Turkish Angora

Cat fanciers are enjoying a resurgence of a delightful breed once thought to be extinct - the Turkish Angora. In recent years, due to new importation from Turkey, the breed's country of origin, the Turkish Angora has again taken its place in the roster of the pedigreed cats of the world.

This ancient breed is one of the world's most beautiful purebreds. Her fine silky fur, long elegant body, upright pointed ears and large brilliant eyes make the Angora highly prized for her beauty and grace. Once thought to be extinct, the Angora has made a recent comeback. While still rare (24th out of 37 breeds, according to the Cat Fanciers Association's 1999 registration totals), the breed is gaining new fans every year.

The Turkish Angora, as known today, is one of the most outgoing, affectionate, intelligent breeds known. This cat tends to attach itself strongly to one person, but is also very loving and playful with the whole family, as well as with strangers. Therefore, it is a fabulous family pet, as well a great pet for older or single people living alone. The males are the better pets, being even more intensely loving than the females. Turkish Angoras love to jump and play. They often learn to fetch and do tricks. However, what they enjoy best is sitting on the lap of their owner to love and cuddle.

The Turkish Angora is a pure, natural breed of cat, originating probably from the Manul cat domesticated by the Tartars. They migrated eventually to Turkey, where they are regarded today with great reverence, as one of their national treasures. In 1962, the Angora was rediscovered by American servicemen in the Ankara Zoo in Ankara, Turkey, in a controlled breeding program dating back forty-five years. CFA only accepts for registration those Turkish Angoras whose ancestry can be traced back to Turkey

BREED NAME	STATUS	DESCRIPTION
Turkish	Current	Turkish Vans and Turkish Angoras are probably color-specific varieties of the general semi-longhaired Turkish Cat. Some Turkish cats are now bred under the name "Anatolian". This move would appear to be geographical-political rather than any real difference in the cats' type or color. Anatolians have been exported under the names Turkish, Turkish Van, Turkish Angora. The Turkish Angora should not be confused with the British Angora which is a Foreign Longhair.
Turkish Angora	Current	Medium sized with intermediate conformation and very soft, silky coat. Semi-longhaired, but becomes virtually shorthaired in hot weather. Typical coat color is dominant white with blue, orange or odd-eyes. Turkish Angoras, Russian Angoras and Russian Longhairs were the original longhaired cats imported into Europe, Angoras were later bred into Persians. The Russian cats practically died out (the Nebelung recreates the longhaired Russian Blue, the Siberian Cat is a longhaired Russian breed, the Karellian is a Russian longhaired bobtail), but the Angora was protected in its native Turkey where it occurs in many colors and patterns (not colorpoint). Not to be confused with the "Angora", a British attempt to recreate the ancestral Persian cat; British Angoras (now called Oriental Longhairs) are of foreign conformation.

History

No one is really sure where or how the Turkish Angora originated. Often recounted is the theory that the Angora developed from the longhaired Pallas cat (Felis manul), an Asian wildcat about the size of the domestic, but this is doubtful. The Pallas has fundamental differences from the domestic feline and, unlike today's affectionate Angoras, is virtually untamable. It is likely that the Turkish Angora developed from the African wildcat, like all other domestic cats. Possibly some crossbreeding occurred between the two.

The recessive mutation for long hair in felines probably occurred spontaneously centuries ago and was perpetuated through interbreeding in confined, mountainous areas that would limit outcrossing, like the Lake Van region in Turkey. (The French naturalist De Buffon, writing in the later part of the 1700s, wrote that cats with long fur came from Asia Minor.)

However they developed, longhaired cats have been noted in Turkey and the surrounding neighborhoods for centuries. According to the legend, Mohammed (570-632 A.D.), founder of the Islamic faith, was so fond of cats that he once cut off his sleeve rather than disturb his beloved Angora Muezza, who was sleeping in his arms. Formerly called "Ankara" cats (the name of the Turkish capital was changed from Angora to Ankara in 1930), Ankara is also home to longhaired Angora rabbits and goats prized by the Turkish people for their long, fine hair.

Longhaired cats were imported to Britain and France from Turkey, Persia, Russia, and Afghanistan as early as the late 1500s. The Angora had definitely found its way to Europe by the early 1600s, and by the late 1700s Angoras were being imported into America.

In the early days of the cat fancy, Angoras were highly prized. As the story goes, one Angora owner turned down an offer of $5,000 for her beloved Angora at an 1890 cat show in London.

Many people have used the term Angora to signify any longhaired cat. However, the only pedigreed cats that carry the name "Angora" are the Turkish Angora. In the early part of this century, the Angora was used indiscriminately in breedings with Persians, finally disappearing from the scene as it became incorporated with that breed, known for a time simply as ‘Longhairs.'

Gradually, however, the Persian became the preferred type of cat in the European cat fancy. The Angora was used extensively in Persian breeding programs to add length and silkiness to the Persian coat. Later, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy decided that all longhaired breeds should be simply called "longhairs." Also confusing was the tendency of cat fanciers to call any longhair a Persian or Angora, despite its bloodline. Persians, Angoras, and Russian Longhairs were bred together indiscriminately. Except in their native land, Angoras ceased to exist as a pure breed. They stopped appearing in the show halls and from registration records. By the 1900s Angoras had virtually vanished.

In the early 1900s the government of Turkey in conjunction with the Ankara Zoo began a meticulous breeding program to protect and preserve the pure white Angora cats with blue and amber eyes, a program that continues today. The zoo particularly prized the odd-eyed Angoras (cats with eyes of differing colors), because they are believed to be touched by Allah. Mohammed's Angora, Muezza, was reputed to be an odd-eyed cat.

Because the Turkish people valued the cats so highly, obtaining Angoras from the Ankara Zoo was very difficult, but in 1962 Liesa F. Grant, wife of Army Colonel Walter Grant who was stationed in Turkey, was successful in importing a pair of the zoo's Turkish Angoras to America, complete with certificates of ancestry. These imports revived interest in the breed and soon other breeders began developing the breed. The Grants were instrumental in achieving CFA recognition for the Angora.

In 1970 the CFA was the first U.S. registry to accept the Turkish Angora for registration. In 1973 the CFA accepted the Angora for Championship, but until 1978 only pure white Angoras were registrable. Today, all North American registries accept the Turkish Angora. While numbers are still small, the gene pool is growing, with the registration totals gaining ground each year.

Personality

Turkish Angora fanciers are as attached to their cats as their cats are to them. Angoras seem to invoke strong responses in their humans with their symmetry, intelligence, and devotion to their humans. Angoras bond with their owners completely; an Angora is not happy unless it is right in the middle of whatever you're doing. They enjoy a good conversation and can keep up their end of the discussion with the best of them. Angoras are good-natured, but determined. Once an Angora gets an idea into its head, you might as well just give in and spare yourself the lengthy argument.

Angoras have a great need to play and enjoy playing a good-natured joke on their favorite humans every now and then. They can be mischievous and action-packed when they're in the mood. Angoras love practicing their pounce-on scraps of paper or unsuspecting human toes-whatever catches their fancy. When in movement, which is most of the time, Angoras seem to flow with the grace of dancers. Highly intelligent, Angoras are problem solvers that like to be in control of their surroundings; they will only tolerate being held for a few minutes before jumping down to bat at sunbeams and chase feathers. They'll stay in the room, though, so you can watch their antics admiringly.

Along with its cousin the Turkish Van, the Angora is known for its swimming prowess, and will even plunge in for an occasional swim. Not every Turkish Angora enjoys water, but many do, with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

Everything is a cat toy to the action-packed Angora. They will tolerate being held only for a few moments before jumping down to bat at sunbeams and zoom around the house at top speed. Their grace and playful antics make them loads of fun to watch. Angoras particularly enjoy heights and can usually be found perched on top of the highest cabinet.

Highly intelligent, Angoras can be very strong-willed and determined once they make up their minds. If you put your Angora's favorite toy away in the cupboard before she's finished playing with it, she won't rest until she figures out how to open the door and retrieve her property. Failing that, she'll drive you crazy asking for it until you give in and get it down for her. In a battle of wills, the Angora usually wins.

Turkish Angoras form strong bonds of love and trust with their owners, and this is one of the traits that Angora fans particularly prize. While they show affection to all members of the family, they usually bond with one special person and follow him or her everywhere. Some enjoy a good conversation, too, and are happy to keep up their end of the discussion. Their voices are generally soft and mild.

Along with her cousin the Turkish Van, the Angora is known for her swimming prowess, and some have even been known to voluntarily plunge in the swimming pool for a dip. Not every Angora enjoys water, but many do, with varying degrees of enthusiasm. Much depends upon their upbringing - kittens raised by swimming mothers are more likely to pick up the habit.

Appearance

The Angora is often confused with the Persian, but not because they look anything like one another. The Persian is a stocky, placid cat, while the Angora is small, usually ranging from 5 to 9 pounds. Their bodies are long, their ears large and pointed, and their eyes large and almond-shaped. Head shape is completely different as well; instead of the Persian's large head and flattened face, the Angora has a small, medium-long wedge-shaped head set on a long, slim, graceful neck. The legs are long, the paws round and dainty, and the tail long and tapering. When in motion, Angoras move with the grace of small, furry dancers.

A semi-longhaired breed, the Angora has fine, silky fur that is longer on the tail and around the neck. Although pure white is the most widely recognized color, most colors and patterns exist except those that indicate hybridization such as the pointed pattern and the colors chocolate and lavender.

The Turkish Angora has a very silky, single coat, which does not mat. Grooming is a matter of a twice weekly combing with a rather fine-toothed grooming comb, or a slicker brush to remove the dead hair. However, during the spring molting season, more frequent grooming is essential to prevent hairballs.

The Turkish Angora is a medium-sized cat with a graceful, elegant style. They are long, slender having a muscular body with long legs and tail. The head is a smooth, rather pointed wedge with large, striking ears and eyes. Although the Turkish zoos only breed white, American breeders realized that that is a bad practice resulting in occasional deafness in the blue-eyed or odd-eyed whites. A deaf white cat is still a fabulous pet, as they do not use language and do not miss the sounds that they have never heard. It is extremely hard to tell if a cat is deaf, as they compensate for their hearing lack so well with their other faculties. The Turkish Angora is accepted in all colors for show, except pointed or colors indicating hybrization with pointed cats. Cat lovers are learning the beauty and excitement of this wonderful breed in all its many colors.

Turkish Angoras make wonderful pets. They are among the most intelligent of the cat breeds. They love their owners with a single minded devotion. They are long, elegant, finely boned creatures with smoothly pointed faces, who adore running and playing with wonderful grace and a great zest for living. Their single, silky, medium length coats need only occasional grooming to look good. The Turkish Angora is now generally available in a full range of colors, having been accepted by CFA in any shade and pattern, except those that denote hybridization such as lavender, chocolate or the pointed pattern. They occur commonly, in most solids, tabbies, smokes and parti-colors. White is still the most popular color, though this is rapidly changing, as more and more breeders realize the beauty of this elegant breed in a variety of exciting shades.

Conformation

While pure white Turkish Angoras have been the norm for many years, Angoras in other colors are becoming increasingly popular. As is true of any breed, the pure white, blue-eyed Angora can be born partially or totally deaf. This is not a defect of the Angora breed itself, but rather a defect in the dominant W gene that produces white coat color and blue eyes in felines. This gene has been linked to a form of degenerative, hereditary deafness that affects the organ of Corti in the cochlea of the ear. Odd-eyed Angoras will generally be deaf in only one ear, on the blue-eyed side. While hearing-impaired Angoras must be kept out of harm's way, they otherwise enjoy life just as much as their hearing siblings and adapt to their hearing loss remarkably well.