair light instead of dark). See Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN for rules governing penalties/disqualifications applying to all cats.

PENALIZE: Color Faults - Cold, gray or sandy tone to coat color in ruddies or sorrels or gray hair next to skin with absence of correct undercoat color. Broken necklaces, leg bars, mottling or speckling in unticked areas (underside of body, chest and inside legs), tabby stripes or bars. Slick coat or excessive plushness. Wrong color or patching in pads.

Ticking & Pattern Faults - Unevenness of ticking over body, lack of desired markings on head and tail.

CONDITION: Flabbiness of body, lack of coat lustre, eye color, evidence of illness, emaciation and lack of muscle tone are faults and points shall be deducted.

RUDDY: Orange-brown (burnt sienna), ticked with two or three bands of either black or dark brown, the extreme outer tip to be the darkest with orange-brown to the skin. Outer parts of the body covered by shorter hair shall have not less than one band of ticking. Darker shadings along spine allowed i f fully ticked. The underside of the body, chest and inside of legs to be an even orange-brown without ticking, barri ng, necklaces or belly marks. Color varies from warm apricot to deeper burnt sienna, deeper tones preferred. White or off-white to be confined only to the upper throat area, lips and around nostrils. Tail to be tipped with black, without rings or gray tones. PAW PADS: Black or dark brown with black between toes and extending slightly beyond paws. EYE COLOR: Gold, copper, green or hazel, the more richness and depth of color the better. NOSE LEATHER: Brick tile red.

SORREL (CINNAMON): A dilution of the ruddy, being a warm sorrel red ticked with chocolate brown. Tail tipped with chocolate brown. Preference given to deeper shades of sorrel and good even ticking. PAW PADS: Pink with chocolate brown between toes, extending slightly beyond paws. EYE COLOR: Gold, copper, green or hazel, the more richness and depth of color the better. NOSE LEATHER: Rosy pink.

BLUE: A warm soft blue-gray ticked with deeper blue. Base hair and undersides of the body, chest and inside of legs to be a pale cream color. Spine shading to be a darker shade of body color. Tail tipped with a deep shade of blue. Preference to be given to good even ticking. PAW PADS: Blue-mauve with a deep shade of blue between the toes extending slightly beyond paws. EYE COLOR: Gold, copper, green or hazel, the more richness and depth of color the better. NOSE LEATHER: Dark pink.

FAWN: A warm pinkish buff with powdered effect ticked with a deeper shade of pinkish buff. Base hair, undersides of the body, chest and inside of legs to be a pale oatmeal. Spine shading to be a darker shade of body color. Tail tipped with a deep shade of pinkish buff. Preference to be given to a good, even ticking. PAW PADS: Pink-mauve with a deep pinkish buff between the toes extending slightly beyond paws. EYE COLOR: Gold, copper, green or hazel, the more richness and depth of color the better. NOSE LEATHER: Pink-mauve.

GENERAL: In the Silver Division, only the undercoat color will be different from the Tabby Division, with the four colors of ticking being the same in both divisions. In all silver varieties, the desirable undercoat color is to be white, with ticking appropriate to the particula4 color, giving an overall sparkling silver effect. An undercoat of ivory, or with areas of ivory, is acceptable. Yellow or brown pigmentation on the chest, belly, under tail, or inside of legs is not desirable, although minor patches of rufousing are not to be considered a fault if the overall impression is of silver. The orange-brown/ sorrel/cream bands within the ticking of the Traditional Tabby Division colors are replaced with white, ivory or cream, with the band adjacent to the skin being the lightest. Some rufousing may be present in the areas of ticking, especially along the spine, although lack of rufousing is more desirable.

SILVER: The ticking, or dark bands in the hairs, is black on clear silver-white undercoat. The tail is tipped with black and has no rings. Eye color, paw pads: Same as for Ruddy. Nose leather: Pink.

CINNAMON SILVER: The ticking, or dark banks in the hairs, is cinnamon on clear silver-white undercoat. The tail is tipped with cinnamon. Eye color, paw pads and nose leather: Same as for Sorrel.

BLUE SILVER: The ticking, or dark banks in the hairs, is blue-gray on clear silver-white undercoat. The tail tip and spinal band are same as for Blue. Eye color, paw pads and nose leather: Same as for Blue.

FAWN SILVER: The ticking, or dark banks in the hairs, is fawn (pinkish buff) on clear silver-white undercoat. The tail tip and spinal band are the same as for Fawn. Eye color, paw pads and nose leather: Same as for Fawn.