No one is completely sure how Somali kittens were first bred, but we do know that they first appeared around World War II and come from Abyssinians. Experts on cat breeds believe that they come from Abyssinians with a recessive longhair gene. This was probably due to the decrease in Abyssinians around that time which led to crossbreeding with similar long haired cats in order to rebuild the Abyssinian breed. This is one of the kitty breeds that was also built up by accident when some Abyssinian breeders in different countries such as the United States and Canada got long haired kittens that they decided to dub Somali cats.
As you can guess from the history of Somali kittens, they look like a longhaired version of the Abyssinian. They share the presence of white fur on the bottom of their chins as well as the appearance of wearing dark eyeliner. All Somali cats have a mark on the forehead that looks like an "M." Because of their bushy tail and coloring and ears resembling that of foxes, in some ways Somalis look more like other animals than they do like other cat breeds. Like many kitty breeds, they have a medium build.
You might worry that because of the long coat of Somali kittens they need a lot of grooming, but luckily that is not the case. They only need weekly brushing to keep their coat healthy and unlike many kitty breeds, they do not shed much. Female Somali cats generally weigh 6 to 9 pounds and males of the breed weigh 10 to 12. While Somalis are not generally unhealthy, they are prone to dental conditions such as gingivitis so make sure to brush its teeth regularly in order to maintain healthy gums. This is one of the cat breeds with one popular coat color (golden brown with black ticks) but many other color options which are less common (there are 28 in total).
Somali cats are very energetic and athletic, loving to play with their humans and with their toys (even fetching them). They are also one of the intelligent cat breeds which means they can be trained fairly easily although be wary of their strong will. Somali kittens are very curious, attentive and loving. They are also one of the kitty breeds that although loyal to their humans loves the company of children and other pets. They are not very talkative but do enjoy kneading laps. Because of their personality, Somalis are great for all families whether they have children or other pets.
