土耳其安哥拉

有很多長毛貓都被稱為安哥拉貓，但純種的就只有“土耳其安哥拉貓” 。

土耳其安哥拉貓原是韃靼人(Tarters)家中的一份子，後期跟隨韃靼人移居到土耳其。1962年，一名美國軍人在土耳其的Ankara動物園內發現了土耳其安哥拉貓，繼而開始繁殖，計算起來，距今己達四十五年之久。而只有那些祖先源出於土耳其的“土耳其安哥拉貓”才會被美國CFA認可及接受註冊。

土耳其安哥拉貓聰明伶俐。專心一意愛其主人。身型修長，體態憂美，臉如瓜子般，大大的眼睛呈杏形，微微的斜向上；眼睛有多種顏色，包括任何濃談的綠色、金色、銅色、藍色或鴛鴦色。中等長度的皮毛柔軟如絲；由於沒有底毛，只需要簡單的梳理便可以。

顏色方面，有純色、斑紋、煙色、雙色等等，但白色仍然是最受歡迎的顏色。

CFA對土耳其安哥拉貓的評分標準如下：

頭部﹙40分﹚

頭形及側面 15分

耳朵﹙大小----5分；位置------10分﹚ 15分

眼睛大小，形狀及位置 10分

身體 ﹙35分﹚

大小及骨骼 10分

軀幹，包括頸部 15分

腿及尾巴 5 分

肌肉 5分

整體協調 10分

背毛 10分

毛色 5分

Breed Profile: Turkish Angora

One of the most outgoing and affectionate of all cat breeds, the rare and beautiful Turkish Angora has a fascinating history and is considered a national treasure in its native land. Many Turkish Angora owners in the United Stated consider their cats a treasure as well! Turks are not only intelligent, but extremely adaptable, loving and playful, which makes them an excellent choice for families with young children, and lively companions for senior adults. They readily accept dogs and other animals, but their assertive natures often make them the lpha?pet in the household.

Elegant, finely-boned creatures, Turkish Angoras are graceful, energetic and usually the first to welcome visitors into your home. It is also not unusual for a pet Turk to act as the ost?at a party or other gathering, inspecting and interacting with every guest. It is no wonder that they are often considered og-like!?

The Turkish Angora soft, silky coat rarely mats and requires only minimal grooming. Most breeders recommend combing once or twice a week with a fine-toothed comb or slicker brush to remove excess hair and keep the coat looking and feeling its best. Like all long-haired breeds, they lose some coat during the summer months, when more frequent combing may be needed to prevent hairballs.

Most likely, the breed originated in the mountainous regions of Turkey, where it developed an unusually soft, medium-long coat for protection against the harsh winters. Possibly it evolved from the Manul cat, a small feline domesticated by the Tartars. This pure, natural breed can trace its written history as far back as 16th-century France. However, in the early 1900s, it was used indiscriminately in Persian breeding programs and virtually disappeared as a separate breed. For many years, all longhaired cats were referred to simply as ngoras.?

Fortunately for cat lovers, controlled breeding programs had been set up in Turkey to preserve this living treasure. There, in the 1950s, at the Ankara Zoo, the Turkish Angora was discovered by American servicemen and re-introduced to the cat fancy. All Turkish Angoras registered by CFA must be able to trace their ancestry back to Turkey.

Although the first import on record arrived in the U.S. in 1954, it was not until the mid-1960s that the breed became numerous enough to seek recognition from CFA. White Turkish Angoras were accepted for registration in 1968, for Provisional Breed competition in 1970, and for Champion-ship competition in 1972. The first CFA grand champion, GC NoRuz Kristal of Azima, came in 1976. However, it took another two years before colored Turkish Angoras were permitted to compete in Championship with their all-white siblings.

While whites are still very popular today, Turkish Angora breeders have focused increasingly on colored cats. More and more people are realizing how lovely these lithe, elegant creatures look in other colors. At a CFA show today you might see these cats in other solid colors, such as black, blue, red and cream; in tortoiseshell or blue-cream; in classic, mackerel and spotted tabbies of many colors; and bi-colored cats in any of these colors with white. In recent years, many breeders have begun working with smoke and shaded colors as well. Any shade and pattern, except those that denote hybridization (such as lavender, chocolate or the pointed pattern) is accepted for CFA registration.

Pricing on Turkish Angoras usually depends on type, applicable markings and bloodlines distinguished by Grand Champion (GC), National, National Breed and/or Regional winning parentage (NW, BW, RW) or of Distinguished Merit parentage (DM). The DM title is achieved by the dam (mother) having produced five CFA grand champion/premier (alter) or DM offspring, or sire (father) having produced fifteen CFA grand champion/premier or DM offspring. Usually breeders make kittens available between twelve and sixteen weeks of age. After twelve weeks, kittens have had their basic inoculations and developed the physical and social stability needed for a new environment, showing, or being transported by air. Keeping such a rare treasure indoors, neutering or spaying and providing acceptable surfaces (e.g. scratching posts) for the natural behavior of scratching (CFA disapproves of declawing or tendonectomy surgery) are essential elements for maintaining a healthy, long and joyful life. Colors: a wide array of colors in the solid, shaded, smoke, tabby, bi-color and parti-color patterns

Breed Standard: Turkish Angora

POINT SCORE

HEAD (40)

15 .. Head shape & profile

15 .. Ears (size 5; placement 10)

10 .. Eye size, shape and placement

BODY (35)

10 .. Size and Boning

15 .. torso, including neck

5 .. Legs and Tail

5 .. Muscle Tone

BALANCE .. 10

COAT .. 10

COLOR .. 5

GENERAL: the ideal Turkish Angora is a balanced, graceful cat with a fine, silky coat that shimmers with every movement, in contrast to the firm, long muscular body beneath it.

HEAD: Size: small to medium, in balance with the length of the body and extremities. Shape: a medium long, smooth wedge. Allowance is to be made for jowls. Profile: two planes formed by a flat top head and the line of the nose meeting at an angle slightly above the eyes. NO BREAK.

muzzle: a continuation of the smooth lines of the wedge with neither pronounced whisker pad nor pinch.

EARS: large, wide at base, pointed and tuffed. Set closely together, high on the head, vertical and erect.

EYES: large, almond-shaped, slanting slightly upward with open expression.

EYE COLOR: there is no relationship between eye color and coat color, and each eye color description can include much variation within its defined spectrum, especially as cats mature. Acceptable colors include blue, which encompasses shades from sky blue to sapphire; green, which can range from gooseberry to emerald; green-gold, which includes any gold or amber eye that carries a greenish cast or ring; amber, which can range from gold to rich copper but has no green cast or ring, and odd-eyed, with one blue eye and the other green, green-gold or amber. While no points are specifically allocated to eye color, deeper, richer tones are preferred. Odd-eyed cats should have similar depth of color in both eyes.

NOSE: medium in length.

NECK: slim, graceful and rather long.

CHIN: firm, gently rounded. Tip in profile to form perpendicular line with nose.

BODY: medium size, however, overall balance, grace and fineness of bone are more important than actual size. Males may be slightly larger than females. Body is long and slender, possessing greater depth than width, oval rather than round (not tubular). Shoulders the same width as hips. Rump slightly higher than shoulders. Finely boned with firm muscularity.

LEGS: long. Hind legs longer than front.

PAWS: small, round and dainty. Tufts between toes preferable.

TAIL: long and tapering from a wide base to a narrow end, with a full brush.

COAT: single coated. Length of body coat varies, but tail and ruff should be long, full, finely textured and have a silk-like sheen. "Britches" should be apparent on the hind legs.

BALANCE: proportionate in all physical aspects with a graceful, lithe appearance.

PENALIZE: obviously oversized, coarse appearance.

DISQUALIFY: cobby body type. Kinked or abnormal tail. Crossed eyes.

TURKISH ANGORA COLORS

WHITE: pure white, no other coloring. Nose leather and paw pads: pink.

BLACK: dense coal black, sound from roots to tip of fur. Free from any tinge of rust on tips or smoke undercoat. Nose leather: black. Paw pads: black or brown.

BLUE: blue, lighter shade preferred. One level tone from nose to tip of tail. Sound to the roots. A sound darker shade is more acceptable than an unsound lighter shade. Nose leather and paw pads: blue.

CREAM: one level shade of buff cream without markings. Sound to the roots. Lighter shades preferred. Nose leather and paw pads: pink.

RED: deep, rich, clear, brilliant red; without shading, markings, or ticking. Lips and chin the same color as coat. Nose leather and paw pads: brick red.

Note: tabby markings are frequently present on younger smokes and should not be penalized in those under 1 year of age.

CLASSIC TABBY PATTERN: markings dense, clearly defined, and broad. Legs evenly barred with bracelets coming up to meet the body markings. Tail evenly ringed. Several unbroken necklaces on neck and upper chest, the more the better. frown marks on forehead form an intricate letter "M." Unbroken line runs back from outer corner of eye. SWIRLS on cheeks. Vertical lines over back of head extend to shoulder markings which are in the shape of a butterfly with both upper and lower wings distinctly outlined and marked with dots inside outline. Back markings consist of a vertical line down the spine from butterfly to tail with a vertical stripe paralleling it on each side, the three stripes well separated by stripes of the ground color. Large solid blotch on each side to be encircled by one or more unbroken rings. Side markings should be the same on both sides. Double vertical rows of buttons on chest and stomach.

MACKEREL TABBY PATTERN: markings dense, clearly defined, and all narrow pencillings. Legs evenly barred with narrow bracelets coming up to meet the body markings. Tail barred. Necklaces on neck and chest distinct, like so many chains. Head barred with an "M" on the forehead. Unbroken lines running back from the eyes. Lines running down the head to meet the shoulders. Spine lines run together to form a narrow saddle. Narrow pencillings run around body.

SPOTTED TABBY PATTERN: markings on the body to be spotted. May vary in size and shape with preference given to round, evenly distributed spots. Spots should not run together in a broken mackerel pattern. A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead shall be characteristic tabby markings. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. The belly should have "vest buttons". Legs and tail are barred.

PATCHED TABBY PATTERN: a patched tabby (torbie) is an established silver, blue-silver, brown or blue tabby with patches of red or cream.

SILVER TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color pale clear silver. Markings dense black. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Nose leather: brick red. Paw pads: black.

RED TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color red. Markings deep rich red. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Nose leather and paw pads: brick red.

BROWN TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color brilliant coppery brown. Markings dense black. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Back of leg black from paw to heel. Nose leather: brick red. Paw pads: black or brown.

BLUE TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color pale bluish ivory. Markings a very Deep Blue affording a good contrast with ground color. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Warm fawn overtones or patina over the whole. Nose leather: old rose. Paw pads: rose.

CREAM TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color very pale cream. Markings of buff or cream sufficiently darker than the ground color to afford good contrast but remaining within the dilute color range. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Nose leather and paw pads: pink.

CAMEO TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color off-white. Markings red. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Nose leather and paw pads: rose desirable.

CREAM CAMEO TABBY (Cream Silver) (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color off-white. Markings cream. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Nose leather and paw pads: pink.

BLUE-SILVER TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color pale, bluish silver. Markings a deep blue affording a good contrast with ground color. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Nose leather: old rose desirable. Paw pads: rose desirable.

BLUE SILVER PATCHED TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted): ground color pale bluish silver. Markings sound blue. Patches of cream tabby or softly intermingled areas of cream tabby on both body and extremities. Lips and chin the same shade as the rings around the eyes. Nose leather: blue or old rose trimmed with blue and/or pink. Paw pads: blue or old rose and/or pink.

TABBY AND WHITE (classic, mackerel, spotted and patched, where applicable): color as defined for tabby with or without white on the face. Must have white on bib, belly and all four paws. White on at least one-third of body and white blaze on face is desirable. Tabby colors accepted are brown, silver, blue, blue-silver, red, cream, cameo and cream-cameo.

TORTOISESHELL: black with patches of red or softly intermingled areas of red on both body and extremities. Presence of several shades of red acceptable. Nose leather and paw pads: black and/or brick red.

calico: white with distinct patches of black and red. Tabby markings are allowed in the red patches. White predominant on underparts.

DILUTE CALICO: white with distinct patches of blue and cream. Tabby markings are allowed in the cream patches. White predominant on underparts.

BLUE-CREAM: blue with patches of cream or softly intermingled areas of cream on both body and extremities. Lighter shades preferred. Nose leather and paw pads: blue and/or pink.

BLACK SMOKE: white basecoat, deeply tipped with black. Cat in repose appears black. In motion, the white basecoat is clearly apparent. Points and mask black with narrow band of white at base of hairs next to skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. Nose leather and paw pads: black.

BLUE SMOKE: white basecoat, deeply tipped with blue. Cat in repose appears blue. In motion the white basecoat is clearly apparent. Points and mask blue with narrow band of white at base of hairs next to skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. Nose leather and paw pads: blue.

CAMEO SMOKE (red smoke): white basecoat, deeply tipped with red. Cat in repose appears red. In motion, white basecoat is clearly apparent. Points and mask red with narrow band of white at base of hairs next to skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. Nose leather and paw pads: rose desirable.

CREAM CAMEO SMOKE (cream smoke): white basecoat, deeply tipped with cream. Cat in repose appears cream. In motion, white basecoat is clearly apparent. Points and mask cream with narrow band of white at base of hairs next to skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. Nose leather and paw pads: pink desirable.

BLUE-CREAM SMOKE: white basecoat, deeply tipped with blue and cream. Cat in repose appears blue-cream. In motion, white basecoat is clearly apparent. Points and mask blue-cream with narrow band of white at base of hairs next to skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. Nose leather and paw pads: rose pink or blue, may be patched.

TORTOISESHELL SMOKE: white basecoat, deeply tipped with black, red and shades of red. Cat in repose appears tortoiseshell. In motion, white basecoat is clearly apparent. Points and mask tortoiseshell pattern with narrow band of white at base of hairs next to skin which may be seen only when fur is parted. Nose leather and paw pads: rose pink or black, may be patched.

SHADED SILVER: undercoat white. Mantle of black shading down the sides, face, and tail, becoming paler on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Face and legs may have darker shading than the body. Black outlining on rims of eyes, lips and nose desirable. Nose leather: brick red. Paw pads: black.

BLUE SHADED SILVER: undercoat white. Mantle of blue shading down the sides, face, and tail, becoming paler on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Face and legs may have darker shading than the body. Blue outlining on rims of eyes, lips and nose desirable. Nose leather: rose. Paw pads: blue or rose.

CAMEO SHADED (red shaded): undercoat white. Mantle of red shading down the sides, face, and tail, becoming paler on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Face and legs may have darker shading than the body. Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads: rose.

CREAM CAMEO SHADED (cream shaded): undercoat white. Mantle of cream shading down the sides, face, and tail, becoming paler on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Face and legs may have darker shading than the body. Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads: rose.

TORTOISESHELL SHADED: undercoat white. Mantle of black and red shading down the sides, face and tail, becoming paler on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Face and legs may have darker shading than the body. Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads: rose to black, may also be patched.

BLUE-CREAM SHADED: undercoat white. Mantle of blue and cream shading down the sides, face and tail, becoming paler on the chin, chest, stomach, and under the tail. Face and legs may have darker shading than the body. Nose leather, rims of eyes and paw pads: rose pink to blue, may also be patched.

BI-COLOR: black and white, blue and white, red and white, or cream and white. White feet, legs, undersides, chest, and muzzle. Inverted "V" blaze on face desirable. White under tail and white collar allowable.

SMOKE AND WHITE: black smoke & white, blue smoke & white, cameo smoke (red smoke) & white, cream cameo smoke (cream smoke) & white. White with colored portions that conform to the currently established smoke color standards. White predominant on underparts.

CALICO SMOKE: white with patches of black and red. The black and red patches have a white undercoat. White predominant on underparts.

DILUTE CALICO SMOKE: white with patches of blue and cream. The blue and cream patches have a white undercoat. White predominant on underparts.

OTAC (Other Turkish Angora Colors): any other color or pattern with the exception of those showing hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender, the Himalayan pattern, or these combinations with white.

The following information is for reference purposes only and not an official part of the CFA Show Standard.

Turkish Angora Color Class Numbers

White Color Class............................................. 1802 1803

(Blue-eyed White, Green-eyed White, Green-Gold Eyed White, Amber-eyed White, Oddeyed White)

Other Solid Colors Class .................................. 1806 1807

(Black, Blue, Cream, Red)

Tabby Color Class............................................. 1836 1837

[Blue Tabby, Brown Tabby, Silver Tabby, Blue-Silver Tabby (classic, mackerel, spotted,patched). Cream Tabby, Red Tabby, Cameo Tabby, Cream Cameo (cream-silver) Tabby (classic, mackerel, spotted)].

Parti-Color & Bi-Color Class ............................ 1848 1849

(Black & White, Blue-Cream, Blue & White,Calico, Cream & White, Red & White, Dilute Calico, Tortoiseshell, Tabby & White [brown, silver, blue, blue-silver, red, cream, cameo and cream-cameo in classic, mackerel, spotted and, where applicable, patched]; Smoke & White [black smoke & white, blue smoke & white, cameo smoke (red smoke) & white, cream cameo smoke (cream smoke) and white], Calico Smoke, Dilute Calico Smoke)

OTAC (Other Turkish Angora Colors) ................. 1890 1891

(Any other color or pattern with the exception of those showing hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender the himalayan pattern, or these combinations with white.)

AOV ........................................................................1898 1899

Turkish Angora allowable outcross breeds: none.

Breed Article: Turkish Angora

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.

THE TURKISH ANGORA SHOW CAT

For many years the Turkish Angora standard has confused and puzzled both breeders and judges. Hopefully, the new, revised standard will make the ideal Turkish Angora type clearer to everyone. The standard describes the head as a medium length wedge. This is not a modified wedge, but rather smooth and straight with neither whisker pads, pinch nor excessively protruding cheek bones to mar the lines. The profile should be in two planes, with no break. The eyes should be large, open, almond shaped, and expressive. Though eye color has no points, a really fine Turkish Angora will also have rich, deep, clear eye color, whatever the color is. Perhaps the most definitive feature of the Turkish Angora is the large, extremely high-set, vertical and erect ears, which give it the alert expression which we hold so very dear. As far as we are concerned, the larger and higher the ears, the better. To see the ears of the Turkish Angora at their most glorious, one need only hold a feather or dangle a toy in front of the cat.

The body of the Turkish Angora is long. This describes it most clearly. Long legs, long tail and a long, finely muscled, slenderly built torso, with all parts in perfect balance. The key word is LONG. As for refinement, in the Turkish Angora refinement means delicate features with no hint of coarseness anywhere on the cat. The boning must be fine. A coarsely boned cat should not be used for show, as that coarseness detracts from the elegance and grace that makes an Angora that which it should be. The silky, fine coat of the Angora changes according to the season; from a short coat with only slight britches and fluffy tail in summer to the full winter coat with medium long, silky hair complete with mane, britches, and lush, plumy tail. The coat must be silky, fine and single with no hint of shagginess. The best coats, however, are seen on mature animals over the age of three.

As with other breeds, we want our cats to be as distinctive, and as immediately recognizable, as any other breed in CFA. We are proud of the unique characteristics of the breed and would like them to be immediately identifiable as TURKISH ANGORAS, wherever encountered, whether in a crowded showhall or when visited at home.

THE COLORS: TO BE OR NOT TO BE?

The color of the Turkish Angora has been in dispute historically, and in some quarters still is. We would really like to put this subject to rest finally and completely. Yes, white has been the traditional color of the Turkish Angora both in the Ankara Zoo and in the American show ring. It was the first color shown and is still highly prized. However, technically we know that white masks color. A Turkish Angora need not be white to be a great representation of its breed. Over the years, dedicated breeders have produced wonderful colors (many times from white to white breedings). There is now a concerted effort on the part of many breeders to promote newly recognized, as well as the more traditional, colors of the Turkish Angora, which may have any eye color independent of the color of the coat. We hope that they may be accepted and treated with equal consideration and favor by the public and the judges. Type should be the criteria for excellence, not color. Check your neighborhood cat show for the new designer colors of Turkish Angora.