04/13/08

Historically and traditionally, the Turkish Angora is typically thought of as a pure white cat.   Indeed, in the early days of showing cats in Europe, owning a white Turkish Angora was even considered to be a status symbol!  In the early exportation of the breed from the Ankara Zoo, maintaining the white color of the Turkish Angora was the goal of most breeders. 

The white Turkish Angora cat was recognized by CFA, the Cat Fancier's Association, in 1973.  The breed standard contained no color other than pure white.  This continued until 1978, when CFA added colors to the Turkish Angora breed standard. 

The cat pictured is one of our cats, "Tameral's Falling Water's Snowflurry".   We call her Flurry.  She is an "amber eyed white" (AEW) Turkish Angora.  Other eye colors are "blue eyed white" (BEW), and "odd eyed white" (OEW).  An OEW Turkish Angora cat typically has one blue eye and one amber eye.

Genetically, white is not a result of the color genes from the parents.  White  is a result of a separate gene which acts to "tell" the hair follicles to "mask" the color, thus growing white fur.  What this means is that "under" the white coat of every white cat, the cat is carrying the genes for a color.   White cats are typically born with a "color spot", usually on the head, that fades and disappears as the cat grows it's adult coat and sheds it's kitten coat.  This color spot will tell you the color gene that the cat is carrying!   Snowflurry's color spot was blue.     

Below are some of the colors, colors and MORE colors, of the Turkish Angora cat for your enjoyment!  The photos below have been used with the permission of their owners/breeders, and we at Zirdeli cats wish to extend our sincere thanks to Tracy & Don Goglio of Zamaray, Iris Tanner of Silverlock, Doreann Nasin of Gilles, and Sarah Sieffert of Spunky Paws catteries! 

Following the photos you will find CFA's description of all of our lovely colors!

You've seen his picture all over this web site.  This is Sherlock.  He is our blue Turkish Angora with green eyes.  Sherlock was shown in CFA's Premiership division during the 2004-2005 show season.  Premiership is where neutered and spayed cats are shown.  Sherlock achieved Best of Breed in Premiership in the Southern Region, and 4th Best of Breed in Premiership nationally.  This photo of Sherlock in our "Florida room", watching the ceiling fan,  also shows the inquisitive nature of the breed.  It is obvious that he intends to find out exactly how that thing spins, even if he has to jump up there and investigate personally!

This is Penny Pretty.  She is a littermate to Snowflurry.  Her registered name is "Tameral's Potomac's Copper Penny".  Her color is Tortie, which is short for tortishell, and is a combination of black and reds.  Cats that are white, black and red are called Calico.  Tortie and Calico color is gender-linked and is, with a very rare exception, only displayed in female cats.  Often, tortie-colored cats will have a split in the color right down the center of their nose!  Penny did not inherit this characteristic, but she did inherit a quirky little strawberry blonde mustache, which fits her lovably silly personality perfectly!

This is Portia.  Her CFA registered name is Silverlock's Portia of Zirdeli.  She is the first cat to bear our cattery name! 

Her color is called Silver Patched Tabby and White.  In this photo, she is just shy of 6 months of age.  She is a very affectionate kitten, a terrific show cat, and has a very unique, outgoing, and happy temperament!   She not only loves being judged at the cat shows, but she also is a winner in Feline Agility.  Taking after her father Bippy, who was CFA's North Atlantic Region's Agility winner for the 2005-2006 show season, Portia ran her very first agility course in 12 seconds!  For more information about Feline Agility, click here!

We at Zirdeli Cats wish to take this opportunity to thank B. Iris Tanner of Silverlock cattery for this wonderful and loving kitten!  She is a blessing to us!

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   Zamaray's Inkblot is a beautiful black

   Turkish Angora girl!

               "Spots" is CFA's first red spotted tabby and white      

Turkish Angora to achieve the title of Grand Champion!      

  Gilles' "Mitch" is a red mackerel tabby

  and White Turkish Angora.

Silverlock's "Sparky" is the first Turkish Angora tabby     

  to achieve CFA's  title of Grand Champion!      

"Mirage" is the first blue-cream Turkish Angora

to achieve CFA's  Grand Champion title!

"Blondie" is the first cameo tabby Turkish Angora       

to achieve CFA's Grand Champion title!       

    "Beau" is a Blue Smoke Turkish Angora

                                                        "Willi" is the first silver patched tabby Turkish Angora 

                                                                               to achieve CFA's Grand Champion title!        

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- CFA's 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.