Turkish Angora cat breed - history of origin and care features

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.

History of the Turkish Angora breed

Felinologists have never been able to find out exactly when and how this breed arose - Angora cats lived next to humans for many centuries.
Presumably their ancestor was the Caucasian forest cat, who lived in the Middle Ages in Turkey. The breed appeared and developed on the territory of this state, receiving its name in honor of the city of Ankara, which has been the capital since 1923. For the first time, wayward furry pets were mentioned in local legends of the 15th century. Only noble people could afford to keep white cats with bicolor eyes, although other colors were also natural. It was believed that the person who would be bitten by such an animal should become the ruler of Turkey. Another legend explaining the veneration of Angora cats says that one of the national saints had eyes of different colors. Interesting fact: modern Turkish Angoras do not look the same as their “great-grandparents”: over a long time they have undergone changes, but they have retained their extraordinary coat, grace and sophistication.

The Turkish Angora appeared in Europe at the beginning of the 17th century thanks to an Italian aristocrat. Traveling through Turkey, Persia and India, he became interested in unusual white cats with long fur. The Italian took a couple of fluffy beauties with him.

The Turkish Angora immediately became very popular, especially at the French court. It is known that one of the first owners of the Angora cat in Europe was none other than the almighty Cardinal de Richelieu. Later, equally famous Frenchmen chose pets of this breed: Louis XIV, Marie Antoinette, Victor Hugo, Théophile Gautier. The Angora cat was the favorite of the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. However, despite its popularity, no one was engaged in its systematic selection.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the breed came to the United States, but quickly became auxiliary, serving for the breeding of Persian cats. At home in 1917-1930. The Turkish Angora has been recognized as a national treasure. The government has established a program to restore the endangered breed at the Ankara Zoo nursery. The lack of systematic selection forced European and American breeders to begin rebuilding the population in the 1950s.

Officially, the Turkish Angora was recognized only in 1973 by the CFA Association (USA). Initially, only white cats were considered to meet the standard, but by 1978 it was possible to prove the traditionality of other colors. Today the breed has champion status in all world felinological organizations. To preserve the gene pool, since 1996, the Turkish government has closed the export of white Angoras from the country, but has left the possibility of exporting cats of other colors that are considered of equal value. Interestingly, in Turkey, snow-white Angora cats with multi-colored eyes are allowed into mosques.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

KENNEL NEWS IS PLACED ON THE NEWS Cattery Lada Kedi PAGE - PLEASE TAKE A LOOK!

July, 2011 I'd registered new cattery name Geraylar, co-owned by me and my daughter Sofya Linkova.

Geraylar (Arab: كرایلر‎ , “The Girays”) are the Crimean Tatar Genghisid dynasty, which reigned in the Khanate of Crimea from its formation in 1427 until its downfall in 1783, and lived in Crimea, now Ukraine, former Russian Empire, earlier Turkish Ottoman Empire; the Girays were regarded as the second family of the Ottoman Empire after the House of Ottoman.

This way I would like to honor the memory of my grandfather Mikhail Kapliev, Crimean Tatar descendant and the brave tank commander, who didn't return from the World War II.

So former “Lada Kedi Litter D” become the first litter of my new cattery Geraylar, and kittens names are to be Geraylar A…

Geraylar Litter A born June, 3, 2011.

GERAYLAR LITTER A PICTURES ARE HERE AT THE GALLERY.

PLEASE WATCH NEW PICTURES OF THE LITTER A AT THE AGE OF 7 WEEKS HERE AT FLICKR —

Geraylar Alenushka Turkish Angora odd-eyed white female stay at the cattery.

Geraylar Ayder Geray stay at the cattery or available to show home

Sire is the Best Turkish Angora cat CFA International season 2010-2011, 15th Best Cat of Europe North Region TICA season 2010-2011, SGC, RW TICA, Junior Winner and International Champion FIFe, Champion CFA Angelicat Prince of Lada Kedi.

Dam is Grand Champion CFA Antalya'Perl Firuza of Lada Kedi, Best Turkish Angora Kitten og the International Division CFA 2010-2011.

There are 4 kittens in the litter, for today 1 white odd-eyed girl with black smoke cup, 1 black smoke female and 2 red smoke males with mackerel and classic tabby ghost markings. So enjoy the rainbow of colors!

For today(September 3):

Geraylar Ayder Geray (male cameo smoke / classic ghost markings, pedigree) – available to show home, he has the sweetest temperament to be a show star,

Geraylar Alenushka Turkish Angora odd-eyed white female kitten stay at the cattery.

The first kittens of Prince and Firuza were born on June 3, 2011 . They are registered as the first litter of the Geraylar nursery, co-owners of the nursery are me and my daughter Sofia Linkova.

See photos of kittens in the gallery on their page (click on the link to go).

Parents of kittens:

The father is the first adult of the Turkish Angora breed in Russia - Supreme Grand Champion TIKA, 15th best adult in the Northern Europe region and the second best Turkish Angora in the world TIKA - season 2010-2011, CFA Champion and Best adult Turkish Angora of the CFA International Division of the season 2010-2011 , International Champion and Young FIFe Winner Angelicat Prince of Lada Kedi is my favorite white cat Peach.

Mother - the first Turkish Angora in Russia - CFA Grand Champion, Best kitten of the Turkish Angora breed in the CFA International Division of the 2010-2011 season, Antalya'Perl Firuza of Lada Kedi, smoky tortoiseshell cat, my dear, sweet Firuza.

There are 4 kittens in the litter (1 white odd-eyed girl, 2 red smoke boys with brindle and harlequin residual tabby patterns and 1 black smoke girl). As of July 19:

Boy Geraylar Ayder Geray (Ayder Geray, pedigree, red smoke - cameo smoke / classic ghost markings, marbled residual tabby) - available , with conditions for participation in exhibitions and breeding use.

Boy Geraylar Arslan Geray (Arslan Geray, pedigree, red smoke - cameo smoke / mack ghost markings, brindle residual tabby) - sold,

The girl Aysel (black smoke) was sold, the girl Alyonushka (white, odd-eyed) remains in the nursery .

Interesting facts about the breed

1. 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.
2. Some historians are of the opinion that this breed was known during the Crusades.
3. 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.