| The Turkish Angora Cat |
| The Turkish Angora cat is an ancient breed, thought to be the original longhaired cat. This cat developed its coat in response to the harsh temperatures of eastern Turkey. It soon took on a prominance in Eastern religions, when the Prophet Muhammed owned a Turkish Angora. Legend says that one day as he sat reading, his beloved Angora was asleep on the sleeve of his robe. Rather than disturb the cat, he had aides cut off the sleeve so that he could get up! It is also believed that Allah will someday return in the form of an odd-eyed white cat with a black spot on its head. This spot today is called a "kitten cap" - the color often indicates not only that the cat is hearing, but will tell you what color the cat masks. (Quick color genetics - white isn't a color in cats. It masks all other colors - so any cat who gets a dominant W gene is white, and any other color is suppressed under the white.) In this case, it suggests the cat masks black or some form (smoke, blue, etc.). As far as hearing is concerned - it is a natural pheomenon in any animal who is a blue eyed white, that it will have about a 30% incidence of deafness. Often, breeding to colors can reduce the possibility of deafness. Deaf cats can produce hearing cats, and hearing cats can produce deaf cats. The mechanism just isn't perfectly clear to researchers. However, a deaf cat lives a full and happy life, just like a hearing one. They have to be kept indoors, but otherwise will be nearly indistinguishable to anyone who doesn't know they're deaf. (Sherry Smerigan of Sadakat once told a buyer who balked at owning a deaf cat that she should visit the house - and if she could pick out a deaf one, she could have any one she wanted for free. Needless to say - the buyer couldn't do it.) Deaf cats learn to read signals, react to their surroundings, notice vibrations in the air - other than sometimes - and only sometimes - having a louder voice, there's no difference. At the turn of the century, Turks were brought to Europe extensively, particularly to Britain, for use in improving the quality of the Persian coat. This is why Persians are sometimes referred to as Angora cats. However, overuse and a lack of respect for the Turkish Angora nearly led to their extinction as a result. In reaction, the Turkish government classified the TA as a national treasure, and began a breeding colony of white TAs at the Ankara zoo. In the 1960s, Turkish Angoras were brought to the US for the first time. Accepted for Championship by CFA in 1970 (only in white), they have progressed to acceptance in every color (except pointed, lavender, and cinnamon - colors which indicate breeding to another breed, which is forbidden). All CFA Turks must today trace their pedigrees back to zoo cats. Today, it is no easy task to have a cat removed from the Turkish zoos to add to your breeding program. The TA remains rare today, with very few breeders around the world and in the US. The small size of the gene pool requires very strict pedigree study to keep the sturdy health the TA is known for. Both Sadakat and Sinend catteries breed only by pedigree - health and temperament will always be paramount over type. As a result, you are guaranteed to have a loyal, loving friend for a long time. |
| Back to Sadakat |
| Also visit Sinend Cattery |