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Desertstar, Somali breeders in the UK
seating somali
Breed Colours

Somalis come in a variety of colours, and common across all of them is the unique ticking to the fur; however, each colour has its own separate standard of points in addition to the General Type Standard. These are detailed below.

What is Ticking?
Look at a hair from a Somali coat and you will find that it has bands of colour all along its length -- at least 6 and possibly as many as 14. These bands are made up of alternate lines of base coat (e.g. apricot for a Usual Somali) and ticking colour (e.g. black). Ticking is one of the things that helps to give the Somali its unique look, and the ear tips and tufts, eyeliner, top and tip of the tail, toe tufts and heels are all the same colour as the ticking.

Somali Standard of Points per Colour
Approved by the GCCF on 25 June 2003, and effective from 1 June 2004.

USUAL (63)
Ch Astrokini Narya, a usual SomaliOverall impression: A rich golden brown made up of an apricot base coat ticked with black.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Black.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Rich apricot - colour should be as rich as possible.
Nose leather: Tile red.
Paw pads: Black or brown.
Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

SORREL (63a)
Overall impression: A rich copper colour made up of an apricot base coat ticked with cinnamon.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Cinnamon.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Rich apricot.
Nose leather and paw pads: Pink.
Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

CHOCOLATE (63b)
Overall impression: A rich, warm chestnut brown made up of an apricot base coat ticked with dark chocolate.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Dark chocolate.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Rich apricot.
Nose leather: Pinkish chocolate.
Paw pads: Chocolate or rosy, pinkish chocolate.
Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

BLUE (63c)
Overall impression: A soft blue consisting of a warm oatmeal or mushroom base coat ticked with any shade of blue.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Blue.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Warm mushroom.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish blue.
Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

LILAC (63d)
Overall impression: A warm dove grey made up of an oatmeal or mushroom undercoat ticked with lilac.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Lilac.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Mushroom.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish pink.
Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

FAWN (63e)
Overall impression: A warm powdery fawn made up of a pale oatmeal or mushroom undercoat ticked with fawn.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Fawn.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Pale mushroom.
Nose leather: Pink.
Paw pads: Mauvish pink.
Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

RED (63f)
Overall impression: A warm, glowing red made up of pale red clearly ticked with a deeper tone of red.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Bright red.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: A paler shade of red.
Nose leather and paw pads: Bright pink.
Note: Freckles may occur on nose, lips, eyelids, ears and paw pads. Slight freckling should not be penalised.
Withhold Certificates or First Prizes In Kitten Open Classes for (additional to General Type Standard):
1. Absence of contrast sufficient to obscure ticking.
2. All other withholding faults as in the Somali General Type Standard.

CREAM (63g)
Overall impression: A soft, warm, powdery effect made up of a pale cream clearly ticked with a rich cream.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Rich cream.
Chest, belly, under tall, inside of legs and breeches: A paler shade of cream.
Nose leather: Creamy pink.
Paw pads: Flesh pink.
Note: Freckles may occur on nose, lips, eyelids, ears and paw pads. Slight freckling should not be penalised.
Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes for (additional to General Type Standard):
1. Absence of contrast sufficient to obscure ticking.
2. All other withholding faults as in the Somali General Type Standard.

TORTIE SOMALI
Colour distribution is random and immaterial though a solid foot is not permissible. Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels to be a mingling of the standard ticking colour and that determined by the sex-linked gene. Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches to be a mingling of the standard base coat colour and that determined by the sex-linked gene. Presence or absence of a blaze is immaterial.

Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

USUAL TORTIE (63t)
Overall impression: A mixture of rich, golden brown ticked with black and reddish apricot ticked with red.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of black and bright red.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: A mingling of apricot and red.
Nose leather: Red and/or pink
Paw pads: Black and/or pink.
Withhold Certificates or First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes for (additional to General Type Standard):
1. Grey roots extending over a large area of the body. (Seasonal grey roots during change of coat in kittens and young adults should not be penalised)

SORREL TORTIE (63at)
Overall impression: A mixture of lustrous copper ticked with cinnamon and reddish apricot ticked with red.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of cinnamon and bright red.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: A mingling of apricot and red.
Nose leather and paw pads: Pink and/or red.

CHOCOLATE TORTIE (63bt)
Overall impression: A mixture of rich, warm chestnut brown ticked with dark chocolate and reddish apricot ticked with red.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of dark chocolate and bright red.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: A mingling of apricot and red.
Nose leather and paw pads: Chocolate and/or red or rosy, pinkish chocolate and/or red.

BLUE TORTIE (63ct)
Overall impression: A mixture of soft, warm blue ticked with a deeper blue-grey and pale cream ticked with a rich cream.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of blue and rich cream.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: A mingling of warm mushroom and pale cream.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish blue and/or pink.

LILAC TORTIE (63dt)
Overall impression: A mixture of warm, dove grey ticked with a deeper dove crey and pale cream ticked with a rich cream.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of lilac and rich cream.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: A mingling of mushroom and pale cream.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish pink and/or pink.

FAWN TORTIE (63et)
Overall impression: A mixture of warm, powdery fawn ticked with a deeper fawn and pale cream ticked with a rich cream.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of warm fawn and rich cream.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: A mingling of pale mushroom and pale cream.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish pink and/or pink.

SILVER SOMALI
The base hair of all this group should be silvery white giving an overall lustrous, silvery sheen. Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels to be the same colour as in the appropriate non-silver variety. Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches to be silvery white.

Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

USUAL SILVER (63s)
Overall impression: A clear silver ticked with black.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Black.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather: Brick red.
Paw pads : Black or brown.

SORREL SILVER (63as)
Overall impression: A soft, silvery peach ticked with cinnamon.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Cinnamon.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Pink.

CHOCOLATE SILVER (63bs)
Overall impression: A cool, silvery brown ticked with dark chocolate.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Dark chocolate.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Chocolate or rosy, pinkish chocolate.

BLUE SILVER (63cs)
Crystal, a blue silver SomaliOverall impression: A glacial, silvery blue ticked with darker blue.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Blue.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Note: The base coat MUST be silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish blue.

LILAC SILVER (63ds)
Overall impression: A frosty, silvery dove grey ticked with lilac.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Lilac.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish pink.

FAWN SILVER (63es)
Overall impression: A cool, silvery fawn ticked with a darker fawn.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tall, toe tufts and heels: Fawn.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather: Pink.
Paw pads: Mauvish pink.

RED SILVER (63fs)
Overall Impression: A clear, silvery red ticked with red.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Red.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Bright pink.
Note: Freckles may occur on nose, lips, eyelids, ears and paw pads. Slight freckling should not be penalised.

CREAM SILVER (63gs)
Overall impression: A powdery, silvery cream ticked with rich cream.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: Rich cream.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather: Creamy pink.
Paw pads: Flesh pink.
Note: Freckles may occur on nose, lips, eyelids, ears and paw pads. Slight freckling should not be penalised.

TORTIE SILVER SOMALIS
As for the Silver Somalis except that the silvery white base hair should have two colours of ticking: the standard colour and that expressing the sex-linked gene. The distribution of these two colours is immaterial but a solid foot is not permissible.

Additional withholding faults - unchanged.

USUAL TORTIE SILVER (63ts)
Overall impression: A mixture of clear silver ticked with black and silvery red ticked with red.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of black and red.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather: Red and/or pink.
Paw pads: Black and/or pink.

SORREL TORTIE SILVER (63ats)
Overall impression: A mixture of cool, silvery peach ticked with cinnamon and silvery red ticked with red.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of cinnamon and red.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Red and/or pink.

CHOCOLATE TORTIE SILVER (63bts)
Overall impression: A mixture of cool, silvery brown ticked with dark chocolate and silvery red ticked with red.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of dark chocolate and red.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Pinkish chocolate and/or pink.

BLUE TORTIE SILVER (63cts)
Overall impression: A mixture of glacial silvery blue ticked with blue and powdery, silvery cream ticked with rich cream.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of blue and rich cream.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish blue and/or pink.

LILAC TORTIE SILVER (63dts)
Overall impression: A mixture of frosty, silvery dove grey ticked with lilac and powdery, silvery cream ticked with rich cream.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of lilac and rich cream.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish pink and/or pink.

FAWN TORTIE SILVER (63ets)
Overall impression: A mixture of cool, silvery fawn ticked with a darker fawn and powdery, silvery cream ticked with rich cream.
Ticking, ear tips and tufts, facial markings, top and tip of tail, toe tufts and heels: A mingling of warm fawn and rich cream.
Chest, belly, under tail, inside of legs and breeches: Silvery white.
Nose leather and paw pads: Mauvish pink and/or pink.