Appearance
Somalis have a striking, bushy tail, and two large ears which, combined with their ticked and often ruddy coat, has earned them the nickname of "fox cat" in some circles. In addition to the fluffy tail, the Somali breed features a somewhat darker stripe down its back, large ears, a full ruff and breeches, contributing further to the overall "foxy" look.
Somali coats are ticked; each hair is ticked multiple times in two colors. Ticking is a variation on tabby markings, and occasionally a Somali may show full tabby stripes on portions of their bodies, but this is seen as a flaw, and tabby Somalis are only sold as neutered pets. The only tabby marking on a show Somali is the traditional tabby 'M' on the middle of the forehead. Like Abyssinians, they have a dark rim around their eyes that makes them look like they are wearing kohl eyeliner, and they have a small amount of white on their muzzles and chins/throats. White elsewhere on their bodies disqualifies them from show-status.
Read more about this topic: Somali (cat)
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—Jean Rostand (1894–1977)
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—Marianne E. Neifert (20th century)