Turkish Angora
Discover the ancient Turkish Angora cat, its history, distinct appearance, health risks like deafness, and the genetic differences from American lines.
The Turkish Angora is an ancient, natural breed from central Anatolia known for a silky coat, slender body, and a history of being prized for its white and odd-eyed variants, though modern genetics reveal a complex split between the American show cat and the sturdier Turkish population. The breed's identity is complicated by a century of confusion with the Persian cat, a 20th-century breeding program that narrowed the gene pool, and recent DNA studies showing that the American "purebred" is genetically distinct from the true Ankara cat.
History and the Persian confusion
Longhaired cats from Asia Minor, Persia, and Russia were imported to Britain and France as early as the late 16th century, with the breed recognized as distinct in Europe by the 17th century. For a long time, the distinction between the Angora and the Persian was so fine that prominent writers like Charles Catton in 1788 treated them as the same breed, and Frances Simpson in 1903 noted that the Angora seemed to have disappeared from shows entirely. The modern 20th-century Angora was often used to improve the Persian coat, yet the two types have always diverged, especially as the Persian evolved into the increasingly flat-faced show cat of recent decades.
The Atatürk preservation program
In the early 20th century, the Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo in Ankara launched a breeding program specifically to protect pure white Angoras, prioritizing the odd-eyed specimens. This program was strictly focused on colour, with no other criteria applied, which created a specific lineage that was later exported. The breed was brought to Canada in 1963 and accepted as a championship pedigreed breed by the Cat Fanciers' Association in 1973, though until 1978 only white Angoras were recognized in North America. Today, registries accept the breed in many colours and patterns, but the gene pool remains relatively small compared to other breeds.
Appearance and breed standards
The Turkish Angora possesses a long, muscular body covered in a silky coat, with a head that is small to medium in size and forms a smooth wedge. The eyes are large and almond-shaped, capable of being blue, green, amber, yellow, or heterochromatic (odd-eyed), while the ears are pointed, large, and wide-set. The profile forms two straight planes, and the plumed tail is often carried upright, perpendicular to the back. While the breed is famous for its shimmery white coat, it can display a variety of colours, with the only disallowed coats being chocolate, lavender, or colourpoint.
Genetic reality and the "true" Angora
Breeders in Turkey argue that the fine-boned, show-cat version of the breed is unrepresentative of the true Turkish cats, which are much sturdier. Genetic studies have confirmed that American Turkish Angoras and those imported from Turkey are resolved as separate breed populations, with the American line showing minimal remnant of the original Atatürk Forest Farm DNA. One study grouped the American Turkish Angora with the Egyptian Mau and Tunisian random-bred cats, while the true Turkish random-bred cats grouped with Israeli populations, and the Turkish Van with Egyptian cats. Essentially, the American "purebred" is largely a descendant of European random-bred cats, while the cats imported from Turkey belong to an Eastern Mediterranean group.
Health and behavioural traits
Turkish Angoras are playful, intelligent, and athletic, often bonding with a specific family member whom they are very protective of. However, the gene responsible for the white coat and blue eyes can cause deafness, a known risk in the breed. There have also been reports of kittens suffering from ataxia and adult cats developing hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. While they are generally robust, the combination of their athletic nature and specific genetic traits means owners should be vigilant about hearing tests and cardiac screening.
Why the name matters
Outside the United States, the breed is usually referred to simply as the Angora or Ankara cat, a distinction that matters when discussing the animal's origins. The confusion is compounded by the existence of the Angora rabbit, a completely different species bred for its wool, which originated in the same region but has no genetic link to the cat. The cat is an ancient natural breed, not a man-made creation, and its history is a testament to the specific environmental pressures of central Anatolia rather than the selective breeding for extreme features seen in many modern show cats.