Turkish Angora vs Chausie - Breed Comparison | MyCatBreeds

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 Afro-Chausie came about from breeding a few individuals from a species of jungle cat which was native to India, Asia and the Middle East. In other words, this is a cross between a wild cat and a domesticated cat.

It was only in 1995 that the Chausie was recognized as a domestic breed, and by the International Cat Association.

The Chausie breed essentially began in the 1990s, when breeders name the breed Chausie and also developed a breeding program. They received registration status in 1995. Chausies are bred in North America and Europe and in 2003 became a new breed in the United States.

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.

The Chausie is a medium to large cat with a long body and long legs. In fact, the hind legs are somewhat longer than their front legs, and they’re able to easily leap into the air and up onto high perches. Some people say these cats look like Pumas.

The adult Afro-Chausie can weigh between 5 to 9kg and they stand in height from 35cm to 45cm and sometimes taller, both male and female.

The ears of the cat are broad and tall and the almond-shaped eyes are a yellow to green shade. The TICA Chausie breed standard says that the cat comes in 3 colors – a black/brown ticked coats, solid black and black grizzled tabby, but in fact, they come in quite a few other colors and patterns too.

Temperament:

Your Afro-Chausie is an intelligent, loyal, social and athletic cat that is also playful. They love their human companions and will form a deep bond with them, making it difficult to rehome him later on.

They don’t like being alone, in fact to such an extent that they will befriend dogs in the home too. This is such an active cat and you can even train him to walk on a leash.

It’s a cat that also loves water and Similar to Bengals and Savannahs, this breed, too, enjoys water. This cat will form deep bonds with owners, hence rehoming has been known to be particularly challenging with this breed

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.

The Chausie loves human contact and they love games with their human family.

They’re intelligent and are constantly looking for things to do. They are athletic and have plenty of energy. They’re social, playful and make great playmates for children who have been taught to respect animals.

When you bring an Afro-Chausie into your home, you can expect to have a lot of action and entertainment with this beautiful cat.

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.

With good health, your Afro Chausie can live to be anything between 12 – 16 years of age. These cats are prone to developing food allergies, and this is why it is important to feed your Chausie high-quality food.

They’ve got fragile digestive systems and many are gluten intolerant.

All kinds of parasites can invade your Afro-Chausie’s body – internally and externally so be sure to have your Chausie checked over for parasites such as tick and fleas, worms and mites.

Check your Chausie for putting on too much weight as these cats have a huge appetite.

You just have to bear in mind that these cats can develop any of the illnesses that other domesticated cats get

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.

Grooming:

With their short coats, they only need to be brushed once a week as they are moderate shedders.

General:

Provide your cat with a quiet place to sleep and which is comfortable and dry.

A cat tree can be useful for allowing your cat to climb and scratch.

Diet:

Chausies are essentially meat-eaters. They don’t want to eat fruit and nuts. One of the Chausie’s ancestors was a wild cat and this is why they don’t eat the same foods as what your dog does.

Every cat thrives on a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. A dog’s diet with scraps from the table as well as human food can be fatal for your Chausie if it becomes your cat’s regular food.

He requires a diet of quality meat – beef, chicken, fish and organs – all foods that are easily digestible for your cat. Cats also need taurine from muscle meat such as shellfish and fish.

Always make sure your Chausie has access to a constant supply of fresh, cool water.