How to Identify a Turkish Angora cat

Turkish Angora cats originated in Turkey, particularly in the Ankara region. They were imported to England in about 1955. The region they come from is rather snowy and probably gives the predominant white color to the cats due to natural selection. The Turkish Angora cats are not officially recognized in Great Britain as a separate breed. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Examine the fur. Angoras have soft fine silky fur. There is no undercoat present. In the summer, they almost resemble a shorthair cat but with the onset of winter, their coat rapidly thickens.

2. Look at the body. They are a bit longer in body than the typical Persian is, but graceful.

3. Evaluate the head. Angoras have a medium size head with a nose that tapers towards the chin.

4. Look into the eyes of the cat. Angoras have blue or amber eyes, a few have mixed eyes. The blue-eyed variety may often be deaf. Their eyes are almond shaped.

5. Feel the tail. The tail is long and tapered. The fur is full and will often be held back over the body when in motion. The tip will almost touch the head.

6. Examine the ears. The Angora's ears are large and pointed with fur tufts on the ends.

Tips & Warnings

• They are very well behaved and affectionate. They are intelligent and often will sit motionless, giving the appearance of the Sphinx.

Resources

• Website of the Cat Fanciers' Federation
• The International Cat Association Homepage

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on 5/27/2009 If you go to the CFA, or Cat Fancier's Association website, which is www.cfainc.org you will see that this information is incomplete in some areas. They are not just a white cat. They are recognized in every color/pattern except colors that are indicative of hybridization, IE chocolate