If you decide to buy an unusual cat with the softest fur, you should take a closer look at the Turkish Angora. Her grace and friendliness will not leave you indifferent. In this article we will talk about the appearance and character of Turkish Angora cats, where to buy a kitten, its price in nurseries and how to care for it.
Today, purebred representatives of this breed are quite difficult to find. Due to the population decline, the Ankara Zoo launched a special breed conservation program at the beginning of the 21st century, which continues to this day.
Origin story
Angora cats are believed to have descended from their African cousins, the Egyptian cats. From them they passed on the grace and plasticity inherent in “African women”. It is believed that cats were not originally long-haired; this modification occurred much later.
However, once the Angora was brought to Europe, it was used to improve the Persian breed, which was similar to the Turkish cat. But when the best angora specimens were collected at the Antalya Zoo, felinologists decided to define them as the property of Turkey.
Until a certain point, the export of this breed outside of Turkey was strictly prohibited. Only in 1962 were they allowed to export two kittens to the USA. Then they managed to take out more individuals. Thanks to this, there were already enough representatives of the breed in Europe to register them with the American Cat Fanciers Association CFA.
The Turkish Angora should not be confused with the modern Angora cat. The Turkish Angora is an ancient cat breed native to Turkey. The modern Angora cat was developed in the 60s by crossing an Abyssinian Sorrel cat and a Siamese cat.
Character and habits
By nature, Turkish Angoras are quite inquisitive. Angoras are interested in everything that happens in the house. Such pussies prefer to be aware of everything in the world.
Angora cats are extremely affectionate to their owners. And since these pets cannot stand loneliness, many cat lovers on the forums note the animals’ excessive intrusiveness.
Turkish Angora cats have some dog-like characteristics. For example, they can easily be trained to bring slippers or other things to cat owners in their teeth, to flip a switch, and also to open doors.
Turkish Angoras are overly talkative. Moreover, they have a unique manner of speech. Such animals can say “meow”, but more often they purr. The Turkish Angora is recognized as the loudest purring breed. In addition, these purring pussies are capable of expressing a wide variety of feelings and emotions.
Description of the breed
Standard
- Body : fit and elongated, medium size; males are larger than females; strong muscles; weight for males varies from 3.5-5 kilograms, and for females - 2.5-4 kilograms.
- Coat : long, with a sheen reminiscent of silk; a peculiarity is that the hair on the whole body is of different lengths, but on the tail it should be longer;
- Head : small or medium size, not very long, wedge-shaped; may be cheeks; the neck is thin and long; the chin is strong and rounded
- Eyes : large, almond-shaped; there are many color variations (blue, green, green-gold); Often there are eyes of different colors (blue and gold, green and gold, green and blue)
- Ears : large, wide at the base, set close, pointed; nose of medium length.
- Limbs: hind legs are much longer than the front ones; the paws are small and round in shape; the tail is long and pointed.
The calling card of the breed is a solid snow-white coat with characteristic pink nose and paw pads. But, besides the white color, there are other variations that are less popular:
- Black - a species characterized by a charcoal tint, a little gray undercoat on the belly; distinctive features are black and brown paw pads, as well as a black nose.
- Cream – uniform color; paws and pads have a pink tint.
- Blue – gray wool of a cold shade; The nose and paw pads are identical in tone to the coat.
- Bicolor – white coat color makes up more than 1/3 of the total color, the second color is any; The distinctive features of such cats are their white chest, belly, paws and the inside of the tail.
- Red – dark red color without spots, with well-dyed hair. The nose and pads are brick red.
- Tortoiseshell – black with red and cream spots.
- Calico is white with red and black spots.
Unacceptable colors are: chocolate, lilac, and color point.
Health
Life expectancy is 12-15 years, you can meet centenarians up to 20 years old. The Turkish Angora is considered to be a cat with average health, which can be associated with genetic diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, ataxia and deafness.
Lack of hearing most often affects individuals with white fur. This does not mean that all white cats suffer from this disease. Most of the animals are absolutely healthy.
Ataxia is a more dangerous disease that is less common. The disease is detected in kittens at the age of 2-4 weeks. The disease is characterized by poor coordination and involuntary muscle contractions.
Another rather rare disease is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The diagnosis is more common in cats than in cats between the ages of 2 and 6 years.
Character
The Turkish Angora is distinguished by its special affection for people and sociality. The pet appreciates when most of the attention is paid to it. Families with children should pay attention to angora. Believe me, they will be delighted to have a small, affectionate pet who loves to play active games.
The cat is very attached to members of the household and is quite tolerant of strangers, but it takes time for the pet to completely trust a new person.
The Turkish Angora has a good hunter instinct, so it will happily catch a toy or show off its catching skills on a walk. The curiosity and activity of the breed will not let you get bored.
In addition, the Angora learns quickly. Accustoming your pet to the litter tray and scratching post will be a doable task. A more persistent owner will be able to teach her even complex commands.
The resourcefulness of this breed cannot be taken away either, so it can easily get itself a tasty morsel from the most hidden corners.
Diseases of the Angora cat breed
The cat is included in the list of long-lived breeds, and, nevertheless, some Turkish Angora cats are sometimes diagnosed with a cardiovascular disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
There is also a unique disease of Turkish Angoras: ataxia. When the disease occurs, the coordination of movements in a kitten several weeks old is impaired. Breeders remove such sick pets from breeding and test the animals for the presence of unwanted genes.
The third deviation of Turkish Angoras is possible congenital deafness in blue-eyed offspring from two white animals.
In general, the health of Angora representatives is good, especially if you do not miss vaccination dates, get vaccinations under veterinary supervision and treat your pet with vitamins. Animals normally do not suffer from elevated body temperature.
The time frame for spaying or neutering a pet is approximately the same: 7-9 months, before the first heat.
Mating takes place quietly within 2-3 days in the male’s territory, and pregnancy proceeds smoothly.
The first birth can take quite a long time, but Angora kittens are usually healthy and strong.
How long do Turkish Angoras live?
In order for your pet kitty to enjoy many years of life, you need to provide competent care for it, not ignore the advice of a veterinarian, or contact the breeder for recommendations by phone or through the website.
At home, the life expectancy of Turkish Angoras averages 15-18 years. If the cat is healthy and well-groomed, then the age bar rises to 20 years.
Care
Wool
The Turkish Angora's wool does not mat, as it has no undercoat, so it is enough to brush it 1-2 times a week with a special brush. In winter, when the coat becomes longer and thicker, and during shedding, brushing should be increased to 2-4 times a week.
Bathing should only be done when the coat is heavily soiled or before a show. Washing should be done using a special shampoo for white wool, which should be rinsed off thoroughly. This breed loves to swim and play in the water, so there will be no difficulties.
Nutrition
When choosing a diet, you should take into account that the food from your table is absolutely not suitable for cats, since they have a particularly sensitive digestive system. It doesn’t matter whether you choose dry food or cook it yourself for your pet. The most important criterion is the balance of food. Of course, maintaining this balance on your own is much more difficult. Super-premium and higher class foods include all the microelements that cats need.
If you still choose to make me for angora yourself, then you should adhere to specific rules. To prevent the snow-white color of the coat from giving off a yellow color, the following should be categorically excluded from the diet: liver and other offal, carrots and seaweed.
Ear and nail care
Turkish Angoras also need regular ear cleaning and nail trimming. You need to clean your ears once a week. Trim nails as they grow.
In order to have a little less problems, you should buy your pet a scratching post.
Walking your pet
Since the Turkish Angora is primarily a domestic cat, it does not need regular walking. If you are planning to take your pet for a walk, then, of course, he will be happy.
Care and maintenance
The Angora cat does not require special care. Animals' fur does not get tangled, and therefore they are combed no more than once every 3-4 days.
White pets should have “bath days” once every three months, and cats of other colors even less often.
From time to time you will need to examine your purring ears and eyes, and also wipe them with special solutions. To prevent tartar, once a week you will have to brush your pet’s teeth with special pastes.
What to feed a Turkish Angora
The diet of an Angora cat should include foods with sufficient amounts of microelements and vitamins. Kittens will need to be fed at least 4 times a day, adults - twice. When shedding, give your pet more fat-soluble vitamins to prevent hair loss.
The purr should be fed dairy products, vegetables, eggs, meat, and fish.
It is not permissible to give white pussy foods that negatively affect the condition of the coat: seaweed and liver. But this ban does not apply to pets of other colors.
The Turkish Angora should not be fed sweets, as well as foods that are too peppery and salty.
When choosing to feed industrial products, buy special food for long-haired cats.
Diseases and breed defects
The Angora cat breed generally has excellent immunity.
In past centuries, deaf Turkish cats were often found. But thanks to the many years of work of breeders, the likelihood of this disease occurring in pets has decreased significantly.
Hearing-impaired animals are not allowed for breeding. Often the deafness gene is observed in white, blue-eyed cats. In good veterinary clinics, purring dogs' hearing is checked using a special test.
Caring cat owners should know that cases of cardiomyopathy and ataxia of the Turkish Angora are also common.
Lifespan
The Angora cat is considered to be a long-liver. Usually lives 12–15 years. However, with proper care of the cat, as well as providing it with the proper diet, such a cat can live 18–19 years.
Photos of Turkish Angora
Breed card
| Characteristics of a cat | Notes | |
| General information | An ancient cat breed originally from Turkey, which played a key role in the formation of the Persian Longhair breed | Do not confuse the Turkish Angora with the Angora cat |
| Character | Friendly, affectionate cats, love the company of family members | Cats need time to get used to strangers |
| Appearance | Silky coat of medium length, fluffy tail. The color can be any, but white is considered traditional | Cats with white fur often have different eye colors. |
| Behavior at home | A very affectionate cat, she loves to be in the company of household members. The cat is quite curious, but does not like to leave the house | The cat spends a lot of time on personal hygiene |
| Care | The wool has no undercoat, so it does not mat. Care becomes more difficult in winter and during shedding; brushing during these periods should be increased up to 2-4 times a week. | Wool length varies throughout the year |
| Health problems | White cats with blue eyes are more likely to suffer from deafness than others. | Cats with heterochromia may be deaf in one ear. |
How to choose a kitten
It is worth knowing that the kitten will not be returned to you from the nursery before 3 months, since only by this age are they sufficiently trained in the rules of using a tray and scratching post and are ready to part with the mother cat.
At this point, kittens should have 2 vaccinations. You can verify their presence by looking at the entries in the animal’s passport.
When choosing an individual, pay attention to the smell, cleanliness of the eyes, ears and nose. The skin should be free of rashes, peeling and redness. If your pet's stomach is unusually hard, this may indicate the presence of worms.
The price of a cat can vary greatly depending on the class and popularity of the nursery where it was purchased. Approximate cost from 5,000 to 25,000 rubles.
Breeding Turkish Angora
If you are planning to breed kittens, then finding a cat will not be difficult. Although the demand for cats with white fur is declining in Russia, there are still a sufficient number of popular catteries. Knitting should be done only after reaching final maturity, a period from one to one and a half years. The pregnancy itself lasts 60-63 days, usually without serious complications.
A litter usually contains 3-4 kittens.
List of nurseries where you can purchase Turkish Angora kittens:
- Iz Mira Cats – Moscow.
- Akkedi - Lyubertsy.
Breeding and care
Turkish Angoras belong to the category of long-haired cats, so their coat needs daily care. It must be combed using special sets with combs and brushes designed for long-haired animals. If this is not done, the wool will quickly mat and lose its well-groomed and beautiful appearance.
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Such a cat should also be bathed regularly using hygiene products designed specifically for long-haired pets. Otherwise, the fur will lose its snow-white color and become dirty yellow or gray.
Angoras are very active, so it is recommended that they install special complexes for cats in their housing, where they can frolic without damaging furniture and other household utensils. It is also advisable to walk your pet, perhaps accustoming it to a leash.
Turkish Angoras are distinguished by good health, the absence of hereditary diseases and good immunity. But still, to maintain good health, it is important to carry out vaccination and treatment against parasites on time. These cats are long-lived and with good care can live up to 20 years.
Interesting facts about the breed
- There is a legend that rulers used Turkish angora wool instead of napkins during feasts. It does not look absurd, since wool is similar to silk due to its grooming and softness.
- Some historians are of the opinion that this breed was known during the Crusades.
- The most popular are those with multi-colored eyes.
In conclusion, we can say that if you are looking for a friend who will be with the owner all day, then the Turkish Angora is considered a suitable option. Be prepared for the fact that this breed does not like to play outdoor games for a long time. He prefers cozy gatherings in a person's arms.
