Turkish Angora Breed Standard

POINT SCORE

HEAD (40)
Head shape & profile15
Ears (size 5; placement 10)15
Eye size, shape and placement10
BODY (35)
Size and Boning10
Torso, including neck15
Legs and Tail5
Muscle Tone5
BALANCE10
COAT10
COLOR5

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. It is a cat of angles and straight lines, medium in size with no exaggerated features. A Turkish Angora should create the impression of ethereal, flowing motion.

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 flat planes formed by a flat top head and the line of the nose meeting at an angle slightly above the eyes. While slight differences in length of plane should not be penalized, equal length of planes are preferred. 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. Entire length of nose even in width when viewed from the front.

NECK: slim, graceful and rather long.

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

BODY: medium size; finely boned with firm muscularity. Overall balance, grace and fineness of bone are more important than actual size. Fine boning should not be construed to reflect or give advantage to a smaller frame. It should be taken in balance with the whole. Females are typically smaller than males. 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.

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: extremes such as obviously oversized, coarse appearance, with a broad chest or hips, or verging on miniaturization. Noticable and palpable curvature in profile. (Kittens may have a growth bump on the forehead or end of nose without penalty.)

DISQUALIFY: cobby body type; crossed eyes; incorrect number of toes; stop or break in profile; malocclusion resulting in either over or undershot chin. Color or patterns indicating hybridization, such as chocolate, lilac, point pattern, and all these colors and patterns with white; directional kink of the tail.

TURKISH ANGORA COLORS

GENERAL: all colors should be considered of equal value. While lockets and buttons should not be penalized, sound color is preferred.

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.

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.

TICKED TABBY PATTERN: The overall appearance is a cat without obvious markings on the body and with the distinct tabby striping on the head, neck, legs, and tail. The hair shafts on the body should be ticked with various shades of the marking color. The marking colors (stripes), ground colors and eye colors are the same as for the classic, mackerel and spotted. When viewed from above, the body does not have distinct spots, stripes or blotches, except for darker dorsal shading. The lighter underside may show tabby markings. Face, legs, and tail must show distinct tabby striping. The cat must have at least one distinct necklace. The hocks are the same color as the tabby marking color.

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, or ticked): 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, or ticked): 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, or ticked): 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, or ticked): 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, or ticked): 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.

RED SILVER TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted, or ticked): 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 SILVER TABBY (classic, mackerel, spotted, or ticked): 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, or ticked): 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, or ticked): 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, or ticked and patched, where applicable): colored portions that conform to the currently established tabby color standards. Tabby colors accepted are brown, silver, blue, blue-silver, red, cream, red silver and cream silver.

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.

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

TORTOISESHELL AND WHITE: black with patches of red or softly intermingled areas of red on body and extremities with white. Presence of several shades of red acceptable.

BLUE-CREAM AND WHITE: blue with patches of cream or softly intermingled areas of cream on body and extremities with white. Lighter shades preferred.

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.

SMOKE AND SHADED COLORS: Color faults such as leg barring on shaded cats, or tabby markings on smoke cats, may often be present in younger cats but will gradually fade because of the way colors develop and are expressed in this breed.

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.

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 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: basecoat 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: basecoat 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.

RED SHADED: basecoat 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 SHADED: basecoat 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: basecoat 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: basecoat 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.

PARTI-COLOR AND BI-COLOR: tortoiseshell, blue cream, tortoiseshell and white, blue-cream and white, calico, dilute calico, and all other allowable colors that conform to the currently established color standards with white. Bi-colors include all expressions of the white spotting gene from low white to van patterns. Cats with no more than a button and/or locket do not qualify for this color class. Such cats shall be judged in the appropriate color class without white.

SMOKE AND WHITE: black smoke and white, blue smoke and white, red smoke and white, cream smoke and white, calico smoke, dilute calico smoke, tortoiseshell smoke and white, or blue-cream smoke and white. Colored portions that conform to the currently established smoke color standards. Bi-colors include all expressions of the white spotting gene from low white to van patterns. Cats with no more than a button and/or locket do not qualify for this color class. Such cats shall be judged in the appropriate color class without white.

CALICO SMOKE: white with patches of black and red. The black and red patches have a white basecoat.

DILUTE CALICO SMOKE: white with patches of blue and cream. The blue and cream patches have a white basecoat.

TORTOISESHELL SMOKE AND WHITE: white basecoat, deeply tipped with black, red and shades of red, with white. Cat in repose appears tortoiseshell and white. In motion, white basecoat is clearly apparent. Points and mask tortoiseshell pattern with a narrow band of white at the base of hairs next to skin which may only be seen when fur is parted.

BLUE-CREAM SMOKE AND WHITE: white basecoat, deeply tipped with blue and cream, with white. Cat in repose appears blue-cream and white. In motion, white basecoat is clearly apparent. Points and mask blue-cream pattern with a narrow band of white at the base of hairs next to skin which may only be seen when fur is parted.

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 Colors
(Blue-eyed White, Green-eyed White, Green-Gold
Eyed White, Amber-eyed White, Odd-eyed
White)
18021803
Other Solid Colors
(Black, Blue, Red, Cream)
18061807
Smoke Colors
(Black Smoke, Blue Smoke, Red Smoke, Cream Smoke, Tortoiseshell Smoke, Blue Cream Smoke)
18341835
Tabby Colors
[Blue Tabby, Brown Tabby, Silver Tabby, Blue-Silver
Tabby, Cream Tabby, Red Tabby, Red Silver Tabby, Cream Silver Tabby (Classic, Mackerel, Spotted, Ticked and where applicable, Patched)].
18361837
Parti-Color & Bi-Color Class
(Black & White, Blue-Cream, Blue Cream & White, Blue & White, Calico, Cream & White, Red & White, Dilute Calico, Tortoiseshell, Tortoiseshell & White, Tabby & White [Brown, Silver, Blue, Blue-Silver, Red, Cream, Red Silver, and Cream Silver in Classic, Mackerel, Spotted, Ticked and, where applicable, Patched]; Smoke & White [Black Smoke & White, Blue Smoke & White, Red Smoke & White, Cream Smoke & White, Tortoiseshell Smoke & White, Blue-Cream Smoke & White],
Calico Smoke, Dilute Calico Smoke)
18481849
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.)
18901891
AOV18981899

Turkish Angora allowable outcross breeds: none.

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