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Antioch Cattery was named for the city of seven hills, where the term "Christian" was first used. We are a small cattery in central Ohio, and our cats live with us as family members. Turkish Angoras probably originated in Turkistan, and travelled with the Ottoman Empire to the country of Turkey during the time we know as the "Crusades". The cats were brought to Europe as gifts, where long-haired cats had not previously been seen. Eventually, the Angora of Europe was being mixed with the Persian to make the modern-day Persian breed. Few breeders bothered to keep the Angora bloodlines seperately, and the Angora breed died out in Europe and the west. After the Second World War, as Turkey began to have more contact with Europe and the Western Hemisphere, the cats of the Turkish streets began to mix with cats that were arriving with travellers. To preserve these special cats, the Turkish government brought them into the national zoo, and started a controlled breeding colony there.
Turkish Angoras at the Ankara Zoo
In 1962, a military family became aware of the colony of Turkish Angora cats that were being bred in the Ankara Zoo. This family, as well as some other cat fanciers, imported the Turkish Angora to the United States, and the breed was reborn in the west. Turkish Angoras are still a rare breed. Preserving and protecting them is one of the goals of Turkish Angora fanciers everywhere. The Antioch Cattery pages are full of information about Turkish Angora cats, kittens, rescue, health, and personality.
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