See: www.traditionalcats.com . We placed very well. Please see our awards page for details.
One of the most intelligent and beautiful out of all the breeds of cat kept as pets is the Turkish Angora. Quick learning, interactive, and extremely playful, these cats make for a most entertaining pet and are sure to delight the cat lover.
The basics of these animals are as follows. Originating from the areas surrounding what is now present day Turkey and Angora (asia minor), these cats are most likely descended from african or asian wildcats. Although selective breeding has presented many color variations within the breed, Angoras are most famous for their common, pure white appearance. They are also often odd eyed (that is having two different colored eyes). Many Angoras are white and blued eyed; thankfully this combination in Angoras does not indicate deafness in the animal to the extent that it does with other breeds of cats. Every blue eyed Angora I have encountered has in fact heard quite well. Some say that odd eyed Angoras are also prone to deafness, at least in one ear. Once again, I have not personally encountered this. I do not mean to say that these things do not happen, just that in my personal experience they happen less frequently in Angoras than in domestic short and long hairs.
These cats are also known for their long silky coats. Angoras are long haired and have beautiful coats, however one should not be fearful of this aspect of the animal. In my experiance they do not shed much or at all when they are brushed semi-regularly. I have heard it said many times that Angoras are less of an allergy hazard to those with cat allergies. While I can not say that this is absolutely true, I have experimented with the concept and found that the animals can be in close contact to an allergic person for upto a week without causing a reaction. My experiments have not exceeded one week of time so I do not know what long term exposure would be like beyond what I can infer from second hand accounts and my own minor tests. I would also imagine that different people may react differently depending on the nature of their allergy.
I keep a few of these cats as personal pets, however from time to time I have a litter of kittens and they need a good home. Likewise I am familiar with many breeders in the Indiana and Illonois areas and can offer information on acquiring one of these beautiful animals for yourself if you are interested, be it for show or just as a pet.