The Turkish Angora, once thought to be extinct, is enjoying a resurgence in recent years, due to new importation from its country of origin, Turkey.

Although many people -- mistakenly -- think of all long hair cats as "Angora," the only pedigreed cats that carry the name are the Turkish Angora. The Turkish Angora is a pure, natural breed of cat. In Turkey, they are regarded today with great reverence, as one of their national treasures. CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) only accepts for registration those Turkish Angoras whose ancestry can be traced back to Turkey.

Turkish Angoras make wonderful pets, and are among the most intelligent of the cat breeds. They love their owners with a single minded devotion. They are long, elegant, finely boned creatures with smoothly pointed faces, who adore running and playing with wonderful grace and a great zest for living.

The Turkish Angora is now generally available in a full range of colors. Their single, silky, medium length coats -- that shimmer with every movement -- need only occasional grooming to look good. Common coat colors are most solids, tabbies, smokes and parti-colors, with white the most popular color.

Pricing on Turkish Angoras usually depends on type, applicable markings and bloodlines distinguished by Grand Champion (GC), National or Regional winning parentage (NW or RW) or of Distinguished Merit parentage (DM). Kittens are usually made available from the breeders, between twelve and sixteen weeks of age.

By twelve weeks, kittens should have had their basic inoculations and developed the physical and social stability needed for a new environment, showing, or being transported by air. CFA disapproves of declawing, but highly recommends keeping your new Turkish Angora indoors (why risk losing such a rare treasure?), neutering or spaying and providing a scratching post for the natural behavior of scratching.

There are CFA clubs devoted to the promotion, protection and preservation of the Turkish Angora breed. For more information, please send inquiries to CFA, PO Box 1005, Manasquan NJ 08736-0805.