Turkish Angora cats

Turkish Angora cats ideal weight and nutrition

Female Turkish Angora cats weigh 8-12 pounds (4-5.5 kg) and male Turkish Angora cats weight more than 12 pounds. The average suggested daily food intake is 70 grams of dry food for females, meaning 300kcal/day while males require 100 grams of dry food, meaning 400 kcal/day. This of course varies as per the cat's weight and lifestyle.

In order to maintain their silky fur, as well as their good energy levels and be protected against obesity, Turkish Angora cats should follow a well balanced nutrition. In the market there are available cat meals that provide the essential vitamins and minerals to nourish their skin and coat and help promote the renewal of the hair shaft. Most of them include a combination of different types of fibers that encourages intestinal transit and helps to facilitate the elimination of swallowed hair. In addition they fortify their immune system, while they boost their energy levels and protect them against obesity.

Turkish Angora kittens care

When you introduce Turkish Angora kittens to your home let them find their own way out of the basket and allow them to explore one room at a time. Make sure that all doors and windows are shut, to prevent the Angora kittens from escaping.

Kittens are very often frightened by children or other pets that are new to them. Children should therefore be recommended to be quiet and wait for the Angora kitten to adopt to the new environment, while other animals should be introduced later, gradually and one at a time. Remember that adult cats might attack to the baby cat, since they confront it as a competitor and therefore as an enemy.

Talk to your Angora kitten and encourage it to play with a toy but do not overwhelm it with extreme attention.

Kittens need warmth. If there is not some form of heating in the room for your Turkish Angora kittens, buy a heated bed from a pet shop.

Turkish Angora cats grooming

Although long-haired cats require regular grooming, the silky texture of the Turkish Angora cats coat makes grooming process relatively easier. Tangles are not such a big problem as the silky texture limits their formation. Therefore Turkish Angora cats should be brushed one to two times a week. Use a brush with wire bristles on the one side to remove any tangles and with soft bristles on the other side to remove any remaining fuzz. Make sure that the brush has a satisfying grip, actually I prefer those with elastic grips. Work through their fur from head to tail to remove dead and loose hair and be extra-gentle near her chest and belly to avoid injuring your  Angora cat.

However, be aware that Turkish Angora cats coat sheds considerably during the seasonal change. Extra brushing is beneficial at this time to remove as much loose hair as possible before your cat swallows it and develop hairballs.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are parasites that live in the small intestine of cats. They will cause severe diarrhea, poor or extreme appetite, avitaminosis, lethargy, coughing and abdominal distention to your cat.

To find out more, check our tapeworm treatment guide.

Hair ball

When a cat grooms itself by licking its own fur, it will swallow some of its own hair. Most of the hair passes all the way through the digestive tract with no problems. But if some hair stays in the stomach, it can form a hair ball.

To find out more, check our hair ball treatment guide.

Fleas

Even clean cats can pick up fleas, especially during the summer months. They get fleas through the contact with infested pets or through the contact with fleas in the environment (e.g. from an infected bedding).

To find out more, check our flea treatment guide.

Turkish Angora cats care

You should clean their ears once a week to keep them clean and prevent infections. Consult your vet on choosing the proper cat ear cleaning solution and use it to remove the excess of wax, debris and dead tissues.

Their teeth should be checked periodically and brushed with a special wipe to prevent teeth and gum diseases. In the market there are also a lot of cat toys, specially designed to remove food wastes and prevent teeth irritation.

A litter tray must be available at all times and kept in the same place. Solid matter and wet lumps should be removed from the tray frequently and the litter renewed when necessary. The tray should be washed and disinfected frequently. Rinse thoroughly after disinfecting and allow drying before use. Turkish Angora cats are very fussy and will not use a dirty tray.

Never give Turkish Angora cats any drugs that have not been prescribed for it; many human drugs are poisonous to cats. Seek veterinary advice immediately if you suspect any form of poisoning.

Make sure that toys or parts of them cannot be swallowed. Plastic bags and rubber bands can be extremely dangerous, since they do not show up on an X-ray.

Turkish Angora cats health and lifespan

Turkish Angora cats usually live 15 years or more. They are generally healthy cats, however they save one genetic tendency. White Angoras with blue eyes are often deaf and those with one blue eye are often deaf on the side of the blue eye.

Turkish Angora cats history

The ancestors of Turkish Angora cats derive from the mountainous regions of Turkey, where they developed an unusually soft, medium-long coat for protection against the harsh winters. The breed most probably evolved from the Manul cat, a small feline domesticated by the Tartars.

Angora cats were imported in Europe during the 16th-century, as the Turkish sultans used to send them as gifts to the English and French Nobles. However, in the early 1900s they discriminated from the Persian cats and got abolished from all breeding programs.

Luckily, controlled breeding programs had been set up in Turkey to preserve the breed and in the 1950s Turkish Angora cats were re-introduced to the cat fancy.

Although the first import on record arrived in the US in 1954, it was not until the mid-1960s that the breed became numerous enough to seek recognition from the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA). White Turkish Angora cats were accepted for registration in 1968, for Provisional Breed competition in 1970 and for Champion-ship competition in 1972. However, it took another couple of years before colored Turkish Angora cats were permitted to compete in Championship with their all-white siblings.

Turkish Angora cats personality

Extremely affectionate and devoted, Turkish Angora cats tend to bond with one beloved person rather than the whole family. They will show affection to others, too, but only their favorite one will earn their full love and devotion. This is why Turkish Angora cats are particularly good companions for people living alone. Once they bond with their special one, they become devoted companions, giving unconditional loyalty and love. If their favorite human had a terrible day, if he is down with the flu, his Angora will be there to cheer him up or nurse him with purr massages. They are so intuitive that they know when something’s wrong with their beloved ones.

Active is another word commonly used to describe Turkish Angora cats. The whole world is a game for them. However, their favorite toys are rodents, real of fake ones. They will toss them, pounce on them and hide them in secret places. Angoras will climb on cupboards, rush around the house knocking over anything in their way and rest on the highest shelf of the house.

Like Turkish Van cats, some Turkish Angora cats are fascinated by water and might even join their favorite person in the shower or tub.

Turkish Angora cats need lots of attention and get depressed if left alone for long periods. This is why people who spend most of the day away or have to travel a lot, should get another Angora to keep her company.

Turkish Angora cats, finally, are very intelligent and can easily be trained to do as they’re told. They can figure out how to open a door, a drawer or even a purse. They might even fool humans, especially when they are not reluctant to obey their orders. For instance, if they are not willing to give up their favorite toy, they will hide it and then act innocent for as long as it takes.

Turkish Angora cats breed standards

According to the Fédération Internationale Féline, Turkish Angora cats are very well proportioned in all aspects. Graceful and lithe, they give the impression of grace and flowing motion.

Their head is small to medium sized, wedge shaped, wide at the top and tapering slightly towards the chin. There should be no pronounced whisker pads or pinch in their muzzle. Their profile consists of two planes (nose line and flat top of head) that meet at a soft angle above the eyes.

Their nose is of medium length, almost straight, meaning very gently curved. No stop or break is allowed.

Their chins is gently rounded, with the tip forming a perpendicular line with the nose and their jaw is tapered.

Their ears are large and pointed, well furnished and tufted. They are wide at base and set high on the head and close to each other, vertical and erect.

The Turkish Angora cats possess almond shaped eyes, slanting slightly upwards. All color varieties are permitted.

Their neck is of medium length, slender and graceful.

Their body is finely boned but muscular. They possess a light framed chest, a slender torso, while the overall appearance is graceful and lithe. Their hind part is slightly higher than the front and their shoulders width is the same as the hips'.

Their legs are long, with the hind ones being higher than the front ones. Their paws are small, round and dainty, with tufts between the toes.

Their tail is long and tapering, wide at the base and narrow at the end. It is definitely well furnished.

As for the fur, this is consisted of a single body coat of medium length, meaning there is no undercoat. It has a very fine structure and shows a silk-like sheen. Finally it is slightly wavy on the belly and long at the frill and the tail.

All color varieties are permitted, including color varieties with white. The only exception concerns the pointed patterns with chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn.

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