Turkish Angora

Distinguished as a breed of domestic cat, Turkish Angora is believed to have originated in central Turkey, in the Ankara region. Counted amongst the ancient, naturally-occurring cat breeds, the cat is lean in terms of body structure and active in terms of nature. It is mainly available in white color, though other shades cannot be completely ruled out, except chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, fawn, and the 'pointed' colors derived from the Siamese or Burmese. Turkish Angora cats prove to be an excellent pet choice for families that have young children and also make lively companions for senior adults.

History
Turkish Angora cats, representing one of the breeds of domestic cats, are known to have descended from the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica). In the mountainous regions of Eastern Anatolia, the cats used to get isolated. With time, inbreeding started to take place and through natural selection, the African wildcats evolved into longhaired breeds, one of which was the Turkish Angora. In the late 16th century, these longhaired cats were imported to Britain and France, from Asia Minor, Persia and Russia. However, the cats came to be used for the purpose of improving the coat on the Persian, bringing them to the brink of extinction. The condition improved with time.

It was only by the early 17th century that Turkish Angora was recognized as a distinct breed in Europe. The year 1917 saw the Government of Turkey start a breeding program for protecting pure white Turkish Angoras with blue and amber eyes, considered a national treasure, in conjunction with the Ankara Zoo. In 1963, a Turkish Angora was brought to the United States and ten years later, it was accepted as a championship pedigreed breed, by the Cat Fanciers' Association. Though, initially, only white Angoras were recognized in America, by 1978, American registries started accepting the Turkish Angora in a large number of colors and patterns.

Appearance
Turkish Angora is a medium-sized cat. It is finely boned, with firm muscular structure, silky, medium-long length coat and no undercoat. The head is massive, with a two plane profile, and the ears are pointed and large. These cats have large, almond shaped eyes, with color ranging from green, gold and green-gold to copper, blue and odd-eyed (say, one green eye and one amber eye). While pure white is the main color of Turkish Angora, they come in other colors too. These include black, blue, red, cream, silver, smoke, tortoiseshell, blue-cream, and all the shades of tabby (in some cases, with white trim). They have a kinked or abnormal tail. It is long and 'brush'-like, with all the hair being of one length and creating a fox-brush effect.

Personality
Turkish Angora cats are very devoted to their owners and manage to develop a strong bonding with them. In fact, you will find the cat to be totally involved with whatever its owner is doing. These cats are very intelligent and are renowned for their swimming prowess. Having a sharp mind, Turkish Angora cats are known to have a quick temper and can easily manipulate their owners as and when they deem it to be necessary. You can also teach them to fetch things, to turn on the faucet and even child-proof all your cabinets A Turkish Angora cat is quite agile and has an athletic grace. The cat has also been seen to exhibit a genuine sense of humor.