2 January 2021

Turkish Angora Cat – Information, images, characteristics and how to care for them

By Donald

turkish angora

Once the Turkish Angora has an idea in his head, it can be hard to change his mind about how he should behave, but he is so charming that you probably won’t care.

See all the characteristics of the Turkish Angora below!

Turkish Angora Cat Breed Information, Pictures, Characteristics and Facts

turkish angora cats and kittens

Vital Statistics:

Lifespan: 12 to 18 years Length: Medium Weight: 5 to 9 pounds Origin: Ankara, Turkey

More about this breed

History

The long-haired Angora cat is not the source of Angora sweaters, though its fur is certainly just as soft and beautiful. This natural breed takes its name from the city of Ankara in Turkey, which was formerly known as Angora. For centuries, the cats have been attractive souvenirs for invaders or visitors to Turkey and may have been the first long-haired cats to reach Europe. One theory suggests that the Vikings brought them from Turkey over a thousand years ago.

The cats eventually became scarce and were saved only through a breeding program set up by the Ankara Zoo. Angoras were first brought to the United States in 1954. Breeders took an interest in them, but it was not until the mid-1960s that recognition of the breed was sought with the Cat Fanciers Association. The CFA began registering the cats in 1968 and granted full recognition to white Turkish Angoras in 1972. Colored Turkish Angoras were accepted in 1978. Today, most North American cat registries recognize cats. cats.

Size

The Turkish Angora is a small to medium-sized cat, weighing 5 to 9 pounds.

Personality

Beautiful and graceful on the surface, the Turkish Angora can surprise an unsuspecting owner with its athleticism and intelligence. No bookshelf is too tall for him to reach the top, and no locked door is safe from being opened by his inquisitive paws. While he certainly can have charming manners, the Turkey, as he is sometimes nicknamed, has an active and boisterous side to his nature, with an intelligence that makes him endlessly entertaining. He likes to play and will do whatever it takes to get and keep his attention, even if it means getting into a little trouble.

The Angora maintains its kitty joy until old age. He is friendly to guests, but loves his own people more than he does. This is a sociable breed that is best suited to a home where it will have another cat or a dog to keep it company if people are not home during the day. When at home, the Angora can be draped over your shoulders or nestled comfortably on your lap. At night, you’ll likely find him at your side with his head resting on your pillow.

To live happily with a Turkey, you must have a sense of humor to match your own, as well as a good store of patience. Once he gets an idea, it can be hard to change his mind about how he should behave, but he’s so charming that he probably doesn’t care. If desired, it is better to consider another breed. This is a loving and gentle cat who is devoted to his family, but his precocious intelligence, wit, desire for interaction and play, and short attention span can make him a challenge to live with.

Health

Both pedigree cats and mixed breed cats have different incidences of health problems that may be genetic in nature. Turkish Angoras are generally healthy, but solid white cats with one or two blue eyes are prone to deafness in one or both ears. Other problems that have been observed in the breed are ataxia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Ataxia is a deadly neuromuscular disorder that affects very young kittens from 2 to 4 weeks of age. Careful detection has greatly reduced the incidence of the disease.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a form of heart disease that causes the heart muscle to enlarge. It is found in cats with and without pedigree. Turkish Angoras are one of the breeds that can be affected by this disease.

Careful

The Turkish Angora has a single coat with a silky texture. Because there’s no undercoat to cause matting or tangling, it’s easy to groom with weekly combing or brushing and sheds very little. The coat does not reach its full length until the cat is about two years old.

Brushing teeth to prevent periodontal disease. Daily dental hygiene is best, but weekly brushing is better than nothing. Cut your nails every two weeks. Wipe the corners of the eyes with a soft, damp cloth to remove any discharge. Use a separate area of ​​the cloth for each eye so you don’t risk spreading any infection.

Check the ears weekly. If they look dirty, wipe them down with a cotton ball or soft damp cloth dampened with a 50-50 mixture of cider vinegar and warm water. Avoid using cotton swabs, which can damage the inside of the ear.

Keep the Angora’s litter box spotlessly clean. Cats are very particular about toilet hygiene, and a clean litter box will also help keep long fur clean.

It’s a good idea to keep a Turkish Angora as an indoor cat to protect it from diseases carried by other cats, attacks by dogs or coyotes, and other dangers faced by cats who go outdoors, such as being hit by a car. Turkish Angoras left outdoors are also at risk of being stolen by someone who would like to have such a beautiful cat without paying for it.

Coat color and grooming

The Turkish Angora is best known for its long, fine, silky coat, which seems to shimmer when it moves. Coat length varies, with the longest hair usually seen on the ruff around the neck, the “breeches” on the upper hind legs, and the feathered tail. You can think of an Angora as solid white, but the coat can also be other solid colors, as well as brindle, tortoiseshell, calico, or other patterns.

Beneath the coat is a firm, long, and muscular body. The legs are long, with the hind legs longer than the front legs, and the legs are small, round, and dainty, often with tufts of hair between the toes. The long tail tapers from a wide base to a narrow end.

Contributing to the cat’s beauty is a small to medium-sized wedge-shaped head with large ears that sit high on the head and are covered in fur and large almond-shaped eyes that tilt slightly upwards. The eyes can be blue, green, gold, amber, or odd (one blue eye and one green, green-gold, or amber eye).

Children and other pets

The Angora that has been well socialized is comfortable with children, making it a good choice for families who will supervise children to ensure they pet the cat nicely and do not pull on the fur or tail. . He is also happy to live with cat-friendly dogs, as long as they recognize that he is in charge. He introduces pets slowly and under controlled circumstances to ensure they learn to get along.