Turkish Angora

The Turkish Angora is generally a medium sized cat. She has a long, slender body with fine boning.

Size

Weight

Male Large: >12 lbs.

Female Large: 8-12 lbs.

Coat

Length

Medium, Long

Texture

Silky

Color

White, Red, Cream, Black, Blue, Silver, Tortoiseshell, Calico, Dilute Calico, Bluecream

Less Allergenic

Care

Longevity

9-14 yrs.

Needs

Moderate

Traits

Grooming

Social Needs

Eye Color

Blue, Copper, Green, Gold, Odd-eyed

Club Recognition

Associations

CFA, ACFA , TICA

Prevalence

Rare

The Turkish Angora loves to play and appreciates a selection of toys.

About

She is a muscular cat and should not appear thin or emaciated. The ears of the Turkish Angora are tall as are the slightly slanted eyes. The hind legs are taller than the front. This elegant cat always appears alert, active and proud of herself. The coat of the Turkish Angora is medium long. The single coat has no undercoat, which makes this longhair cat easy to care for. The coat has seasonal variations but even when shorter, it should be soft and silky and flow when she is in motion.

Personality

The Turkish Angora is sweet but may become upset with sudden changes to her environment. This cat is quiet despite her semi-feral ancestry.

The Turkish Angora is loyal and affectionate, and loves to play and run.

What to Expect

The Turkish Angora should not be allowed to get fat. This elegant cat has fine boning and too much weight can be harmful.

The Turkish Angora loves to run and play and she should be provided with adequate perches and cat trees. She also likes a selection of toys.

The coat of the Turkish Angora needs to be brushed every day. Lacking an undercoat, the coat is relatively easy to care for as it generally does not knot or tangle. If the Turkish angora has blue or odd eyes, she may be deaf. In this case, she may have a louder voice than expected since she cannot hear to modulate the loudness of her voice.

History

Anyone who wants to have a breed of pedigreed cat that is still being exhibited at a zoo should look for the Turkish Angora. This strikingly beautiful longhair cat still is kept at the zoo in Ankara, Turkey, where the breed is maintained.

The Turkish Angora may well have been the first longhair cat seen in Europe. In 1520, a longhair, white cat was brought to Europe from Ankara. This beautiful breed was fascinating to fanciers in Europe but was surpassed in popularity by the Persian. The Turkish Angora was then largely ignored and almost became extinct in Europe. If they had not been kept in the zoo in Turkey, we may have lost this breed entirely.

In the 1960s, an American couple visited Turkey. They fell in love with the Turkish angora cats in the zoo and tried to get permission to bring some of these cats back to the United States. Ultimately, they were permitted to do this and the cats were actively bred in the United States.