Angora Cat: History Of The Breed's Origin, Appearance And Photos, Features Of Character And Care Of The Cat, Reviews Of The Owners

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-17 22:26

Angora cat: aristocrat with character

The white and fluffy Angora cat fascinates at first sight with its beauty and aristocracy. But for at least five centuries of existence, this breed has a very difficult history. Hence, probably, the bright and strong character that the Turkish Angora is endowed with.

Content

• 1 History of the origin of the Angora cat

  • 1.1 Angora from Ankara
  • 1.2 From Europe to America

  • 1.3 Zigzags of popularity

    • 1.3.1 Photo Gallery: Turkish Angora Coins
    • 1.3.2 Video: History of the Turkish Angora

• 2 Features of the breed

  • 2.1 Photo gallery: Angora colors

  • 2.2 External data

    2.2.1 Video: Angora cats - white and not so

  • 2.3 Character and behavior

    • 1 Video: Angora cats are never too many
    • 2.3.2 Video: warm-up before the real hunt

  • 2.4 The cat and his environment

    2.4.1 Video: Angora cat in its historical homeland

  • 2.5 Disadvantages of the breed

    • 2.5.1 Disease Propensity
    • 2.5.2 Disqualifying faults

• 3 How to choose a kitten

  3.1 Selection criteria

• 4 How to care for an angora cat

  • 4.1 Hygiene
  • 4.2 Feeding
  • 4.3 Toilet

• 5 Breeding work

  • 5.1 Nuances of breed breeding
  • 5.2 Sterilization issues
• 6 Owner reviews

History of the origin of the Angora cat

A white cat with an incredibly fluffy tail and a truly aristocratic posture is the Turkish Angora, the national pride of Turkey and the favorite of many owners, probably in all countries of the world.

This is what she is, the Angora cat - the pride and national treasure of Turkey

Angora from Ankara

The history of the breed began a long time ago in a small Turkish settlement, in the place of which the beautiful Ankara then grew (by the way, at first its name sounded like "Angora") - the capital of modern Turkey. The beautiful cats that have taken root here attracted the attention of the high nobility and soon settled in the palaces of the sultans. It is said that they were so revered that they could freely enter even the holy of holies - the mosque.

Unlike dogs, Muslims consider cats to be pure animals and sometimes enjoy very high honors. According to legend, on the knees of the Prophet Muhammad himself during sermons, his snow-white fluffy pet Muezza with eyes of different colors often lay - it is quite possible that it was an Angora cat.

According to legend, this or something like this looked like the beloved cat of the Prophet Muhammad

From Europe to America

The value of the Sultan's cat was very high, it was possible to take it out of Turkey only with the highest permission or as a gift - the royal beauties were presented as a gift only to the most respected guests. So the first representatives of the breed ended up in medieval Europe and in Russia - this happened, as is commonly believed, in the sixteenth century. Then cats began to be brought to our region as trophies - during the Russian-Turkish wars.

There is information that the great Russian Empress Catherine II also received such a living gift. And in many European countries, Angoras came to the court - in the literal sense of the word. Aristocratic wayward "princesses" settled for a long time at the court of the kings of France. And the legendary Cardinal de Richelieu became one of the first breeders of the breed.

Enterprising Americans adopted the Angora standard in 1978, allowing for its variable colors. Only nine years later the same official step was taken by European felinologists.

Zigzags of popularity

The popularity of the Angora grew until the end of the nineteenth century, and then an event occurred because of which the breed was almost lost. In 1887, the British Society of Cat Fanciers issued a strange decree ordering all longhaired cats to be Persian. Breeders began to actively cross Persians with Angoras, thereby destroying their valuable gene pool.

And only when the angora was almost on the verge of extinction, the felinologists woke up. The alarm was sounded in her homeland, Turkey. At the beginning of the last century, the breed was declared a national treasure here, and the Ankara Zoo launched a large program for the conservation and breeding of the white Turkish Angora. Since then, the Ottoman Empire went through hard times and eventually collapsed, but the national Angora cat program has been working for over a hundred years and, I must say, very effectively.

In Turkey, Angora cats are traditionally bred only in white color.

The Turks consolidated their love and respect for the Angora cat in monetary terms. Since 2015, a coin with the image of a seated Angora has been put into circulation. However, in other countries, similar collectible coins were issued, which are in great demand among collectors-numismatists.

Photo gallery: coins depicting the Turkish Angora

This one lira coin was issued in Turkey in 2015

A pair of Turkish Angora depicted on the Isle of Man coin (one crown, 2011)

A realistic portrait of an odd-eyed angora is placed on a coin of the Pacific power of Vanuatu (five watu, 2015)

Video: the history of the Turkish Angora

Features of the breed

There are several traditionally formed breed lines that have some external differences, which, however, do not contradict the standard. For example, Angora cats of Russian breeding are distinguished by the fact that they have warm fluffy pants and a collar - thus, for many years of living in our latitudes, they managed to adapt to frosty winters.

Angora cat is a real work of art

But the cats of the American lines are dressed in more uniform fur coats with a uniform along the length of the coat. Some felinologists take a conservative approach to the development of the breed, perceiving as a standard only the status of Turkish white Angoras. But the international standard nevertheless went further and officially approved many breeding experiments, primarily in terms of the variety of colors of the Angora cat:

• Black - with a solid color of the coat, black skin and paw pads. Any overflow of color or stains are not allowed.
• Blue - is characterized by a bright uniform color of the coat. The nose and pads are blue.
• Beige is a solid color cream.
• Red is a bright, deep red color without ticking, pattern.
• Smoky shades - black, blue.
• Tabby - marbled, patchwork, mackerel, red, brown, cream, etc. Characterized by a pattern of stripes and rings with the letter "M" on the forehead.
• Calico is a multicolored color in which white predominates.

Photo gallery: colors of angora

White Turkish Angora is a wonderful classic of the breed

There are a great variety of color options bicolor

Color "blue smoke" - one of the most expensive in colored angoras

Calico tricolor cats look very impressive

Delicate shades of peach and beige are in harmony with silk wool

Silvery colors in various variations are popular in America

"Red marble" - the color for angora is quite rare

The "wild" tabby color perfectly reveals the essence of the hunter angora

Each Angora "turtle" is one of a kind

Black color gives angora mysticism and mystery

External data

The Angora cat is endowed with a very proportional and elegant physique. She has medium size and almost ideal proportions, which, with well-developed muscles, allows her to move plastically and beautifully, jump easily. Everything in it is harmonious: high graceful paws, a long saber-shaped tail, and a perfectly shaped head.

The luxurious tail is the pride of the Angora cat

Attention is drawn to the large, high set ears with pointed tips. Large, expressive, slanting oriental eyes can have all shades of yellow, blue and green. Quite often, odd-eyed cats are found in the breed, which is not only allowed, but also welcomed, because it adds a special charm to the angora.

Different eye colors are welcome in the Turkish Angora

The breed standard classifies this cat as semi-longhaired. The unique wool of angora flows like silk - it is silky to the touch, you can iron it endlessly.

Video: Angora cats - white and not so

Character and behavior

The outward splendor of the Angora cat is harmoniously combined with intelligence and good manners - this is perfection itself. But beautiful Turkish women have a strong and sometimes very capricious character, which should be taken into account.

Angora cats bring comfort and well-being to the house

Cats of this breed have great affection for their owners - they are very affectionate and gentle with them. However, such touching feelings also have a "downside": angora can be unusually jealous and suppress any manifestations of attention to their loved one - both from other pets and from people.

Most often, angora demonstrates its character on the basis of jealousy.

Video: Angora cats can never be too many

Angoras love shelter, and in the game of hide and seek, they will certainly emerge victorious. These cats are extremely inquisitive: their favorite place in the house will be the window sill, from where it is convenient to watch what is happening in the big world. Take care of the observer's comfort and give her a comfortable, soft cushion. And even better - go for walks with her more often, this is useful for the physical condition of the pet and for her emotional balance.

Walking with the owner is a favorite exercise for an inquisitive angora

Video: warm-up before a real hunt

The cat and his environment

You should not start a Turkish Angora for people prone to allergies - the wool of this beauty can provoke an exacerbation of the disease. It is better to abandon this breed and those families in which there are small children - the Angora categorically will not tolerate a familiar attitude towards itself.

These cats will not be delighted with the frequent appearance of strangers in the house. Noisy merry companies are not to the liking of the Turkish Angora. It is unlikely, of course, that she will show aggression towards guests, but you should not expect her to purr on other people's knees - she is not that kind of girl. Angora distances herself from the guests, and then for some time she will take offense at you for inattention.

Angoras are affectionate, but not everyone allows themselves to be stroked

Video: Angora cat in its historical homeland

Disadvantages of the breed

In general, the Angora breed is distinguished by good health, many of its representatives live up to twenty years. But for this, it is necessary to create the right conditions for the animals - from diet to exercise.

Disease propensity

Blue-eyed white cats may have such an unpleasant genetic pathology as deafness. However, this problem is inherent not only in Angora, but in all white cats. Interestingly, odd-eyed Angoras often do not hear only on the ear, on the side of which the blue eye is located.

Deaf Angora adapts well to life with a person, but she should not participate in exhibitions and breeding

Another hereditary disease is ataxia. This neurological pathology is inherent in newborn kittens and is characterized by inconsistency in the coordination of movements due to functional disorders in the brain. Fortunately, such a genetic failure in angora has recently been extremely rare - breeders carefully monitor it across all breed lines and do not include cats at risk in breeding programs.

Since not all owners can provide their pets with the necessary physical activity, veterinarians are advised to monitor their diet to avoid obesity. Excess weight provokes many serious diseases in angora:

• diabetes;
• kidney disease;
• disorders of the cardiovascular system;
• problems of the musculoskeletal system.

Disqualifying vices

The expert can mark the abundance of undercoat not only as a defect, but even as a disqualifying defect - and remove the animal from the exhibition. The unpleasant list also includes:

• oriental constitution;
• non-standard color;
• kinks or kinks in the tail;
• cryptorchidism (undescended testicle into the scrotum);
• strabismus.

Strabismus is a disqualifying defect for angora

How to choose a kitten

Happy owners of Angora cats consider them to be ideal creatures and actively recommend this breed to everyone around them. But you have to make your choice.

About twenty years ago, my former classmate brought a white, odd-eyed kitten, a girl, from a vacation to the sea. Some of the holidaymakers came with a luxurious Angora cat, and he had a holiday romance with a local yard cat. Four fruits of love were born: sons - mom's copies, paw-daughters - all to dad. One of the white cats was taken by one of the staff, and the second remained ownerless. My friend took pity on her and took her away with her in order to put her in good hands in the city. For some reason, there were no good hands for the mongrel. Out of sheer curiosity, she says, the woman decided to take an unusual step. She showed the baby, keeping silent about her origin, at the local felinological club - they said that the kitten had the ideal proportions of the Turkish Angora, and offered to confirm the breed at the exhibition. There, the kitty received excellent marks from three experts, and soon a registered pedigree. After that, the cat, which no one wanted to take for nothing, was bought with documents and a title for a lot of money. Three or four times she then gave birth to kittens from very thoroughbred, of course, cats - and at least one brutal “yard” minke was always formed in the litter. The owners were surprised at this, discarded the strange kitten, and sold the rest for a good price. They say that the descendants of the charming half-breed to this day shine at exhibitions. The owners were surprised at this, discarded the strange kitten, and sold the rest for a good price. They say that the descendants of the charming half-breed to this day shine at exhibitions. The owners were surprised at this, discarded the strange kitten, and sold the rest for a good price. They say that the descendants of the charming half-breed to this day shine at exhibitions.

There are a lot of cats that look like angora cats today, and not always even an experienced specialist will be able to confirm their breed only in appearance. However, many owners with naive pride report how they found a cat in the garbage, washed it from the dirt, and it turned out to be a purebred Turkish Angora - lucky, of course. There are a lot of such stories on the Internet.

But still, you can only be sure of the purebredness of the kitten you are purchasing if you make a purchase under an agreement with a breeder in a reputable cattery and it is possible to track several tribes of your pet's pedigree. Serious breeders will never risk their good name for immediate gain.

Criterias of choice

First, decide what kind of pet you need and why. Not only the price of the issue, but also your lifestyle for the next twenty years will largely depend on this. A thoroughbred baby, even in a pet class, cannot cost less than a hundred dollars, and the price of especially promising individuals sometimes reaches several thousand.

Before choosing a kitten, be sure to look at its mother.

A queue of buyers for snow-white kittens is built several months before the next litter is born. Each has only three or four babies, so the price for them cannot be low. The main thing is that the kitten is healthy and does not inherit deafness. In this matter, studying the documents of the parents can help, where this disease will certainly be indicated.

A thoroughbred kitten must have documents. He must have a veterinary passport, as well as a ready-made pedigree or a special card, according to which it can be written out.

How to care for an angora cat

The problems with the coat, which Angora cat owners often complain about, are due to the low breed quality of their pets. The wool of a real Turkish Angora is unique in its properties. It is light, flowing and has unique dirt-repellent properties - it practically does not get dirty. And the absence of undercoat will save you from the need to constantly collect balls of fluff from clothes and all surfaces in the house.

Hygiene

High-quality wool makes it much easier for the owner to care for his pet. Its texture is such that it does not get confused at all and does not form tangles. It’s hard to believe, but combing it out is not necessary, except during molting periods.

During the molting period, the angora must be combed out with a slicker and furminator

Clean Angoras take excellent care of their fur coat themselves. So it is quite enough to wash it once every three months, and, of course, in preparation for exhibitions.

Most Angora cats tolerate frequent bathing patiently.

As with all breeds, the Angora requires regular eye, ear and dental care, and clipping as needed.

Feeding

The Angora cat's appetite is excellent, and if you limit its natural activity, then the animal may have problems with being overweight. Therefore, the diet should be selected individually - depending on what kind of physical activity she receives. For compiling a balanced menu, ready-made feeds are, of course, convenient.

For cats that travel and exhibit a lot, quality balanced food is a convenient nutritional option

Adepts of natural nutrition will have a little more difficulty - only professionals can independently build the correct diet for an angora cat. And food from the master's table for this pet is by no means the best solution to the problem.

Despite their aristocratic nature, most Angora cats are absolutely not capricious in their food. They love natural and willingly consume it in any quantity. But a caring owner must know that not all products in the refrigerator are useful for his pet. So what can you do:

• lean meat (beef, lamb, poultry);
• boiled sea fish (river fish is undesirable due to the abundance of small bones);
• raw or stewed vegetables and fruits - as desired and possible;
• fermented milk products (cottage cheese, unsweetened yogurt, kefir);
• well-boiled porridge - in small quantities;
• eggs (quail is preferable).

What is not allowed:

• any confectionery and other sweets;
• fresh baked goods;
• legumes;
• fatty, smoked and spicy foods;
• citrus fruits, grapes and exotic fruits.

Restroom

Angora shows high intelligence and aristocratic manners in all moments of his life, including in such a delicate matter as using the toilet. Kittens are usually accustomed to the litter box during the period of maternal upbringing and use it unmistakably at the age of one and a half months.

Choose a closed-type tray for the Angora cat, or at least with high sides, so that the emotional animal, with excitement rummaging in the filler, does not then carry it around the house. Try to decide as soon as possible the type of litter that is right for your pet - usually cats “choose” it themselves.

Tribal work

Breeding work with the Angora breed is interesting and very grateful - felinologists thus not only increase the livestock of purebred Angora, which, unfortunately, have recently become a rarity, but also achieve very bright breed individuals. Needless to say, only professionals who are well aware of the nature and genetics of these oriental beauties should engage in breeding.

Fertile Angora can serve as a symbol of family happiness

Nuances of breed breeding

The swings in popularity of the Angora breed have eroded and weakened its gene pool. Uncontrolled and ill-considered breeding resulted in a large number of individuals that only outwardly resemble angora, but in fact are mestizo or even specimens far from the breed. Unfortunately, there are very few high-quality purebred animals suitable for breeding.

The choice of a parental pair is the most important stage of breeding.

A breeder, making up a parental pair, must determine in advance his priorities: whether he wants to get a classic pure-white offspring, or is he interested in experimenting with colored colors. In the first case, one should not forget that it is impossible to knit two blue-eyed white animals, even if everything is in order with their hearing - deafness may appear in their children. Non-hearing individuals are an unambiguous taboo for breeding.

Sterilization issues

Standing up for the purity and health of the breed, breeders try to prevent breeding of individuals that do not fully comply with the standard and can give poor-quality offspring. To this end, one of the conditions for selling pet-class kittens is usually their mandatory sterilization.

Angora is also sterilized either for health reasons, or with increased animal aggression - such cases are rare, but they occur. Throughout the history of the development of the breed, such manifestations were considered unacceptable, and the aggressors were immediately removed from the framework of breeding work.

Owner reviews

The Turkish Angora is a cat with a rich past, an interesting present and hopefully a bright future. This charismatic breed deserves special attention, respect and, of course, very great love.