ELEGANT, ETHEREAL, REGAL, STATUESQUE, STRONG and OPINIONATED are
the words perhaps most descriptive of this ancient and oftentimes
controversial breed. Most previous accounts of the Turkish Angora
have focused on history and legend. Although these stories are
interesting and often inspiring, this time we will focus on the
cats as they are today: being bred, shown and living with us as our
pets.
Elegant - oh yes! When a lithe Turkish Angora sits up tall, on its
long, fine-boned legs, a silken sheen of gossamer fur dripping from
its slender, graceful neck, with its delicately pointed face and
large, expressive almond eyes (looking down on us commoners, mind
you) and a crown of large, pointed, tufted ears set high atop its
head, it is no wonder that the Turkish people and our breeders are
so enthralled with and protective of this regal creature. It is a
great shame that most people, including our judges, do not see the
Angora in motion. It is then that it appears most beautiful; like a
great thoroughbred horse, it literally floats through space with
its ears held high, its slender, finely muscled, long body followed
by a long, erect tail with a silky banner of a plume streaming out
behind it.
The Turkish Angora is thought by many people to be the original
longhaired cat. Ankara, formerly Angora, is known as the home of
several types of animals with silky, delicately textured, long
coats. The goats and rabbits still provide fur for the creation of
the beautiful angora knits manufactured today. Turkish Angoras
still roam the villages and countryside of Turkey, virtually
unchanged through many centuries. The character that has led to
their survival is strongly instinctual and extremely intelligent.
Today, they are adapting well to living with people, instead of
living free, but they still maintain their own, strong personality
traits. Anyone who has ever owned a Turkish Angora or shown one, is
very aware of that fact. These cats will reward you with exuberant
affection and they love to show off, but once an Angora makes up
its mind about something, not even the most clever of us can change
it. Perhaps one of the best Turkish words to summarize the breed is
"yaman:" strong, smart and capable. They do everything with skill
and agility, from leaping to the top of your kitchen cabinets, to
watching you while you work, to finding ingenious ways of eluding
you when it's time for their bath. They are fantastic breeders,
both male and female, having healthy, robust kittens with little
difficulty and much enjoyment during both the courtship and the
raising of their litters.
The Turkish Angora has an unquenchable thirst for play. They love
to race through the house chasing imaginary prey. Their long
slender bodies and legs, having evolved for the hunt, have the need
for the continued chase at home. They can be found in the most
unlikely places - making the open door of your closet swing to and
fro while sitting on it or playing hockey in the bathtub, with a
bottle cap for the puck, in the middle of the night. Fortunately,
the silky coat of the Angora is single, which means that it has no
undercoat, creating an almost care-free, longhaired cat. This is
great for the cat, as well as the owner, for then it has more time
to devote to "helping" around the house. An Angora feels it
mandatory to be involved in every aspect of your home and life. It
will love you with a profound devotion and refuse to accept any
less in return. You will find your Angora interested in everything
that you do. Whether you are working at your computer or cleaning
your bathroom, your Angora feels it must be present to supervise
the proceedings. You know it means well, even if it is not always
welcome. Please don't tell it so, however. You may hurt its
feelings.
