Turkish Angora

Galatia Joy
Breeder: S Heran/C.Wickett
Owner: Joanne McKinnon

The Turkish Angora
by J. Anne Helgren - Cats Magazine. August 1995

Pure poetry in motion, living sculptures in fur - there's nothing better on four paws, assert fanciers of this graceful, determined breed. The Turkish Angora has been around for hundreds - perhaps thousands - of years, and despite a brush with extinction, should be around for a long time to come if proponents of the breed have anything to say about it. The symmetry, intelligence and devotion of Angoras seem to evoke strong responses of loyalty from their human companions. Nor is this close bond between Angora and human recent. According to legend, Mohammed (570-632), founder of the Islamic faith, possessed a Turkish Angora he regarded so highly that rather than disturb it as it slept on his robe, he cut off the sleeve. HISTORY OF THE ANGORA No one is really sure where or how the Turkish Angora originated. Often recounted is the theory that the Angora developed from the longhaired Pallas cat, an Asian wildcat about the size of the domestic. But this is doubtful. The Pallas is fundamentally different from the domestic feline, and unlike today's affectionate Angoras, is virtually untamable. Most experts now agree that domestic cats - even the longhaired breeds - developed from the shorthaired African wildcat, native to Asia and Africa. The African wildcat possesses the same chromosome number and structure as domestics, and interbreeds so easily with them that it's now teetering on the brink of extinction as a pure species. The recessive mutation for long hair in felines probably occurred spontaneously and was perpetuated through centuries of interbreeding in confined, mountainous areas, such as the Lake Van region in Turkey, that limited outcrossing. Whatever their origin, longhaired cats have been noted in Turkey and the surrounding countries for centuries. Longhaired cats were imported to Britain and France from Turkey, Persia, Russia and Afghanistan as early as the late 1500s. The Angora had definitely found its way to Europe by the early 1600s, and by the late 1700s it was being exported to America. In the early days of the cat fancy, Angoras were highly prized. One Angora owner, it is said, turned down an offer of $5,000 for her beloved Angora at an 1890 cat show in London. Gradually, however, the Persian became the preferred feline in the European cat fancy. The Angora was used extensively in Persian breeding programs to add length and silkiness to the Persian coat. Later, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) decided that all longhaired breeds should simply be called longhairs. Confusingly, cat fanciers tended to refer to any longhair as Persian or Angora, regardless of bloodline. Persians, Angoras and Russian Longhairs were bred together indiscriminately. Except in their native land, Angoras had ceased to exist as a pure breed, and no longer appeared in show halls or on registration records. In America, Angoras had virtually vanished by the 1900s. In the early 20th century, the government of Turkey, in conjunction with the national zoo, began a meticulous breeding program that continues today to protect and preserve pure White Angora cats with blue and amber eyes. The zoo particularly prized Odd-Eyed Angoras (cats with one blue eye and one gold eye), because they are believed to be touched by Allah. Mohammed's Angora was reputed to have been odd-eyed. Because the Turks valued the cats so highly, obtaining Angoras from the zoo was difficult. But Liesa Grant, wife of Army Colonel Walter Grant who was stationed in Turkey, was successful in importing a pair of the zoo's Turkish Angoras, complete with certificates of ancestry, to America in 1962. These imports revived interest in the breed, and other breeders soon followed the example of the Grants (who were also instrumental in achieving CFA recognition for the breed). In 1970, CFA was the first United States registry to accept Turkish Angoras (white only) for registration, and in 1973 it accepted the Angora for championship status. All six North American registries now accept the Turkish Angora in all colors. While numbers are still small, the gene pool is growing and registration totals are gaining ground each year. ELEGANT AND REGAL The Turkish Angora is an extraordinarily graceful cat, lithe, lean and limber with a long, willowy body. The torso is also long, the chest lightly framed and the rump slightly higher than the front. The legs are long and the paws dainty, with fur tufts between the toes. The hind legs are longer than the front legs. When in movement, which is most of the time, the Angora seems to flow with a dancer's grace. Its head is a medium-length wedge shape - smooth and straight with a tapered jaw and a gently rounded chin, bearing large, high-set, vertical, erect ears that are wide at the base. The large, expressive eyes are almond-shaped and slant slightly upward. The fine, silky, shiny fur is medium-long and tends to be wavy. The ruff is full, and the long, tapering tail is adorned with a full plume of silky fur. Because the Angora molts in the spring, by summertime it may appear almost shorthaired, with just the tail displaying its earlier splendor. Angoras lack a downy undercoat, so their fur doesn't mat the way a Persian's is prone to do, and they are generally very easy to groom. Along with its cousin the Turkish Van, the Angora is known for its swimming prowess. Not every Turkish Angora enjoys water but many will plunge in for an occasional dip. While pure White Turkish Angoras have been the norm for many years, Angoras in other colors are becoming increasingly popular. Angoras come in Black, Blue, Red and Cream; in Black and Blue Smoke; Tortoiseshell, Calico, Dilute Calico, Bluecream and Bicolor; as well as the classic and mackerel tabby patterns in Silver, Red, Brown, Blue and Cream. Eyes may be amber, green, blue, hazel or odd-eyed. As with any breed, the Blue-Eyed White Angora can be born partially or totally deaf. This is not, as some think, a defect of the Angora breed itself, but rather a defect in the dominant gene that produces white coat color and blue eyes in felines. Odd-Eyed Angoras are generally deaf in only one ear - the blue-eyed side. While hearing-impaired Angoras must be kept out of harm's way, they otherwise enjoy life just as much as their hearing siblings, and they usually adapt to their hearing loss remarkably well. TURKISH DELIGHT
Turkish Angora fanciers are as attached to their cats as their cats are to them - and with good reason. Angoras bond with their owners completely: An Angora is not happy unless it is right in the middle of whatever you're doing. They enjoy a good conversation, too, and can keep up their end of the discussion. Angoras are good-natured but determined. Once your Angora buddy gets an idea into his head, you can forget about changing his or her furry little mind. Angoras have a great need to play and can be mischievous when they're in the mood. They love to pounce on scraps of paper, the toes of unsupect-ing humans or whatever catches their fancy. Highly intelligent, Angoras are problem-solvers who like to be in control of their surroundings; they'll tolerate being held for only a few minutes before jumping down to bat at sunbeams and chase feathers. Yet, they'll stay within sight to allow you to admire their antics.