Turkish angora

What They Are Like to Live With

Turkish Angoras are friendly, intelligent, active cats who enjoy interacting with their human family as well as with other cats. Unlike most cats, many members of this breed love to swim and are drawn to water.

Turkish Angoras are chatty cats who can be very determined. They are sometimes mischievous and like to keep themselves busy. Interactive play can go a long way in helping them bond and keeping them out of trouble.

Things You Should Know

Turkish Angoras with blue eyes are prone to deafness. Cats with one blue eye and one amber eye will be deaf on the side of the blue eye.

Because of their long coat, Turkish Angoras need frequent brushing to prevent mats and hairballs.

Turkish Angoras are active cats that need playmates and attention to stay out of trouble.

Turkish Angora History

The origins of the Turkish Angora remain a mystery, although longhaired cats have been seen in parts of the Middle East for centuries. Formerly known as "Ankara Cats," in honor of the city of Ankara in Turkey, the name for a particular strain of these longhaired felines was changed to Turkish Angora when the name of the city was changed from Ankara to Angora.

Turkish Angoras and other longhaired cats where first introduced to Europe in the late 1500s. The breed came to the United States in the 1700s. Subsequent crossbreeding to other longhaired cats nearly destroyed the breed until in the 1900s, the Turkish government began a breeding program to save the all-white Angora. A pair of cats from this program were imported into the United States, and the breed experienced a resurgence.

Although still somewhat rare, the Turkish Angora is growing steadily in popularity. The breed is recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association, The International Cat Association and the American Cat Fanciers Association.