Interesting facts about Angora cats

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The Turkish Angora is a breed of domestic cat.

The breed is also sometimes referred to as simply the Angora or Ankara cat.

The Turkish Angora has a typical lifespan of 14 to 16 years.

It is a small to medium-size. Adult males tend to weigh 3.5 to 5 kg (7 – 10 lbs), while females of this breed will typically weigh 2.5 – 4 kg (5 – 8 lbs).

Turkish Angora cats have long, silky coats and elegant, sinuous bodies. They have bushy tail that is often carried upright, perpendicular to the back.

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Turkish Angora cats can display a variety of colors. They come in tabby and tabby-white, along with black with an undercoat of chocolate brown, and lastly smoke varieties, and are in every color other than those that indicate crossbreeding, such as pointed, chocolate and lavender.

Eyes may be blue, green, amber, yellow, or heterochromatic (e.g., one blue and one amber or green). The eyes are almond shaped and the profile forms two straight planes. Ears are pointed, large and wide-set.

One of the most outgoing and affectionate of all cat breeds, the rare and beautiful Turkish Angora has a fascinating history and is considered a national treasure in its native land.

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Like all domestic cats, Turkish Angoras descended from the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica).

It is one of the ancient, natural breeds of cat, having originated in central Turkey, in the Ankara region.

The breed has been documented as early as the 17th century and is believed to be the origin of the mutations for both the color white and long hair.

The Turkish Angora may well have been the first longhair cat seen in Europe. In 1520, a longhair white cat was brought to Europe from Ankara.

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There is a strong connection between Angoras and Persians. Charles Catton, in his 1788 book Animals Drawn from Nature and Engraved in Aqua-tinta, gave “Persian cat” and “Angora cat” as alternative names for the same breed.

In the early 20th century, Ankara Zoo began a breeding program to protect and preserve pure white Angora cats.

The Angora of the 20th century was used for improvement in the Persian coat, but the type has always been divergent from the Persian – particularly as the increasingly flat-faced show cat Persian has been developed in the last few decades.

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The Turkish Angora, which was brought to Canada in 1963, was accepted as a championship pedigreed breed in 1973 by the Cat Fanciers’ Association. However, until 1978 only white Angoras were recognized.

Today, all North American registries accept the Turkish Angora in many colors and patterns.

Turkish Angoras are an excellent choice for families with young children, and lively companions for senior adults.

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They seek to be “helpful” in any way they can with their humans, and their intelligence is at times remarkable, showing basic problem solving skills. They are easily trained, including deaf Turkish Angoras, both because of their intelligence and their desire to interact with humans.

A younger Turkish Angora can often be mistaken for a snow weasel.

The Turkish Angora cat price can come as something of a shock to first-time owners of this unusual breed. The price range for this exotic kitty starts around $800 and can easily finish up at $3,000 or more!