Turkish Angora

The Turkish Angora is a cat that can't sit still and wants to know about everything. According to the CFA's breed profile, it is one of the most interactive and affectionate breeds: whatever you're doing, it will be right there to "help," and it greets you at the door when you get home. That's why it is sometimes called doglike. It can handle being home alone during the day, but expects attention when you come back.

Its best-known habit is a love of heights. The CFA notes that Turkish Angoras are more likely to be found on top of a cabinet than on the floor, so if you lose track of yours, look up. It is playful enough to try chasing a laser dot straight up a wall.

It enjoys physical contact, but according to PetMD's vet-reviewed profile, most don't like being held for long; a short cuddle is enough before it goes back to its own business. If there are other pets at home, it may want to be the one in charge. Intelligence varies a lot from cat to cat: the CFA says some are remarkably bright, while others can be scatterbrained enough to forget where the food bowl is.

The Turkish Angora suits households with time to play with and entertain their cat, and a willingness to give it access to high spots around the home. It may be too lively for someone looking for a calm, decorative cat.

If you have a white, deaf Turkish Angora, teach children not to startle it by approaching from behind. Tapping the floor lightly or flicking a light on and off lets a deaf cat know you're coming.

The Turkish Angora is an old, naturally occurring breed from the area around Ankara, the city that gave it its name. The CFA describes it as the oldest known longhaired breed and a likely ancestor of other longhaired breeds. Its written history goes back to the 1600s, when cats were taken from the Middle East to Europe, and it is said to have been especially popular in France. A large 2008 genetic study also found that the Turkish Angora and Turkish Van are two distinct breeds, and that most breeds descend from the local cats of the regions they're said to come from.

As cat shows took off in England, Turkish Angoras were bred so heavily with Persians that the breed nearly disappeared in Europe. According to the CFA, Türkiye responded by starting preservation breeding at zoos, especially the Ankara Zoo, where only white cats were considered "true" Angoras. Sources give different start dates for the program: the CFA mentions the 1930s, while PetMD mentions 1962. The first Turkish Angoras reached the United States in 1954.

There is academic work on the breed in Türkiye as well. A doctoral study looked at body measurements, coat, growth and reproduction in 103 cats at the Ankara Atatürk Forest Farm Zoo and 34 cats living in homes. According to a 2025 review, a center set up to protect, breed and promote the breed also operates in Ankara's Pursaklar district.

A medium-sized cat with a long body and fine bones, but firm muscles. According to the CFA standard, the head is a medium-long wedge, and the large, upright ears sit high and close together. The legs are long, with the hind legs slightly longer than the front ones. The tail is long and full, like a plume.

• Weight: PetMD puts adults at about 8–15 pounds (roughly 3.6–6.8 kg). In the doctoral study of cats at the Ankara Zoo, males averaged about 8.4 lb (3.8 kg), and females a little less.
• Coat: Single-layered, fine and silky with a sheen; longer on the tail and around the neck. PetMD says it gets shorter in summer and longer and fuller in winter.
• Colors: White is the best known in Türkiye. According to the CFA, almost every color and pattern is accepted today except chocolate, lilac and the Siamese-style pointed pattern: black, blue, red, cream, smoke, tabby, tortoiseshell, bicolor and more.
• Eye color: Blue, green, green-gold, amber or odd-eyed. The CFA notes that odd eyes (one blue, the other green or amber) are common and especially prized.

Even though it is a longhaired cat, it is considered easy to groom. According to the CFA, its single coat with no undercoat doesn't mat easily; combing two or three times a month is usually enough to manage shedding in younger cats, while older cats may need it more often. During shedding season, combing a few times a week cuts down the hair around your home and the hair your cat swallows.

• Climbing and vertical space: A cat tree, wall shelves and a high perch by the window aren't luxuries for this breed; they're needs. See our article on why cats love high places.
• Play: A few sessions a day with a wand toy, a ball or a food-hiding game. Our guide to playing with an indoor cat has ideas.
• Curious about water: The CFA says many are fascinated by dripping faucets and usually tolerate a bath well when one is needed. Still, bathe only when necessary.
• Sun: International Cat Care notes that white cats are more prone to sunburn and to skin cancer on the ear tips and nose. Don't leave a white cat in strong midday sun on a balcony for long, and show your vet any sore on the ear tip that won't heal.
• Ears, eyes and claws: Check weekly; ask your vet about any redness, odor or discharge.

Turkish Angoras don't need a special food; a complete, balanced cat food suited to their age is enough. Weight problems are less common in such an active breed, but cats that live indoors, play less or have been spayed or neutered can gain weight.

• Measure food instead of eyeballing it; decide the daily amount with your vet based on your cat's ideal weight.
• Serving part of the dry food in a puzzle feeder, or hiding it around the house, supports both hunting instincts and activity.
• Count treats as part of the daily food.
• Always have fresh water available; a water fountain can work well for this water-curious breed.

The CFA says the Turkish Angora isn't known for any specific inherited problems, and that the main concern is deafness in white cats. The information below is for awareness only; ask your vet about diagnosis and treatment.

White coat, blue eyes and congenital deafness

The dominant gene that produces a solid white coat in cats is called the "W gene." It affects how pigment cells develop in the skin and the inner ear, and because those inner-ear cells are needed for hearing, white cats carrying the W gene are more likely to be born deaf. According to a review by George Strain of Louisiana State University, the risk rises with the number of blue eyes: in older studies of mixed-breed white cats, 65–85% of cats with two blue eyes, about 40% with one blue eye and about 17–22% with no blue eyes were deaf in one or both ears. The same review lists the white Turkish Angora among breeds at risk. The Cornell Feline Health Center also notes that in most white cats with two blue eyes, inner-ear degeneration begins a few days after birth.

A 2019 UK study found congenital deafness in 30% of purebred white kittens, with higher rates in blue-eyed kittens. The same study points out that deafness in Turkish Angoras had been reported at about 11% from earlier records, but those figures weren't always based on hearing tests and may have missed cats deaf in one ear.

What does this mean in practice? In odd-eyed cats, deafness is often in the ear on the same side as the blue eye, and a cat deaf in one ear may seem perfectly normal day to day. The CFA advises breeding white cats to colored cats and notes that in some countries white kittens undergo a hearing test called BAER; the UK registry GCCF has required this test since 2016 for white cats to be used for breeding. Choosing a colored Turkish Angora removes the concern altogether.

A deaf cat can still live a long, happy life. Cornell recommends keeping deaf cats indoors or in a secure catio, since they can't hear dangers like traffic, and communicating with hand signals and vibration.

Blood type

Cats have A, B and AB blood types, and they are born with antibodies against the other type. In a 2003 study of 28 Turkish Angoras in Türkiye, 53.6% were type A and 46.4% type B, a high share of type B compared with many cat populations worldwide. The researchers recommend blood typing before transfusions and breeding: type A kittens born to a type B mother can have a serious reaction while nursing. It's a good idea to ask your vet about your cat's blood type and keep it on record.

We couldn't find a reliable lifespan study specific to the Turkish Angora; the large UK VetCompass study didn't look at the breed separately. In that study, mixed-breed cats had a life expectancy at birth of 11.89 years, and some cats lived past 20.

Whatever the breed, the study's message is clear: spayed or neutered cats and cats at their ideal weight live longer. Regular vet checkups, weight tracking, a safe indoor life and sun protection for white cats are the most concrete ways to help your Turkish Angora live longer.

• Consider a shelter: White, longhaired cats turn up in shelters too. You can't tell for sure from looks alone whether a cat is a Turkish Angora, but its need for love is the same. Follow adoption listings and rescue groups.
• If you buy from a breeder: Ask to meet the parents, and ask for hearing test (BAER) results for white kittens, the parents' blood types and vaccination records.
• Red flags: Steer clear of people selling street cats as "purebred Angoras," sellers who won't show you the mother, can't provide paperwork or rush you to "buy now."
• Registration: Rules vary by country; many places require or recommend microchipping. In Türkiye, owned cats must be microchipped and registered in the PETVET system.
• The first days: Prepare a quiet room with a litter box, water, a hiding place and a spot to climb right away. To get a kitten used to grooming early, see our cat grooming guide.