Domestic long-haired cat

The term Angora cat is used differently in different historical periods:

• Historical name for long-haired cats such. In use until around the beginning of the 1950s.
• Until now commonly popular name for all long haired cats. In particular, white long-haired cats are often called Angora.
• Turkish Angora, today recognized breed.

Historical Angora cat

The Angora cat (Felis maniculata angorensis ) is a historical long-haired cat breed, whose first representative probably from the former region Angora in Asia Minor came in which she was kept as a house cat. They came about in the 17th century to Europe, first to the courts of the European nobility. It was long regarded as mother of all modern Persian cats. Recent genetic studies have shown that the Persian cat genetically largely conforms to the European domestic cat, but not oriental cat breeds. Presumably, they were mixed early with cats from other geographical areas. As at the turn of the 19th to 20th century societies were established to breed cat breed, these formulated - in particular, the English organization GCCF - first breed standards and awarded name for pedigree cats. The products resulting from the long-haired Angora variations were all there and now as Persian cat, whose standard was frequently changed later. The pure angora cat has since no longer bred. In Germany the Felinologe Schwangart around 1930 around trying to revive next to the modern Persian type the traditional Angoratyp new, but under the name " German Longhair ", which also found since the beginning of the 20th century for a breed of dog use. This new cat breed did not last. In the breed cattery The historic concept Angora cat comes by renaming in Persian since then no longer present, but probably in the international common usage.

To popular term for long-haired cat general

Not only in Germany, the term " Angora " in the population still persists. In Russia, it is generally used for white long-haired cats. However, he is not to be equated with a certain, now recognized breed.

Turkish Angora

Only in the 1970s, the historical Angora cat was virtually rediscovered and identified as the similar animals still held in the zoo of Ankara. Meanwhile, she was recognized as a Turkish Angora and is grown worldwide today.

History of the Angora cat

The first long-haired cats came to Europe in the 17th century. In addition to the Angora cats from the area of ​​present-day Turkey and cats to have been imported from Iran today. The theory on which the alleged origin of the Persian cat is based by it should be imported from the Khorassan, according to the Encyclopedia Iranica is not tenable. Pietro de la Valle, on the basis of which the thesis was never in Khorasan ( eastern -most region of Persia ), from which it is supposed to have brought long-haired animals from his trip. He described years after his trip to Isfahan and Tabriz, according to Georges- Louis Leclerc de Buffon only a cat the hearsay that was similar to the Angora cat down to every detail. The geographical proximity of the Ottoman Empire (Turkey ) and, for example Tabriz in Persia (Iran), therefore, suggests that it must have been one and the same long-haired domestic cat type. It seems as if the Angora was renamed from profit intentions in Persian, especially since, passed out in the coat color, hardly any differences between the run up to the renaming under long-haired cats Angora cats. This seems to be attributed to the fact that there was cross breeding of common house cats in the period between the imports from Asia Minor to Europe from the output of the 17th century until the establishment of cat clubs in the early 20th century. Cats for pleasure and profit was one of the books by Mary Frances Simpson, in which she asks for forgiveness, that they now ignore the Angora cat in favor of the Persian cat. This had probably later Iran to do with the end of the First World War and the demise of the Ottoman Empire (1923 Turkey capital Ankara, formerly Angora ) and the relationship of England with the until then Persian Empire.

The former stronghold for cats breeding England had already given the early 20th century the term Angora cat in favor of the Persian cat and no longer led them by name as a separate breed cat. While previously distinguished the long-haired cats after Angora, Persian cat and Chinese Cat, there were henceforth two categories: 1 shorthair cats with multiple breeds and 2 long-haired cats, which was assigned as now only breed the Persian cat.

In Germany up to 3 cats Exhibition Berlin 1929 all longhaired cats were still referred to as Angora cats. The main focus in the breeding of longhaired cats at that time was less the type as the coat color. In 1928 was also the first Empire Exhibition of precious fur animals in Berlin, on the so-called fur cats as "estimated fur animals ... found the interest economically adjusted Fur Breeders have " (Excerpt from foreword from selbigem catalog of P. Schoeps, Leipzig). However, it should be noted that long-haired furs cats were not used in the fur industry at that time, because they were seen as inferior.

The German biologist Friedrich Schwangart therefore ordered in 1929 the animals according to their type on the basis of the English breeding goal of a squat round-headed Persian, German Angora cats either the Persian cat or animals in the traditional type of the newly named by German Longhair instead Angora cat. Inspired by the burgeoning Nazism Schwangart wrote today questionable literature as to race formation and breeding of domestic cat. The third cat exhibition in Berlin in 1929 was the first exhibition in which the cats were evaluated according to the new standard. The term Angora was also later still used alongside the Persians, in Parentheses, in the literature. In the literature, one always finds in Our Cats by Otto Fehring from 1942 headlines such as " long-hair breeds and angora " on pictures, however, the German signature long hair. In the professional world, the new terms Persian and German Longhair translated obviously not. Thus, for example, in veterinary specialist of gag in the dog and cat as well as in Otto Fehring in his new book for all cats exclusively of Angora cats talk.

It can be assumed that the term Angora therefore could not keep only as a race designation to reflect the deletion and replacement by the German Longhair. Thus, the Persian cat has established itself, especially since the 1970s. In colloquial usage, but could still survive Angora decades. The German Longhair, however, faded as quickly as they appeared, possibly due to the time in which it was created. Britain and France set the early 20th century. ( before 1928 ) under the standard of the Persian cat, which is why there were all long-haired cats in the cattery breed no more Angora cat.

After the Second World War, the German Longhair cats disappeared from the active breeding programs and was bred in 1968 allegedly targeted again by family ash Meier. From 1950 Cat Breeders again became interested increasingly being used for breeding long-haired cats. From Ankara still held at the zoo, known as Angora cats animals old descent, were now to breed Turkish Angora, which was officially recognized in 1970. In Britain, the British Angora breed that has no connection with the historical Angora or Turkish Angora, however, and was renamed in 2002 in Oriental Longhair was born. Since 2009, the British Longhair ( British Longhair ) is recognized ( FIFe, TICA ). Family ashes Meier is supported since 2005 by a group of breeders in their quest to the German Longhair, now to re-establish itself under the name of German long-haired cat. To this end, she handed over in April 2009, five of their breeding animals of this group of breeders. The Ark Angora project is dedicated to breeding the other hand, an image, since it seems doubtful that the historical Angora cat, or in the course of its renaming in German Longhair, more than 60-80 years could outlast breeding detectable.

Origin of the name

The name " Angora " to the former region may be due Angora (now Turkey). Since the Angora goat and the angora rabbit from the region of modern Turkey originate a transfer of the name because of the equally long and silky fur on the Angora cat is likely.

Angora was formerly in use as a general term for long-haired animals, and today it is also, for example, the angora rabbit. Thus, this term appears in the late 19th century encyclopedias, as well as 1915 in Brehm's Animal Life or 1927 in the Angora cat from the 1st German Angora cat breed and Protection Association. Nicolas Claude Fabri de Peiresc could be the first to bring Angora cats from the Angora region to France, he collected rare plants and animals. From there, they soon arrived at the court of Louis XIII. and then to England.

The long-hair mutation

In the cattery today in addition to the short-hair cats long haired cats and semi-longhair cats are distinguished. Genetically considered, there is only a recessive genetic mutation for longhaired, is not a separate mutation, the semi-long hair would trigger. The difference between the original semi-long hair and long hair was achieved by selective breeding for the longhaired in the Persian cat. However, there are (as of July 2009) 4 different state forms of recessive mutation, ie, alleles of which is yet unknown to what extent they have different effects on the hair length and fullness. One of these variants is true for all semi- longhaired cats, and bred from them Persian cat, other either on the Ragdoll, Norwegian Forest Cat or Maine Coon.

The long-hair mutation is probably due to the Turkish cat (Turkish Angora ). Secured is not. However, it is likely that such long-haired cats, evolutionarily better adapted to harsh climatic conditions, by adapting to the habitat in the area of the high mountains of the Caucasus spread in northern and eastern areas after the end of the last ice age again. This would consist of the natural evolution of the Angora cat, the Siberian and Norwegian Forest Cat, made without human intervention by adapting and possessing explain a pronounced summer - winter change of coat and clear coat tufts between the toes that serve as snowshoes, and the appearance of similar cats the Song or Ming Dynasty of China. The coat color of the first imported into Europe long hair or angora cats, like white and gray or black, put similar to the arctic fox a climatically best accommodation near where the winter coat also have variants white or gray or black has. Long -haired cats of this origin are Asia later occupied in the course of contacts of the princely houses, conquests and the increasing commercial activity between Europe and Asia Minor, and since the 17th century. Speculation that the longhair gene from the Pallas cat originates, are still neither confirmed nor refuted, as it is a mutation. Rather, it can be assumed that these cats originated from mixing between the wildcat, Felis s.silvestris and the subspecies Felis s.caucasica before their domestication.

Because the long hair mutation is recessive, it can lie dormant in short-haired cats over many generations undetected, only to reappear. In many short-haired cat breeds and regional domestic cat beats the long hair mutation is present in this way. Take Breeder of longhaired cats to young, can arise such examples, the British Longhair new long-haired cat breeds.