Turkish angora cat | Facts & Information

Temperament: affectionate, likes to sit as high as possible

Other names: Turkish Angora, Ankara cat, Turkish Angora, Ankara cat, Angora cat

Origin

White, long-haired cats have been known in Turkey and surrounding areas for centuries. According to legends, Mohammed, the founder of the Islamic faith, allegedly owned a Turkish Angora that he adored. If this legend is true, then the Turkish Angora has been around for over 1400 years.

Most likely, the breed is native to the mountainous regions of Turkey, where it has developed an unusually soft and velvety coat of medium length hair to protect it from harsh winters. It may have originated from the cat Manul, a small feline domesticated by Tatars. Turkish long-haired cats have been imported to Britain and France since the late 1500s.

At first, Angoras were highly valued, but gradually Persians became the favorite model of European breeders, so Angoras were found only in their home lands. In the early 1900s, a breeding and selection program was initiated in Ankara Zoo, Turkey to protect and conserve the Turkish Angora.

Because the Turkish population put a high price on this breed, exports were made with great difficulty. However, in 1962 two specimens from the zoo were imported into the United States. These specimens revived interest in this breed, and, today, offices in the north of America accepted the Turkish Angora breed in exhibitions and championships. Their number is still small, but constantly growing.

Angora cats, the White variety, were accepted for registration in 1968, in the competition of provisional breeds in 1970, and in the competition of champions in 1972. The first champion of the breed designated by the CFA was in 1976. Only in 1978, multicolored varieties of Turkish Angora were accepted into the Champions competitions.

The breed is recognized by the following international organizations: American Association of Cat Enthusiasts (AACE), American Cat Association (ACA), American Cat Fancier's Association (ACFA), Canadian Cat Association (CCA), Cat Fanciers’Association (CFA), Cat Fanciers’ Federation (CFF), the International Cat Association (TICA), United Feline Organization (UFO) and AFR (Romanian feline Association).

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Appearance Turkish Angora Cat

Turkish Angora is often confused with Persian. Persian is a short and stocky cat, quiet, withdrawn, while Angora is small, generally weighing 2.3-4 kg. The body is elongated, the ears long and pointed, and the eyes are large and almond-shaped. The Shape of the head is completely different. Compared to the wide and flattened head of the Persian, the Angora shows a small, medium-length, conical head, continued with a long, thin and elegant neck.

The legs are long, with round and delicate paws, and the tail is long and sharp at the tip. When moving, Angoras make small and delicate steps, full of grace. The breed of cats with semi-long hair, Angora has a smooth and silky coat, longer at the tail and around the neck.

Although pure white is the most prevalent color and recognized by international organizations, there are other colors and varieties of patterns, excluding those that indicate a hybridization, such as pointed, chocolate or lavender varieties. While the White variety is still very popular today, Turkish Angora breeders have focused on colorful cats.

More and more people have realized how cute these creatures look in other varieties of color. At today's CFA exhibitions, you can see this breed in a variety of solid colors, such as Black, Blue, reddish or cream, or various varieties of associated colors: tortie, blue-cream, bicolor with white, variety mackerel or spotted tabby. In recent years, many breeders have started selecting smoke varieties.

Behavior Turkish Angora Cat

They will accept to be held in their arms for only a few minutes, before jumping to chase themselves with the rays of the sun or to circle the house in a great speed. Angora cats, in particular, love to be tall and can often be found atop the tallest closet in the House. Very intelligent, Angora cats can be very stubborn and determined once they put something in their head.

If you put her favorite toy on the closet before she has finished playing with it, Angora will not find peace until she finds a way to take possession of it. If he doesn't find a way to get it, he'll drive you crazy with his insistent meows until you give him back the toy. In a battle of consistency and stubbornness, Angora usually wins.

Angora cats create strong relationships with their owners, based on affection and trust. While showing affection for each member of the family, Angora generally become attached to one person whom they follow everywhere. They are not noisy, meowing unobtrusively, but insistently. Some of them, maintain real conversations with the owners.

Along with her cousin, Turkish Van, Angora is known for her skill with which they can swim, and some of them are known for plunging into the pool in the desire to dive. Not all Angoras love water, but most of them are great admirers.

One of the most affectionate breeds of cats, the sensational and splendid Turkish Angora has a fascinating history and is considered a national treasure in its home country. Turkish Angoras are not only intelligent, but highly adaptable, affectionate and playful, qualities that make them an excellent choice for families with young children, as well as lively companions for older people.

They quickly accept and tolerate dogs and other animals, but because of their native, dominant character, they often become the alpha animal in the home. Elegant and fine-boned animals, Turkish Angoras are graceful, energetic and usually the first to greet guests. Every intruder will be studied from head to toe. No wonder they are often referred to as cats-dogs.

Features Turkish Angora Cat

The Turkish Angora is one of the most easy-to-care long-haired cat breeds. Their semilunga fur is not endowed with deep fluff that could easily cause the fur to tangle, which is why this happens very rarely.

In general, Angora cats require brushing with a tooth brush or metal bristles, 1-2 times a week. As with other long-haired breeds, they lose some of their hair during the summer, when more frequent brushing is necessary to prevent the appearance of hair lumps.

Bathing every few months is especially recommended for White Angora cats.

Diseases Turkish Angora Cat

Deafness is not uncommon in white, blue-eyed Turkish Angoras. However, Angora are not much more prone to deafness than other breeds or blue-eyed white mestizos. White cats may be born with partial or total hearing impairment due to a defect in a dominant gene responsible for the white color of the coat and the blue color of the eyes.

This gene has been associated with a hereditary form of deafness that causes degeneration of the cochlea organ of Corti. Cats with one blue eye and one brown or green eye generally lose their hearing sensitivity unilaterally (involving the ear on the same side as the blue eye) if they have inherited the genetic defect.

Although one-sided deaf Angoras must be kept in the house to protect them, specialists and professional breeders claim that they adapt spectacularly to their deficiency by interpreting vibrations. Cats rely on body language and olfactory signals to a greater extent than humans, so cats with unilateral deafness do not lose their ability to communicate and can still be good companions.

Turkish Angoras are prone to current feline-specific diseases, generally without an increased frequency of one of them. Males are not safe from feline urological syndrome (formation of pebbles in the kidney or bladder), which is why attention should be paid to nutrition and the appearance of possible difficulty urinating.

After a certain age, depending on the individual, they tend to deposit dental tartar, with predilection on molars and carnations.

The Ideal is that after the age of 6-8 years, even if you have a healthy specimen, to make a routine check and some investigations (ultrasound, X-ray, blood and urine tests) to detect early any sensitivities and to try to remedy them through a proper diet or with the help of an appropriate treatment.

The average life expectancy of a cat is about 14-15 years.