The Turkish Angora
Turkish Angora, breed of longhaired cat developed in Turkey more than 250
years ago. Also known as the Angora, this cat originated in the city of
the same name (now Ankara).
By the early 20th century,
many years of breeding with Persian cats had nearly destroyed the Turkish
Angora breed, which had acquired many of the Persian traits. A breeding
program was started at the Ankara zoo in the early 1900s to save the Turkish
Angora from extinction, but serious interest in reestablishing the breed
did not emerge until the early 1960s when two Turkish Angoras were exported
to the United States. Another pair was sent to the United States in 1966,
and these four cats became the foundation of the breed as it appears today.
The sleek-looking Turkish
Angora has a long, medium-sized body with a deep, narrow chest, long legs,
and small, dainty feet. The back legs are longer than the front legs, and
the cat's rump stands higher than its shoulders. Both sexes reach maturity
in about two years. A slim, graceful neck carries the small- to medium-sized,
wedge-shaped head, with a gently rounded chin and a medium to long nose.
Large, almond-shaped eyes angle upward at the outer corners and are amber
or blue, or sometimes one of each color, depending on the color of the
coat. Large, erect ears sit high on the head, have a wide base, and end
in a pointed tip. This cat's long, tapered tail has a full plume of hair
that it holds at a low angle.
The Turkish Angora's coat is pure white, black,
blue-gray, red, brown, or multicolored. The long, silky fur is wavy on
the stomach and longer around the neck where it forms a ruff, or collar.
The tail has a full brush of long, fine hair. Tufts of fur grow between
the cat's toes and on the tips of the ears.
