Turkish Angora

1 Turkish Angora Breed Overview

Turkish Angora (details)

The Turkish Angora is not only white—it comes in other colors. The breed itself is rare; in China there is essentially no true purebred. Many call their white odd-eyed cat a Persian, showing owners often don’t know cats; many claim a ‘Norwegian Forest’ that is 95% just a common house cat.

The Turkish Angora was born in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, hence the name. Originating as early as the 16th century, it is the longest-established long-haired breed. After reaching Europe it was prized for its noble bearing and became a luxury breed, only introduced to the US in 1963, then appearing in cat shows in the 1970s and sweeping America. Today, to preserve pure bloodlines, even the Ankara Zoo in Turkey breeds under strict management. Its silky, touch-pleasing coat is neither long nor short, with especially soft, fluffy tail fur. Almond eyes make it the cat best described as ‘elegant.’ First reaching the US in 1963, it revived and reappeared in shows, regaining favor. Its standard was set in 1970 and accepted by many associations. One of the oldest breeds, from Turkey, it reached Europe in the 16th century, mainly France and Britain, the most popular long-hair then. By the mid-19th century, the Persian’s rise lowered its status. Today it is mainly in Turkey; numbers elsewhere are few.

2 Turkish Angora Physical Characteristics

Turkish Angora (details)

The Angora has a very long body with a large dip along the back; very fine, tall legs. The head is pointed, somewhat long. Large ears sit atop the head. The whole body is long silky hair in brown, red, black, white; purest is considered white.

Build: Slender, with a pronounced back arch.

Head: Long, wedge-shaped.

Ears: Large and pointed.

Eyes: Medium, slanting almond; orange, blue, green, or odd-colored.

Mouth: Pointed.

Limbs: Slender; front slightly shorter than hind.

Paws: Small and round.

Tail: Long.

Coat: Glossy, fine, medium length.

Color: Besides traditional white, also black, blue, silver-gray, brown, red, bicolor, tabby, and more.

3 Turkish Angora Personality Traits

Turkish Angora (details)

Today, to preserve pure bloodlines, even the Ankara Zoo in Turkey breeds under strict management. Its silky, touch-pleasing coat is neither long nor short, with especially soft, fluffy tail fur. Almond eyes make it the cat best described as ‘elegant.’

The Turkish Angora is agile, independent, and dislikes being petted or held. Quiet, clever, and close to people, it devotes itself to its owner. Its most charming trait is a special love of water, swimming happily in brooks or tubs. Very clean, it licks its coat often; its saliva is like a strong cleaner but can cause human allergies. Swallowing hair while grooming, it may vomit hairballs. To replenish energy it sleeps longer than other animals—12 to 16 hours daily, averaging 13-14, with some sleeping 20.

4 Turkish Angora Care Tips

Turkish Angora (details)

The Turkish Angora is very clean, licking its coat often. Its saliva is like a strong cleaner but can cause some humans to allergy, so be careful if you are allergic. Because it swallows hair while grooming, hair may accumulate in the stomach and sometimes it vomits hairballs—watch especially during shedding.

Claw sharpening is a cat’s instinct and cannot be stopped. For a small cat, claws are its strongest weapon, so it must regularly shed old keratin to stay sharp. Also, sharpening shows dominance and adds scent—cats have scent glands in the front feet, so sharpening marks territory. But if allowed anywhere, sofa, curtains, chairs, carpet, wood floor, walls get ruined. Once a spot is chosen, the cat returns, causing worse damage. Teaching not to sharpen is the hardest lesson, so start before furniture is wrecked.

First, prepare a dedicated scratch tool—many sold, or make your own by wrapping cloth on wood. Place several where the cat likes. If it starts on furniture, say ‘no’ and lead it to the board, holding its front paws to scratch. At first it may fuss, but soon learns. Praise when skilled; it remembers the spot. If impatient, spray a repellent or vinegar on forbidden spots—but scent fades, so patient teaching matters most.

5 Turkish Angora Feeding Requirements

Turkish Angora (details)

Compared with the Angora, the Turkish Angora has a rounder, shorter head and looks nothing like an Oriental cat. Its ears are not overly prominent. A white-coated cat may have different-colored eyes; if blue, it may be deaf—owners beware.

Cats entered human life later than dogs; their independent nature invites misunderstandings about lifestyle. Start with eating.

Good friends share fortune and hardship, and pets rise in our hearts, but over-indulgence or ignorance of feline diet leads some to think: feed the cat what I eat to be a good owner. But is human food right for cats? No. Human meals, whether as main food or snacks, cause two problems. Cats need different nutrition and use protein for energy while humans use fat, so cats need far more protein and different vitamins/minerals. Long-term human food causes malnutrition—an unbalanced cat is not a healthy cat!

Elders stew bone broth for calcium, and some owners imitate this with bones. No animal’s bones should be given to cats—they don’t help teeth or calcium but hurt the gut, causing indigestion. Milk is not water—important, especially for kittens. A kitten may lack its mother for many reasons, so the surrogate must choose milk carefully. The easiest to buy is cow’s milk, but strictly it doesn’t suit cats: cow’s milk has far more lactose than cat milk, and cat guts often can’t absorb it, causing diarrhea—hence the myth that cats get diarrhea from milk. So our milk view: don’t give cow’s milk as water.