Breed: Turkish Angora
Turkish Angora: grooming and care
The Turkish Angora is the longhair for people who were warned off longhairs. The coat does most of its own upkeep; the cat, which CFA calls busy and curious, is the part that keeps you on your toes.
The coat
A silky single coat with no undercoat is why a Turkish Angora rarely mats
CFA's standard describes a silky coat of intermediate length, single coated, with body length that varies and a tail and ruff that should be long, full and finely textured with a silk-like sheen. VCA says the same in fewer words: a silky, medium-length coat with no undercoat. Without that soft, woolly second layer, little loose hair is trapped against the skin to twist and felt, and trapped undercoat is where most long-coat mats begin.
That is why CFA counts the breed among the easiest longhaired cats to care for. It still sheds: VCA rates shedding at 3 out of 5 and advises brushing more often in summer to prevent hairballs. A Turkish Angora living in a Gloucester apartment with the heat running from November to March also picks up static, which makes loose hair cling to the plume of the tail and the ruff instead of falling.
- Single coated, with no undercoat (CFA, VCA)
- A long, full, silky tail and ruff
- Not prone to matting, but it sheds: 3 out of 5 (VCA)
- Brush more in summer to cut down on hairballs (VCA)
Light matting
When a Turkish Angora tangles, it is a small knot at a rub point, and fingers or a comb undo it
Light matting is the honest description. The places to check are the ones every long coat shares: behind the ears, under the front legs, the ruff where a collar sits, the belly and the long hair on the backs of the thighs. On a single coat a knot there usually stays small, a twist of a few hairs rather than a felted sheet, and it can be teased apart with your fingers or the end of a fine comb.
CFA's guide is combing two or three times a month for a younger cat and more often as it ages, while VCA suggests once or twice a week with a fine-toothed comb or a slicker brush. Both fit real cats. A young, fit Turkish Angora that grooms itself well can go a couple of weeks between combs; an older one that has slowed down wants the comb weekly.
- 01
Start at the chest and ruff with a fine-toothed metal comb, following the lie of the coat
- 02
Comb the back and sides in long strokes; on a single coat the comb should glide
- 03
Lift each front leg and check the armpit with your fingertips
- 04
Feel behind the ears and under any collar for a twist of hair
- 05
Fan the tail and comb the plume from the base outward
- 06
Tease any small knot apart with your fingers before the comb goes through it
An active cat
A busy, climbing cat grooms best in short sessions, after play rather than before it
CFA describes the Turkish Angora as busy and curious, one of the most interactive and affectionate of all breeds, an energetic climber that likes to perch high, and offers the advice that if you cannot find your Turk, you should look up. VCA calls the breed exceptionally intelligent and athletic, extremely extroverted and capable of a quick temper. This is not a cat that sits still for twenty minutes of combing.
Work with it. Comb for three or four minutes after a play session, when the cat is tired enough to lie down, and stop before it decides to leave. Claws matter more on a climber: a cat launching off shelves and cat trees all day needs short tips that do not snag, and a $20 nail clip at the studio covers that between combs. CFA notes the breed tolerates frequent handling, which helps on the table.
- Three or four minutes at a time, after play
- Finish before the cat wants to go, not after
- Claws checked often on a climber; the studio clip is $20
White cats
A white Turkish Angora with blue eyes may be deaf, so tell us before the groom
White is the color most people picture for this breed, and CFA notes that white cats, especially blue-eyed ones, can be prone to deafness, while colored Turkish Angoras do not carry that concern. Cornell's Feline Health Center puts numbers on it: 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf, about 40 percent of those with one blue eye, and 65 to 85 percent of all-white cats with two blue eyes.
A deaf cat cannot hear a groomer coming, so an unexpected hand on its back can startle it. Tell us when you book if your cat is white, odd-eyed or known to be deaf, so the groomer can plan to approach where the cat can see and let it look at the comb before it touches. Cornell's advice is to keep a deaf cat away from situations where its safety depends on hearing, and indoors.
- Mention a white coat, blue or odd eyes, or known deafness at booking
- Approach from the front and let the cat see the comb first
- Keep a deaf cat indoors (Cornell)
At the studio
A Turkish Angora usually needs a Full Bath at $95 and a nail clip, not a shave
CFA says the breed generally tolerates baths well and has a natural interest in water, and that some have joined their owners in the shower. That makes the Full Bath at $95, a bath with water, a brush-out and nails, the natural studio booking: it lifts the shed hair a comb leaves behind and leaves the silky coat lying flat. If your cat sheds more in the warm months, as VCA's summer advice suggests, book it in early summer.
Shaving is not a routine answer for a coat this light. Minimal Trims at $45, a trim and partial shave without water, handles a knot behind the ears or a soiled patch under the tail. The Full Service at $120, which adds shaving and trims to a full bath, is for the rare coat matted across the body. The studio at 210 Eastern Ave keeps cats in their own quiet room, away from the dogs; there is no evaluation visit first, and a cat that cannot be groomed safely goes home with a referral to your vet.
- Full Bath, $95: the usual visit, nails included
- Nail clipping, $20: for a climber between baths
- Minimal Trims, $45: one knot or a soiled patch, no water
- Full Service, $120: only for a coat matted across the body
At Dogtown
Cat grooming for a silky single coat
A Full Bath for the shed, a nail clip for the climber, and the rest of the cat menu at 210 Eastern Ave in Gloucester.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Do Turkish Angoras get matted?
How often should I comb a Turkish Angora?
Will my Turkish Angora put up with a bath?
My white Turkish Angora ignores me when I call. Could it be deaf?
Is a Turkish Angora an easy longhair for a first-time owner?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- CFA: Turkish Angora
- VCA: Turkish Angora breed profile
- Cornell Feline Health Center: white cats and deafness
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
A silky coat on a busy cat.
Book a Full Bath at $95 or a $20 nail clip online or in the Dogtown app, and tell us if your cat is white or deaf. No evaluation visit needed.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
