What you humans sometimes insultingly refer to as “squirrel fur” is actually agouti, or “ticked” fur, which means it has several bands of color from root to tip. Abyssinian cats, Singapuras, and of course us Somali cats all have ticked fur. (There is also a rodent called an agouti that supposedly has this type of fur, but they don’t count. In fact, if I ever see an agouti, I will eat it, thus destroying the evidence.) Somali cat fur has anywhere from four to 20 bands of ticking, so you as can see, our fur is quite complex.
Our ticked fur is lighter at the base and gets darker near the tips. Ruddy Somalis like me have blackish bands on our fur; reds have a lighter, warmer, chocolaty brown; blues have more of a slate blue color; and fawns have a light cocoa color, kind of like creamy hot chocolate. Silver Somalis have black ticking that gives their coats that silvery shade.
The ticking also makes our fur look shiny! It’s one of our most distinctive features — and prettiest. So please stop saying we look like squirrels, okay? Squirrels are cute, fluffy vermin. We are cute, fluffy perfection!
I have never seen fur like that! It is really gorgeous
I think your furs are extra-gorgeous!