Meet the Turkish Angora
Beautiful and elegant, the Turkish Angora can surprise the unsuspecting with their athleticism and intelligence. The outgoing Angora will greet visitors at the door and entertain guests. They are extremely agile and can be found in unexpected high places, like the top of the door. These outgoing affectionate cats are interested in everything you do and want to help. They are extremely clever and can open cabinets, doors and are known to get into things.
This is a sociable breed, best suited in a home that will have another cat or dog to keep them company if someone is not home all day. They are known to follow commands, stay by their owner's side and sleep snuggled in bed. They get along with others including pets and are comfortable with older kids.
The Turkish Angora is considered the race-car of the cat world, always on the go and willing to play. They excel in the feline sport of agility due to their incredible intelligence and athleticism and they love to play fetch and learn new tricks. Don’t let their beauty and sophisticated look fool you, underneath that elegant exterior is a spirited cat with a great sense of humour. They may look slender and delicate but this active, athletic breed has a body of solid muscle under its silky coat.
The Turkish Angora is a semi-longhaired cat with a silky texture that doesn’t matte easily. They are known to have either a thin undercoat or no undercoat at all, which makes grooming easier. Many Turkish Angoras have an affinity to water which makes bathing either very easy or very entertaining.
The Turkish Angora comes from Ankara (historically Angora) where several other animals with delicate silky long coats originate. The earliest written reference occurs in 16th century France and they were well represented in the late 1800s and early 1900s at the dawn of the cat fancy in Europe. They were used in Persian breeding programs in the early 1900s and disappeared as a separate breed. However, Turkey considered the cats a national treasure and established a breeding program at the Ankara Zoo to ensure the preservation of the breed.
Did you Know?
-The Turkish Angora is believed to be the original Longhaired Cat and that the gene for long hair in cats may be a gift from the Turkish Angora’s distant ancestors.
- They are Excellent Swimmers. Turkish Angoras enjoy playing in the water and are considered to be excellent swimmers. Some will even plunge into the bathtub, shower or swimming pool with their families.
- Beloved by the Prophet Mohammad. Legend has it that a Turkish Angora named Muezza was so beloved by the Prophet Mohammad that when the call to prayer was announced, he noticed she was sleeping on the sleeve of his robe and cut off his sleeve so as not to disturb his beloved cat.