Turkish Angora Cats

A bright white turkish anGora with green eyes

A white anGora kitten with beautiful blue eyes

History

The Turkish Angora is a very old breed that developed without human interference. The breed is thought to have developed in the Ankara region of Turkey - formerly known as Angora. There are records of Turkish cats of this type appearing in Britain in the 14th century during the Crusades. It has even been suggested that they arrived in the 10th century with the Danish vikings. Another story says they arrived via Egyptian traders. Whatever the origin, the Turkish Angora was a distinct breed and popular in Europe by the start of the 17th century.

Turkey's Ankara Zoo began a breeding program in the early 20th century to preserve the breed. Specimens were taken to Canada in 1963, and it was accepted as a championship breed in 1973 by the Cat Fanciers Association. Originally, only white varieties were accepted Turkish Angoras, but now there are many different colors accepted as being Turkish Angoras.

Behaviour

Turkish Angoras are very active, athletic and intelligent. They love to climb to a high vantage point to observe their surroundings. Fond of human company, they often form a strong bond with one particular person, and will constantly seek the attention of this chosen person.

This breed is good for training, being very intelligent, and in tests they have proved to possess basic problem-solving skills. Despite their active natures, Turkish Angoras also love to cuddle up on the sofa and be stroked.