Turkish Angora vs American Curl - Breed Comparison

The American Curl is well known for its unusual shaped ears and for being one of the youngest cat breeds.

It developed in California. The first of these cats appeared to have been strays that arrived in California in 1981. The black female’s name was Shulamith, and she gave birth to a litter with the same curled ears, and was the ancestor of the American Curls of today.

Appearing in a cat show in 1992 for the first time, the longhaired American Curl was then given championship status by TICA and it was also admitted to the Cat Fanciers Association’s championship class in the long- and shorthaired divisions.

The Turkish Angora is a very old breed that naturally developed. It is thought that the breed developed in Turkey in the Ankara region formerly known as Angora.

There are records that indicate that the Turkish Angora made an appearance in the UK as early as the 14th century already. Also, the beautiful longhaired cat was also introduced to the United States.

A breeding program was started for these cats in the early 20th century and it was then taken to Canada in 1963 and accepted as a championship breed.

While white was the only acceptable color at first, they now come in many different colors.

The American Curl is a medium-sized cat weighing roughly 2.3–4.5kg. Its a cat that stands between 21 and 27cm in height.

It’s also a cat that takes a fairly long time to mature, reaching maturity about 2 or 3 years of age. The most distinctive feature of this cat is its unusual ears that curl backward as opposed to standing up like most other cats. At birth the ears are straight but they gradually start curling back, staying in a tight bud position.

The American Curl's coat is soft and silky and doesn’t require too much grooming. The fur comes in colors such as grey, white, apricot, black, and the coat can be a solid color or in a host of different patterns such as bi-color, triple-color, tabby, ticking and others.

The head is round, the eyes of the cat are large, giving the cat an alert, friendly look. The eyes can be many different colors from blue to green, amber, copper, hazel, and yellow.

Temperament:

The American Curl Cat loves his human family and gets on well with children too. He is an adaptable cat, settling into different lifestyles. You’ve got to watch him around small children who might manhandle him and pull his sensitive ears.

Nonetheless, he is sociable and loving. He is an intelligent cat, being active and alert and will even follow you around to see what you’re doing that he can be involved in too. He isn’t a particularly talkative breed but he loves to play and can even learn to fetch a smallish ball.

This is a medium-sized, muscular cat that can weigh between 3 and 6kg. It is a long-haired cat and the single coat has no undercoat.

While the Turkish Angora is essentially white, its coat can come in a number of other colors.

The cat’s body if firm and fairly long, the legs are long with the hind legs being longer than the front legs, The tail is long and plumed, the head has large fairly pointed ears that can have tufts of fur. The eyes are large and almond-shaped and slant somewhat upwards. The color of the eyes can be blue, green, gold, amber.

The cat has an alert, intelligent look to him.

Temperament:

This is a very active, athletic cat and he likes nothing more than to leap up on to high perches to survey his surroundings. They are intelligent, affectionate cats and they seem to gravitate towards one special human family member.

The cat is also protective of his human family. If any family member wants to stroke and pet them, they are absolutely delighted, just lapping up the attention.

They are smart enough to learn a few tricks too. They aren’t vocal cats but are sweet and quiet as well as being affectionate, making them perfect companions.

They don’t do well with changes, and a sudden change in his lifestyle can be upsetting for him.

You’ll find your American Curl to be a friendly, loving cat that will easily bond with his human family. They’re adaptable cats and will happily adjust to your lifestyle.

Despite their affection, however, American Curls aren't the type of cats to want to be pampered and petted - they are quite happy just to sit next to their owner and relax, or play with their toys.

Because American Curls are highly adaptable, they're suitable for a number of different home types, and homes with other pets or children, making you a splendid feline pet and companion.

Beautiful to look at, this cat has got all the characteristics that make him a wonderful pet. He is playful well into adulthood and will love an assortment of stimulating toys to be amused by.

He is a sociable breed and doesn’t enjoy being left alone for hours. It would be far better to have another feline friend to keep him company.

Active and entertaining, you’ll be amused by your Turkish Angora and be so glad that you made the decision to bring such a charming creature into your home and heart.

This is a healthy breed of cat that with good care can reach 9 – 15 years of age.

You need to be careful with their ears – perhaps damaging the cartilage if you brush him too hard.

Like many cats, the Curl is susceptible to ear issues so always be sure to check and clean your cat’s ears weekly.

Turkish Angoras are generally healthy, but white cats with blue eyes can be prone to deafness. It is the W gene that is responsible for the white coat and blue eyes. Unfortunately, the presence of a blue eye can indicate deafness in the cat. But there are these cats that have 2 blue eyes and they have normal hearing.

Another problem that has been seen in this beautiful cat breed is Ataxia which is a deadly neuromuscular disorder.

The most common sign of ataxia is an abnormal way of walking and the cat is actually unsteady on his feet. Sometimes the feet can even drag on the ground. Thankfully, screening has reduced the incidence of the disease.

Also, watch out for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a kind of heart disease that causes the heart muscle to enlarge.

Just remember that with a cat, diet can also play a huge role in the health of a cat. Your furry friend needs the right meaty foods with the right balance of nutrients to remain healthy and strong.

The Curl’s coat can be either short or long, but with a gentle brushing, the coat can be well maintained. The shorthaired variety sheds a bit more during the year than the longhaired variety and this is why grooming and brushing becomes necessary.

You can brush your cat’s teeth to avoid periodontal disease.

Trim your cat’s nails every other week if they don’t wear down naturally.

Check inside- and outside the cat’s ears for parasites and dirt. The cat’s ears have a unique shape and they may well be born with narrowed ear canals that can trap dirt and wax and this results in ear infections.

Like all cats breeds, your lean, muscular American Curl can be susceptible to obesity and heart disease. Speak to your vet about a special cat food for your feline friend as cat food is specially formulated to deliver the exact level of natural vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants needed. Understand the amount of food your Curl requires by checking out the feeding instructions on the food labels. Always talk to your vet if you're not sure how much and what you should feed your cat.

Remember, that if you don’t want to do these grooming routines for your cat for fear of hurting him or not doing it properly, the vet or your local pet groomer will do it for you.

Make sure to provide your intelligent American Curl with toys and exercise. You can buy toys and games that will challenge his mental and physical abilities.

The Turkish Angora has a single coat and the lack of an undercoat makes it easy to brush him and keep the coat soft and silky. Also, the coat is only fully developed when the cat is about 2 years old.

Check the inside of the ears. You may not want to clean them out yourself as you have to be very careful not to damage the ears. The vet and cat groomers can help you with this.

Keep your Turkish Angora’s litter box spotlessly clean. Cats are very particular about the cleanliness of their litter box and the feces will need to be removed every single day.