About the Turkish Angora Cat
Also known as the Ankara cat, the Turkish Angora has a marvelous personality to match its stunning appearance. Highly intelligent, just a little bit talkative, and beloved for their tendency to develop complete devotion for their favorite person, these kitties like to be in the middle of everything, often watching the action without actually joining in.
Of course Angora cats do have a playful streak, curiously investigating cupboards, drawers, empty boxes, and everything else they can find their way into. They love games of chase, and can even learn to play fetch. The more you praise them and applaud their antics, the happier they'll be and the stronger your bond will become.
Turkish Angora cats are one of a few breeds that enjoy water. These cats have a fondness for faucets, and given the opportunity, will happily accompany their people into the shower or sit on the side of the bathtub, perhaps dipping a paw to create mesmerizing ripples. Some individuals have even been known to swim!
Although the Turkish Angora cat enjoys attention, members of this breed are a bit less demanding than their Siamese and Oriental cousins. So long as these kitties have plenty of toys to keep them entertained throughout the day, they're fine with spending time on their own and will greet you with great enthusiasm when you return from a long day at work.
Care
Turkish Angora cats don't have any special nutritional needs, however it's best to offer a high-quality food that incorporates real meat or real fish as the number one ingredient. You may want to look for a brand that incorporates additional Omega fatty acids to support skin and coat health.
Despite having a long coat, the Turkish Angora does a fairly good job of keeping itself groomed. Of course, you're welcome to offer a daily brushing, which your cat will appreciate. Not only is this a great opportunity to bond with your kitty, you'll catch any tangles.
Since Turkish Angora cats have single coats with no heavy undercoat, they are not prone to developing mats.
Turkish Angora cats love to play, particularly when others get involved. These kitties love to chase balls and catnip mice, and they're fond of teaser wands, too. You'll want to treat your kitty to a cat tree that satisfies its instinctual need to climb, and they'll certainly appreciate other cat furniture such as scratching posts and window seats. A well-stocked basket of toys will keep your Turkish Angora entertained.
As a natural cat breed, the Turkish Angora is generally healthy. There are a few rare conditions that can affect Turkish Angoras including ataxia, which is an inherited condition that is autosomal recessive. Affected kittens display tremors and typically do not survive to adulthood.
Some Turkish Angora cats – usually male – develop a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at middle age. In addition, some of these cats – particularly those with white coats and blue eyes or odd eyes are born deaf, or with deafness in the ear on the same side as the blue eye.
History
The first written record of the Turkish Angora cat as we know the breed today is credited to French naturalist De Buffon. In the late 1700s, he mentioned a breed of cats with long hair that originated in Turkey. Feline geneticists believe that the breed may have evolved from Manul cats, which were first domesticated by the Tartars.
Of course, this is an ancient cat breed with a history that certainly predates the 16th century, and it's entirely possible that the prophet Mohammed had at least one of them. As the story goes, his cat Muezza was sleeping so peacefully in his arms that he decided to cut a sleeve off his tunic instead of interrupting his pet's nap.
Long-haired cats made their way to Britain and France as early as the late 1500s, coming from Russia, Persia, and Turkey. It's likely that some of these were Turkish Angoras.
By the late 1700s, Turkish Angora cats made their way to America. Early cat fanciers and breeders blended Angora cats with other long-haired breeds including Russian Longhairs and Persians. Before long, so much interbreeding had taken place that purebred angora cats became impossible to find outside of Turkey, where the breed is considered to be a national treasure.
In 1917, Turkey's government and the Ankara Zoo decided to develop a breeding program aimed at preserving the Angora cat breed. Angora cats with odd eyes – meaning one blue eye and one amber eye – were a main focus of the breeding program, partly because legend states that they are descendents of Mohammed's Angora cat, Muezza, and as such, are believed to carry the touch of Allah.
In 1962, a U.S. Army colonel named Walter Grant was stationed in Turkey. His wife, Liesa Grant, exported a pair of Turkish Angora cats to the United States. These cats came with pedigrees and interest in the breed grew rapidly. Even though it was difficult to import Angora cats, more breeders joined the effort and these beautiful cats once again proliferated in the West.
The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) accepted Turkish Angora cats for registration in 1968, and in 1970, allowed provisional competition. In 1972, CFA granted the Turkish Angora championship status; however, this only applied to white Angoras. In 1978, CFA accepted all Turkish Angora cat colors for championship. All CFA Angora cats must have lineage that can be traced back to Turkey.
Today, the Turkish Angora is recognized by major cat registries worldwide.
Did You Know?
Many Turkish Angoras are white, but the Turkish Angora cat is believed to be the first breed to originate long hair and cats, as well as the color white in a cat's coat.
Even though we often think of the Turkish Angora as a pure white cat, these kitties occur in all different colors and patterns and many of these are accepted for CFA registration.
Turkish Angora cats get along very well with other pets, however they have a dominant streak.
The Breed Standard
Eyes
Legs & Paws
Tail
Body
Head
Ears
Coat
Color
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Turkish Angora cat cost?
Turkish Angora cats cost between $1000 - $2000.
How big do Turkish Angora cats get?
Turkish Angora cats tend to be small in size. A fully grown Turkish Angora cat might weigh between 5-10 pounds or more and range in height anywhere from about 8"- 10" inches tall.
How long do Turkish Angora cats live?
The Average lifespan for Turkish Angora is 15-18 years.
Do Turkish Angora cats shed?
Turkish Angora are long-haired cats, so you do have to expect a certain amount of shedding from this breed, but they don't shed as much as other cat breeds.
I took my little lady home with me about two months ago, my mom adopted her eight years ago when she was 7yrs old. Now she adores my husband and I but is a complete terror with my 6 other cats, although she appears to like one of them, who is the only one that matches her coloring lol She has decided to rule the house from her main territory, the kitchen. She was extremely skinny when we got her, you could feel every rib and vertebrae when you petted her – I think she’s got a hyper thyroid and appears to be deaf. However she is starting to put on a little weight now and is very happy with her new mom and dad,. She’s affectionate with us, doesn’t mind being picked up and carried around, when she’s in the mood for it. She eats like a crocodile. Mom said she only ate Fancy Feast but she now appears to love boiled chicken more than anything else — yes, we grocery shop and cook for our cats lol I am a domestic zoo keeper and proud of it – they are family after all. We were never able to have children.
I adopted a 6-month old male/neutered (possible?/mix?) Turkish Angora kitten (named “Doc”) at a cat-rescue a few days ago, now living with us (total of 4 days) with my 3 other “rescue” cats (one: 14 year-old orange tabby; two: recently adopted in September 2021, a 2-year-old female/neutered/mix Snowshoe; and three: recently adopted in September 2021, a 6-month old female/neutered/mix, flame-point Siamese; & an older, 13-year-old) rescue long-haired/female/neutered Dachshund adopted in 2009 from the SPCA). All of my critters get along pretty well except that my “newest addition” (my possible Turkish Angora male/neutered male), enjoys being held by me (still a bit skittish but purrs loudly when petted and also uses his litter-box properly), and cruises around our home and meets nose-to-nose with our other 4 pets without incident, but a little bit of “hissing” from the other 3 cats. Also my dachshund thinks that he’s another “cat” !! Anyway, my newest “Turkish Angora” kitten is learning “the lay of the land” in my home but I was wondering how I can tell whether he is a Turkish Angora or possibly mostly a mix of other long-haired cats (i.e., part Persian, part Himilayan ??) since his tail isn’t quite as full and brushy as some of the photos I’ve seen of true-to-the-breed Angora cats. His body fur is extremely soft (the softest cat I’ve ever held), and his coloring is mostly white (with some grey-colored patches) with both eyes being gold and somewhat almond-shaped. When I adopted him last Saturday (4 days ago), he weighed 7 pounds (at age 6 months as a kitten), and he is small-boned but looks much larger than a 6-month-old kitten due to his fluffy hair throughout his body. I wasn’t planning on adopting a Turkish Angora cat when visiting the “Cat Rescue” but I think I’ll keep this beautiful cat since he is so unusual in his fluffiness. His tail is dark grey (all one color), and also has grey “tabby markings” (with the “M” in grey) on his head. Could anyone share with me what he/she knows about these Angora cats and what I should expect when raising him (for the next 15-20 years)? I have owned (adding those sbared with my husband) a total of 10 cats over these past 70 years, so this is not my “first rodeo” when it comes to having a cat in the home. I also have alot of patience when taking care of these loving pets ! Thanks !
Melinda, the thing with cat breeds is that, unless you have papers, you can’t say that the cat is a purebred, period. And 99% of the time, even the cats we might assume are “mixes” of different breeds simply aren’t. While most of our dogs were bred into existence and, hence, all mutts are crosses of distinct breeds, the practice of selectively breeding cats has only been around for about 50 years. Therefore, the vast majority of felines out there can’t even be considered mixes—they are just, well, cats! I doubt that Doc is some mix of Persian, Himalayan, Turkish Angora, or any other pure breed—such a thing seldom occurs as purebred cats are usually only bred under controlled conditions (with other cats of the same breed) or, if they’re not to be bred, carefully raised, then spayed and neutered. Therefore, I wouldn’t assume that your kitten is a Turkish Angora or a mix at all. Instead, I would call him a domestic longhair—that’s the term we use to describe any non-pedigreed longhaired kitty. Sounds like a great cat and an excellent addition to your crew. Hope this helps you figure things out! 🙂
they are family after all
Gina,how can a cat be ”part of your family” ? Suppose one of your cats had babies. There were too many to keep, so you gave some away. Then would you say that you were giving away your grandchildren?