Turkish Angora

Turkish Angora
White Turkish Angora cat with "odd eyes".
Alternative names	Ankara
Origin	Turkey
Breed standards
TICA	standard
FIFe	standard
CFA	standard
CCA	standard
ACFA/CAA	standard
Domestic cat (Felis catus)

The Turkish Angora (Turkish: Ankara kedisi, 'Ankara cat') is a breed of domestic cat. Turkish Angoras are one of the ancient, natural breeds of cat, having originated in central Turkey, in the Ankara region (historically known as Angora). The breed has been documented as early as the 1600s and is believed to be the origin of the mutations for both the coloration white (the dominant white gene is in truth the absence of color) and long hair. The breed is also sometimes referred to as simply the Angora or Ankara cat.

History

Like all domestic cats, Turkish Angoras descended from the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica). The Fertile Crescent was a place where cats were first domesticated. Cats from eastern mountainous regions of early Anatolia and through inbreeding and natural selection, developed into longhaired breeds like the Turkish Van and the Turkish Angora.^[1]

Longhaired cats were imported to Britain and France from Asia Minor, Persia and Russia as early as the late 16th century, though there are indications that they appeared in Europe as early as the 14th century due to the Crusades^{[citation needed]} . The Turkish Angora was used, almost to the point of extinction, to improve the coat on the Persian. The Turkish Angora was recognized as a distinct breed in Europe by the 17th century.^[2]

Angoras and Persians seem connected. The Persian cat was developed from Turkish angora mutations by British and American cat fanciers. Although some cat associations think the Persian cat is a natural breed, in the 19th century Persians and Angoras were identical. In 1903, F. Simpson wrote in her book The Book Of The Cat:^[3]

"In classing all long-haired cats as Persians I may be wrong, but the distinctions, apparently with hardly any difference, between Angoras and Persians are of so fine a nature that I must be pardoned if I ignore the class of cat commonly called Angora, which seems gradually to have disappeared from our midst. Certainly, at our large shows there is no special classification given for Angoras, and in response to many inquiries from animal fanciers I have never been able to obtain any definite information as to the difference between a Persian and an Angora cat."

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

In the early 20th century, the Ankara Zoo, began a meticulous breeding program to protect and preserve what they considered a national treasure: pure white Turkish Angoras.^[4] The zoo particularly prized odd-eyed Angoras (i.e., Turkish Angoras with one blue eye and one amber eye), however the cats were chosen only by their color (white)—no other criterion was used. Despite the lack of selective breeding and no consideration given for the deafness problem, Ankara Zoo cats have a very similar type.

The Turkish Angora, which was brought to Canada in 1963, was accepted as a championship pedigreed breed in 1973 by the Cat Fanciers' Association.^[5] However, until 1978 only white Angoras were recognized. Today, all North American registries accept the Turkish Angora in many colors and patterns. While numbers are still relatively small, the gene pool and base of fanciers are growing.

"Breeders in Turkey feel that the cat fancy’s fine-boned version of their national breed is unrepresentative of the true Turkish cats, which are much sturdier. American “Turkish” Angoras may have only a minimal remnant of the original Ankara Zoo DNA and are only “purebred on paper".^[6]

Appearance

Turkish Angora cats have a silky tail, medium-long length coat, no undercoat and a balanced body type. Though known for a shimmery white coat, Turkish angora cats can have one of more than twenty colors including black, "blue", and reddish fur. They come in tabby and tabby-white, along with smoke varieties, and are in every color other than those that indicate hybridization (cross breeding), such as pointed, chocolate, lavender, and cinnamon.

Eyes may be blue, green, amber, yellow, or odd-eyed (e.g., one blue and one amber or green). Ears are pointed, large and wide-set. The eyes are almond shaped and the profile forms two straight planes. The plumed tail is often carried upright, perpendicular to the back.

Behavior

Turkish Angora cats are active, intelligent, athletic and involved. They bond with humans, but often select a particular member of the family to be their constant companion. 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.

Turkish angoras are energetic, and often seek out "high ground" in the home, including tops of doors, bookshelves, and other furniture. Some ride on their owners' shoulders. Their personality makes the breed desirable to certain people. They get along well in homes with other animals, children, and high activity.

Health

The W gene responsible for the white coat and blue eye is closely related to the hearing ability, in this and other breeds, and presence of a blue eye can indicate the cat is deaf to the side the blue eye is located, with some being totally deaf if bearing two blue eyes. However, a great many blue and odd-eyed white cats have normal hearing, and even deaf cats lead a normal life if kept indoors.

Some Turkish Angora kittens suffer from hereditary ataxia, a rare condition thought to be inherited as an autosomal recessive.^[7] The kittens affected by ataxia have shaking movements, and do not survive to adulthood.

Another genetic illness that is rare but known to the breed is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy,^[8] which is a cardiac condition usually found between the ages of 2 - 6, with males being affected more commonly and more severely than females. In the Maine Coon, HCM is thought to be an autosomal dominant gene and researchers are working to identify markers for this disease. However, in the Turkish Angora, the disease has not yet been studied at length primarily due to its rarity of occurrence, and is likely to result from a different mutation of genes, with a different gene location than that of the Maine Coon cat. HCM also affects many other breeds, including Ragdolls, Persians and Bengals.

Clarification: The above health concerns do not apply to Ankara Zoo Turkish Angoras or their descendants because no data is available for such cats.

Genetics

A genetic study of pedigree cat breeds (using DNA taken from pedigreed cats in US and Europe) and worldwide random-bred populations showed the Turkish Van as a distinct population from the Turkish Angora despite their geographical association. The Turkish Angora was grouped with the pedigreed Egyptian Mau and random-bred Tunisian cats. Turkish random-bred cats were grouped with Israeli random-bred cats while the Turkish Van was grouped with Egyptian random-bred cats.^[9] However, the UC Davis only studied American cat fancy registered Angoras rather than the “true” Turkish Angora or Ankara Kedisi directly from Turkey, and especially from the Ankara Zoo.^[6]

The latest genetic study^[10] included a few cats imported from Turkey. The study confirmed that ″Turkish- versus USA-originating Turkish Angoras (...) are resolved as separate breed populations^[10] The American Turkish Angoras are categorized as descendants of European random-bred cats, and cats imported from Turkey ″were assigned to the Eastern Mediterranean″ group.^[10]

In popular culture

• The James Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld has a white Angora cat.
• In the film The Crow the cat (named Gabriel) that is owned by Eric Draven played by Brandon Lee is a white Angora
• Duchess (voiced by Eva Gabor), the mother of three kittens and main protagonist of The Aristocats, looks like a Turkish Angora, as does her daughter Marie.
• Mewsette (voiced by Judy Garland), the protagonist of the 1962 film Gay Purr-ee, is a Turkish Angora.
• In SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron, the character Ann Gora's name is a pun on the breed's name.
• Felicity, a character in the novel and film Felidae, was a Turkish Angora.
• Sonja, Heathcliff's girlfriend from the comic strip by George Gately and both the 1980 and 1984 televised cartoon series, appears to be one.
• Pretty Kitty, a cat from the Bad Kitty series, is a well-groomed Turkish Angora.
• Sawyer (voiced by Jasmine Guy), the love interest of the 1997 film Cats Don't Dance.
• Miss Kitty (voiced by Amy Irving), one of the characters in An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.
• MidnightBSD is named after programmers' Angora.

References

External links

• The Turkish Angora Cat Association, Ankara, Turkey

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turkish Angora.

• The Real Turkish Angora
• Turkish Angora Fanciers International
• The Cat Fanciers' Association: Breed description - Turkish Angora
• Fanciers: Turkish Angora
• Catster: Turkish Angora Cats
• Longhaired Cats

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