Newsletter of the South African Abyssinian & Somali Association
February 2009
Somalis in South Africa
SAASA show next month
The months roll by rather quickly and it seems that
in Ticked Tails we are either reporting on the last
SAASA show or looking forward to the next one!
As has become customary over the years, our
annual show – under the auspices in the Western
Province Cat Club – is one of the first in each new
th
show season. This year it will take place on 14
March and again, at the Durbanville Town Hall.
This year we are pleased to have an overseas
judge in addition to those selected from our Cape
panel of judges. Yanina Melnikova is an all breeds
judge from Belarus. She has been a World Cat
Federation judge for 15 years and has judged all
over the world. Yanina has been invited to South
Africa by Johan Lamprecht to officiate at various
CASA and SACATS shows in March and her
expertise was offered to SAASA as well and we
were happy to accept.
Closing date for entries to the SAASA show is
th
Friday 20 February.
The Abyssinian has, over a number of years,
tended to be the more popular choice with kitten
buyers than its Somali cousin. As an Association,
we get many enquiries from prospective buyers
who, when offered the option of considering a
Somali - if Aby waiting lists are too long - appear to
be reluctant to ask further questions. This is, in
part, due to the fact that Somalis are not quite as
well known and partly because the length of the
coat seems to put people off even pondering the
possibilities. The personality traits, proportions and
characteristics are similar in both breeds, but the
„look‟ is certainly the main difference.
The sleek lines of the smooth-coated Aby are a
complete contrast to the medium-haired appeal of
the Somali. The latter often sports an impressive
brush-like tail (described as „foxy‟ at times) and
usually has a full ruff around the neck. In colder
months the coat often becomes thicker.
The colours that we are more used to in South
Africa are Ruddy, Sorrel, Fawn and Blue as well as
a range of Silvers. This issue of Ticked Tails is
weighted in favour of the Somali and we have
included the viewpoints and breeding choices of
just two of our Somali breeders. We don‟t have
many breeders of these wonderful cats around
South Africa, but here they are:
Janet Cook - Bredasdorp, Cape
[email protected]
028-425-3385
Cordula de Regt – Somerset West – Cape
[email protected]
021-851-4482
Jackie Hoare - Rondebosch, Cape Town
[email protected]
021-685-0106
Gill Burman‟s ruddy Aby boy, Crazy Dreams, will
be showing his finer points – and not necessarily
the inside of his mouth – on the day of the show,
but you can also read a little more about this crazy
cat on page 3.
Joyce Hopkin - Wilderness, Cape
[email protected]
044-877-0473
Karen Pepler - Honeydew, Gauteng
[email protected]
011-795-1711
2
Thomas O’mali Somalis
By husband and wife team Dr Jackie Hoare and Dr
Douglas Dumbrill
We started breeding Somalis in England in 2003
and as a result were exposed to DNA testing. On
returning to South Africa in 2007 we unfortunately
found that having access to this kind of testing was
a lot harder. However, it is possible to have your
vet send bloods to America or Bristol in England.
We have chosen to go the scientific route with our
breeding programme, as we wanted to re-establish
and develop the normal colours of Somalis in this
country. Our hope is that as demand for this kind
of testing increases we may be able to encourage
the development of a centre here in South Africa
that is able to undertake DNA testing.
DNA Testing
There are many tests available for cats using DNA
sampling. These tests are a huge help to breeders
not only on health but also with other issues, such
as DNA profiling, parentage verification, coat
pattern, coat colour and blood groups. The test is
done by either blood or cheek (buccal) swabs.
Currently there are two DNA tests available
for genetic diseases in Abyssinian and Somalis,
and they are:-
Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK-def)
have one copy of the mutation - are not affected
and have normal vision.
DNA testing is available, samples can be sent to
America UC Davis (VGL).
We have tested all our breeding cats for PRA.
*DNA tests for colour or coat length in
all cats include:




Agouti (banded hair or solid)
Brown (Chocolate and Cinnamon)
Colour point Restriction (Burmese and Siamese)
Dilute
Longhair
*DNA tests for genetic diseases in
other specific breeds of cats include:




Gangliosidosis GM1 and GM2 in Korat and Siamese
Glycogen Storage Disease Typ IV (GSD IV) in
Norwegian forest cats
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Maine Coon,
Maine Coon related cats
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in Ragdoll cats
Feline Polycystic Kidney disease (PKD) in Persians
and Persian related cats.
PK-def is a recessive inherited enzyme deficiency
that may cause anaemia in some affected cats.
The disease is inherited as an autosomal
recessive; two copies of the mutation are present
in affected cats. Carriers - cats that have one copy
of the mutation - are not affected and will show no
signs of this deficiency.
All of our breeding cats have tested normal for PKdef.
PK-def Testing is available in the UK, Bristol.
Samples can also be sent to America, Pengen or
UC Davis (VGL).
Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA)
PRA is an inherited late-onset blindness condition
and is characterized by progressive degeneration
of the photoreceptors (rods and cones) in the
retina. A single-nucleotide polymorphism
designated "rdAc" in the CEP290 gene produces a
defective protein, which is associated with
progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) in these breeds.
Cats affected with this form of PRA have normal
vision at birth, with degeneration first detected by
an electroretinographic exam at about seven
months. By ages 3-5, affected cats are completely
blind. There is no treatment available for the
condition. This disease is inherited as an
autosomal recessive; two copies of the mutation
are present in affected cats. Carriers - cats that
Six-month old Thomasomali Aslan enjoying some
time in the garden.
3
A Crazy Dream
By Gill Burman
Well, yes it was and yes indeed, he is! It was a
crazy dream - to import two cats from a favourite
cattery in America and give one of them the name
Crazy Dream, or CD for short. What a name! It
was actually chosen from a track on a CD (!) by
one of my favourite groups - Michael Learns to
Rock. I knew his breeder rather liked the names of
song titles so I chose this one for the boy. Now CD
(pictured below) does his best to live up to it at any
given moment. Here is just one incident….
This delightful photo is of USA Supreme Grand
Champion Thomasomali Hillstrblues Mufasa and his
6-month-old son Thomasomali Aslan
Again, father…..
Late in November last year, I let him out of his
house early one morning and found him limping
very badly on his left front foot. There were no
signs of any injuries but as a precaution I took him
to the vet for a check up. I was doubtful, at the
time, that an X-ray would be needed as he was
walking on that foot, albeit badly. He even jumped
onto the floor at the surgery. The vet agreed, and
after a careful check-up he gave him an antiinflammatory. He had three of these and just
before Christmas, his walking returned to normal.
However, over Christmas I noticed a lump on that
left foot and as soon as the vet re-opened after
New Year I took CD in again for another check-up.
This time X-rays were taken and when I went to
fetch him, my vet told me that the foot had been
broken. Not only that foot, but BOTH feet had been
broken. The right front foot had healed nicely and
the left front foot had a callous over the broken
part - nature‟s way of protecting the break.
Had the break been detected when I first took him
in, the vet may have wrapped the foot, but knowing
CD he would have removed that fairly promptly. As
in our human fingers, the metatarsals on the feet
protect each other.
…..and son
How did he do it? Don‟t ask me. He‟s a crazy,
lively boy. Yvonne (our SAASA chairperson) did
ask me how many lives CD had left. I replied I
didn‟t know, but I personally have only a few!
4
Our Silver Somalis
By Janet Cook
I cannot recall a period in my life without cats. I
grew up on a farm and we had domestics and
Siamese. In 1997 our first Abyssinian took over
our lives. Somalis, however, became part of the
Cook household 9 years ago – and more
particularly the silver Somalis. These little silvery
white creatures are as precious as our Abys.
Somalis, I believe, have a softer nature than
Abyssinians. They are Abys through and through
and are extremely active and demanding but in a
gentler way. They do not demand to be attended
to at the top of their voices like the Abys. They
chirrup gently, love gently and are not as „in-yourface‟ as the Abys, but they are always there to
help you to get all your tasks done, paws and all.
They have to shower with you and read with you
and cook with you and tidy your cupboards with
you. Two traits that are very strong in our Somalis
are „back jumping‟ and „hairdressing‟. If you bend
over you are inviting a Somali or three to lie down
on your back and have a stretch and snooze.
Getting them off once they have lain down is an
exercise. They may agree if they can drape on
your shoulders instead, like a fur. Once on your
shoulders they will get busy combing and fixing
your hair. „Teddy‟ one of our stud boys just loves
women and given a chance, he sets about
cleaning off their make up, moisturiser and
perfume. The cats in another line are all expert
pudding makers and anything soft is kneaded with
great vigour and lots of deep purrs.
Donald, my husband, got bitten by the Aby bug in
1997 and because of his associations with the
South African Abyssinian & Somali Association
(SAASA), I was asked to take on Cleo and revive
the silver Somali breeding in the Western Cape.
Had I known then what I was agreeing to, I doubt if
I would have accepted. Cleo, my first Silver
Somali, joined our household in December 2000.
She was a 4-year-old entire black silver Somali
female, bred by Marilyn Hoole (now of TEARS The Emma Animal Rescue Society). Because of
the abusive situation she had been raised in by the
people who bought her from Marilyn, she was a
very aggressive and spiteful girl when she came to
live with us. It was a long, hard battle to win her
confidence and just when we thought we were
winning, we would find ourselves back at square
one and she would be as prickly as a hedgehog! If
she did not want to do what you asked or she
didn‟t approve of what you were doing she would
blink her huge yellow eyes at you like an angry owl
and drop a parcel just there! It took a long time for
her to loose this habit and I nearly gave up in
despair. Cleo sadly only had one litter of kittens.
All three went to pet homes and fortunately one
came back, otherwise I would not be breeding
„silvers‟ today. This summer we had some very
clear sorrel silver Somalis, five generations down
from Cleo. If they look anything like their mother,
Pinki Power Puff, they will be stunning - lovely
thick silky fur and amazing fox brush tails. In 2003
I imported my first black silver female from Teresa
Guldager, a well-known and respected Somali
breeder in Denmark. This was our Chrissie (Ch
Abymoon DK Dushara Cold as Christmas). She
brought clarity into our lines. At the same time
Alex Paige in Johannesburg imported a black
silver Somali male from Teresa Guldager. A year
or so later Cordula de Regt imported a sorrel silver
male from Holland. I imported another two cats
from Teresa in 2008, a ruddy variant (DK Dushara
Rasmina Abymoon) and a blue Abyssinian (DK
Dushara Lerado Lili). Although these two females
are not silver Somalis, I imported them because
they have interesting pedigrees and because I am
trying to breed a blue silver Somali. Breeding
Abys to Somalis slows the process, as does
breeding blue and ruddy into the silver lines as it
takes a few generations to get back to the clarity
required in silvers.
Breeding silvers is very challenging. Breeding a
very clear kitten is the ultimate but this is really
difficult as the white undercoat shows up the
slightest imperfection, which is masked in the
warmer colours - ruddy, sorrel, blue and fawn.
Two very clear parents do not always necessarily
produce a clear kitten. Rufist or tarnished silver
parents can miraculously produce very clear
offspring, and clear kittens at birth can become
discoloured by 9 months. Some silvers are clear
at stages in the year and tarnished at other times
in a most unpredictable manner; while other cats
remain clear all their lives. So why then do I breed
these little silver angels?…because it is a
challenge and with the small group of people who
have decided to take on this challenge with me, we
hope to breed some stunning silver Somalis that
we can share with the small group of other silver
Somali breeders world wide.
A kindle of kittens - Abymoon black silver and sorrel
silver Somalis and Variants
5
Abyssinian & Somali colours
By Gill Burman
The pure bred Abyssinian comes in only four
colours. The Ruddy (also called „Usual‟ or „Tawny‟
– depending on the country of origin), the Blue,
the Sorrel (also called „Cinnamon‟ or „Red‟ [this is
not a sex-linked red but in fact a „Chocolate‟] –
again dependent on the country of origin) and the
Fawn. The blue is the dilute of the ruddy and the
fawn is the dilute of the sorrel.
In some quarters one reads of the Abyssinian and
Somali being available “in 28 colours”. This has
happened, mainly through some old English lines
and possibly elsewhere, where during the war
years other breeds were used in the breeding of
our favourite cats.
If you have ever seen a tortoiseshell Abyssinian,
as I have, you would understand why we prefer to
keep our breeds to the pure colours!
Abymoon Buffy – a blue Somali
However, we do have some dedicated Silver
breeders in our midst and they breed these most
beautiful colours in both Abyssinians and Somalis.
It is true that they do understand the importance of
keeping the breeding of the silver to silvers only.
Pure colours should not, repeat NOT have silvers
in their lines. As a breeder of the pure colours who,
unknowingly, had a silver female at one stage, I
realised, first hand, the pitfalls of having silvers,
which are truly beautiful, in pure colour lines of our
Abys and Somalis. Pure colour breeders should
carefully check all pedigrees of Abyssinians and
Somalis they may want to use in their breeding
programs and reject cats containing any hint of
silver in the background. Anybody who is doubtful
on this subject should refer to geneticist Roy
Robinson‟s book “Genetics for Cat Breeders and
Veterinarians.”
The brush tail of the Somali is well illustrated
in this picture of black silver
Abymoon Rafael
Another picture of a very relaxed Abymoon Buffy
6
A tongue in cheek look at cat shows
This is an excerpt from an article, written by Tom
Cox, in Britain’s Sunday Telegraph magazine, after
he visited his first ever cat show as an incredulous
observer.
I‟ve lived with cats all my life, been pushed around
by them, let them soil my furniture and dictate the
length of my holidays; but until now I‟ve never
been to a cat show, or even considered it. My cats
stage week-long sulks merely as a result of being
taken on a one-mile trip to the vet, and I wouldn‟t
dream of carting them halfway across the country
for a prize that I know, for all their feline hubris,
they would not be remotely interested in winning.
I might consider myself cat-mad, and currently own
six of them, but even to someone like me, the
Supreme Show in Birmingham – the biggest cat
show in Europe – presents not only an alien level
of feline obsession, but also a rewriting of the
ancient art of catiquette. Here are cats, 1455 of
them in total, presented throughout one giant
arena in cages and on judging platforms – cats
who wouldn‟t know a shrew or vole if it bit them on
the tail, some of which look as if they have been
squeezed from a tube, and all fully formed.
Each year the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy,
the organization responsible for organising the
Supreme Show since its inauguration in 1976, also
license 135 smaller cat shows around the country.
The winners from the breed categories get the
privilege of competing in the show for Best of
Variety in a bafflingly huge array of classes for the
overall title of Supreme Champion. There‟s even a
non-pedigree category, lest the moggies feel left
out. Unlike at Crufts, the cats don‟t do a little trot
in front of the judges or show off their obedience
skills - they are simply placed on a table and
examined. “The judges tell me he has excellent
blue eyes” says one proud owner of her Birman.
“His white feet are very important – they must not
extend above a certain level.” But even armed with
this information, it‟s tough to work out what makes
one of the highly groomed winners of the main
categories better than their peers.
One of the Persian owners, who was competing
for the first time, got up at 2.30am to drive to the
show venue. While she paid only £35 to enter the
Supreme Show, she says the expenses mount up,
“particularly when you have a long-haired cat.” Her
cat‟s hairdryer alone cost £600. Her husband also
accompanies the owner and she describes him as
a „tagalong‟.
As I look around the hall I see a few scattered
males, but women vastly outnumber them, and
many of them look bored. And while more than
1000 of the show‟s 7000 paying customers are
children, most of the exhibitors I speak to are
childless. There is no doubt they see their cats as
more than pets, and feel in tune with their wants
and desires: “He loves being here,” I was told
again and again. “She‟s such a show off. You can
tell she likes winning.”
Just before I leave, I happen across a female
exhibitor kissing her Siamese on the lips, and I ask
if she sees her cat as a child substitute. “No way,”
she says. “He is no substitute. He is my child.”
If you are worthy of its affection, a cat
will be your friend, but never your
slave.
A sad tailpiece…
A sorrel Abyssinian, Toska‟s Ama Glug Glug was
sadly put to sleep recently at just six years of age.
Glug Glug, owned by Yvonne Akersten and Irene
Langford, was a bit of a character and rather well
known at some of the Cape shows. With a rather
unusual name like that, it‟s not surprising.
He was born with a breathing problem and for this
reason he was never sold. However, he enjoyed a
pretty good life at the Toska „ranch‟ and over the
years achieved Supreme Premier status on the
local show scene. However, poor Glug Glug‟s
lungs had deteriorated quite significantly of late
and the kindest thing to do was to say goodbye.
He‟ll no doubt be feeling a whole better, now that
he‟s at the Rainbow Bridge. RIP
Editor’s footnote…
My sincere thanks, once again, to those who have
contributed to this edition of Ticked Tails. It is
important that the newsletter reflects news and
views from our SAASA members, and I would love
to receive any articles or snippet of news for our
next issue. If you have some photos, funny ones
included, that would be even better.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Editor of Ticked Tails: Julie Banham. Please send your contributions to 61 Pondicherry Avenue, Hout Bay 7806 or [email protected]
The opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily of the editor or officers of the Association.
Our official address is: P O Box 445, Kraaifontein 7569