Turkish Angora - part of the A to Z of cat breeds

As I am currently in Ankara, I am planning to learn all about the Turkish Angora even though I haven't seen a single cat as yet.  More will come later.

Saw a cat near the cable car in Ankara on 7th May, a brown tabby....an Angora?  No idea, but nice to see one at last, a cat I mean.

The Angora cat originates from Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Angora's are very affectionate, gentle cats, who like to be played with. There are many varieties of Angora, including pure white which are prone to deafness, black and blue.  There is also silver, red and brown tabby, calico (white, black and red patches) and bicolour (blue, black, red or cream with white). The white Angora may have blue eyes but the usual colour is orange or amber.  Cats with one blue eye and one amber eye will be deaf on the side of the blue eye. 

Their coat is fairly long, fine and smooth, although they do moult in the winter. Their tails are long and curled. The Angora have large ears which are far apart, their eyes are medium in size and their noses are long.

Angora's are clever and affectionate, but also sensitive and intuitive - tending to become devoted to their owners.