Cat Colors
Turkish Angora Cats

The Turkish Angora cat colors are many and varied. The original, preferred coat color was white, but for many years breeders have realized what a lovely, beautiful cat this is in many different colors. All colors and patterns are accepted, except those that show signs of outcrossing (hybridization) such as chocolate, lavender, Himalayan colors (and all these colors with white).

Turkish Angora Cat Colors - Solid

The Turkish Angora cat comes in many solid colors and all these colors should be even, the cat should have one color throughout, and there are to be no markings or shadings anywhere. Each hair is to be of even color from root to the tip of the hair.

White colored Angoras should have a pure, clear white color that has a beautiful silky sheen to it. The white colored Angora can have eyes that are blue, amber or odd-eyed. The nose leather and paw pads are pink.

As an example of cat colors, here is a photograph of a pure white amber-eyed Turkish Angora (Mithrandir's Suger Babe). 

Blue Angora Solid colored Angora can be dark or light colored blue, but the lighter shade is preferred. The nose leather and pads are of course blue. They are like lovely blue shadows, a very elegant color indeed.

Black Angoras are really jet black. The nose leather is black and the paw pads are either black or brown. Just imagine the grace and elegance of a shiny black Angora carrying its plume of a tail high in the air, looking at your with jewel-like eyes… There’s just that something special about totally black animals, they are so elegant and mysterious.

Here is a photo of a black Turkish Angora, Ch Antigone de Saint Paer. 

Cream Angora has a lovely warm color. And its nose leather and pads are pink.

Red Angoras have a deep, rich, red solid color from nose to tail. Its nose leather and paw pads are brick red.

Turkish Angora Cat Colors - Tabbies

Turkish Angora Cat Colors - Classic Tabbies

Tabby Angoras are really beautiful. Their markings of a classic Angora have a clear contrast between the light and dark areas. The head is barred, and the so called frown marks extend between the cat’s ears, over the head, and down to the back of the neck. On their shoulders they have a so called “butterfly” pattern which divides the head markings from the back area.

As an example of tabby cat colors: here is a photograph of a black tabby mackerel Turkish Angora (Mithrandir's Lola Lolita). 

The spine markings are wide dark stripes which are divided by paler stripes. These reach from the butterfly on the neck all the way to the tail.

The markings form a swirl on the cat’s sides, and this should be unbroken and centered. The swirl has a spot of the darker marking color, which is surrounded by the ground or base color.

The legs of a classic tabby Angora are barred. The “bracelets” meet the body markings. The tail is also evenly ringed.

It is preferred that the belly of the cat has a row of round spots in darker color. These looks like buttons and are called such as well.

It is all right for the cat to have white color around its lips and on its chin.

Turkish Angora Cat Colors  
Mackerel Tabbies

The mackerel tabbies differ from classical tabbies so, that their markings on the spine consist of one wide spine line or three spine lines. The lines are of unbroken and even color.

The frown lines, rings on the tail and leg “bracelets” are similar to those of a classical tabby Turkish Angora cats. All the markings of a mackerel tabby Turkish Angora cat should be of dense color.

Here are two photos of a black silver tortie tabby mackerel Turkish Angora, Mithrandir's Tequila Sunrise. 

Turkish Angora Cat Colors
Spotted tabby

In spotted tabby Turkish Angora cats the markings are just that: spotted. The spots may vary in size, but are preferably round and evenly spaced from each other. The spots should not look like a broken mackerel pattern. This tabby also has a dorsal stripe on its back, and this should preferable be formed of… you guessed, it: spots.

The face and head have the similar, typical tabby markings as the classic tabby and mackerel tabby. Also the legs and tail should be barred.

The lips and chin should be of the same color as the area around the eyes.

And the spotted tabby Turkish Angora should have spots or “buttons” on its belly too. (Somehow very appropriate, don’t you think?).

Turkish Angora Cat Colors
Torbie/ Patched Tabby

The patches of a torbie are red in color, and almost all torbies are female – just like calicos. A torbie can be with or without white color. A “hot” torbie has a lot of red, and the “cool” torbie has very little red in their coat.

A torbie has one x-chromosome that carries a non-red gene, and the other x-chromosome that carries the red gene. This causes the red patched to appear at random in the coat.

The face and head have the similar, typical tabby markings as the classic tabby and mackerel tabby. Also the legs and tail should be barred.

The lips and chin should be of the same color as the area around the eyes.

Turkish Angora Cat Colors - Tabby Colors

These are the cat colors of the tabby Turkish Angora cats:

Blue The base color is a pale blue ivory and the markings are in deep blue. The nose leather is old rose (what a lovely contrast to the blue coat!) and the paw pads are the color of old rose.

Red The base color is red, and the markings are an even deeper red. The nose leather and paw pads are brick red. (How elegant!)

Brown The base color is a rich, copper-shade brown and the markings are in black. The nose leather and pads are black or brown.

Silver The base color is a pure, pale silver and the markings are in jet black (the contrast is quite beautiful). The eyes of a silver tabby are green. The nose leather and pads are brick red. (What a lovely combination: brick red nose and bright green eyes!)

Cream The base color is a very pale cream and the markings are in darker cream. (How elegant…)The nose leather and pads are in pink.

Cameo The base color is off white (as compared to silver tabby which is a pure pale silver) and the markings are in red. The nose leather and pads are of a rose color. (The colors really are just like in a beautiful cameo brooch!)

Cream cameo The base color is off white and the markings are in darker cream color. The nose leather and the pads are pink.

Blue-silver The base color is a pale bluish silver and the markings are in deep and dark blue color. (What a cool combination!) The nose color and pads are of rose color.

Blue-silver patched The base color is pale bluish silver and the markings are blue. There are patches of soft intermingled areas of cream tabby. And the paw pads are blue, old rose and / or pink.

Tabby and white The colors are like those of a tabby cat with or without white color on the face (even though a white blaze is desired). But there has to be white of the bib, on all paws and belly. The desired ratio is one third of the body in white . The colors can be blue, silver, blue-silver, cream, cameo and cream cameo.

Here is an Angora whose color is black tabby mackerel with white , Mithrandir's Eragon. 

Turkish Angora Cat Colors -Smoke 

The hair of the smoke colored Turkish Angora cats is beautiful: the base color is white and each individual hair is deeply tipped with color. The overall effect is of even color when the cat is at rest, but when it begins to move, the white roots of the hairs shows clearly. Quite a beautiful effect – the term “smoke” really comes to mind.

Black smoke Base color is white, and each hair is deeply tipped with black. The nose leather and pads are black.

Here is photograph of a black smoke Turkish Angora, Angelicat Celesta Aida. 

Blue smoke Base color is white, each hair is deeply dipped with blue color. Nose leather and pads are of course blue.

Calico or red smoke Base color is white, each hair is deeply dipped with red. The nose leather and pads are rose-colored.

Here is a picture of a red smoke Turkish Angora, CFa Ch Azima's Ambrose of Mithrandir. 

Cream cameo smoke Base color is white, each hair is deeply dipped with cream color. The nose leather and pads are pink.

Blue-cream smoke Base color is white, each hair is deeply dipped with blue and cream colors. The nose leather is rose pink or blue, and these may be patched.

Tortoiseshell smoke Base color is white, each hair is deeply dipped with black and red (in different shades). The nose leather is rose pink or black, and may be patched.

Here is a picture of a black tortie smoke Turkish Angora, Mithrandir's Yasmina. 

Turkish Angora Cat Colors
Shaded Turkish Angoras

Shaded Turkish Angora cats have a mantle of darker color shading down their sides, face and tail, paler on the chin, chest, underside and belly and under the tail.

Shaded silver Base color is white, mantle is black. It is desirable for a shaded silver to have black lining around the eyes, lips and nose. The nose leather and pads are brick red.

Blue shaded silver Base color is white, the mantle is blue. The nose leather is rose and it is desirable for the cat to have blue outlining around the eyes, lips and nose. And the pads are rose or blue in color.

Cameo / Red shaded Base color is white, the mantle is red. The rims of eyes, the nose leather and pads are of rose color.

Tortoiseshell shaded Base color is white, mantle is of black and red shading. The nose leather, rims of eyes and pads are all rose or black and may be patched.

Blue-cream shaded Base color is white, mantle is of blue and cream. Nose leather, rims of eyes and pads are from rose pink to blue and may be patched.

Turkish Angora Cat Colors - Bicolor 

Solid colors and white These color combinations are: black and white, blue and white, red and white and cream and white. The feet, legs, chest, muzzle and underside of the Turkish Angora cats are preferably white. An inverted V on the face of the Angora is desired.

Here is a picture of a black and white Turkish Angora, Mithrandir's Gilead. (Don't you just love that black nose?) 

Smoke and white The smoke colors combined with white are: black smoke, blue smoke, cameo smoke, cream cameo smoke, and dilute calico smoke. White is the dominant color on underparts.

Here is a picture of a black smoke and white Turkish Angora, Hosca Kal Bom Chica Wah Wah. (What an adorable name! Must be one rhytmic purrsonality!) 

And for comparison: here is an especially pretty black tortie smoke and white Turkish Angora: Mithrandir's Isabella doing what Turkish Angoras do best - climbing as high as they can and then wondering how could they get even higher. 

Calico smoke White color with patches of white-rooted and deeply color-tipped hairs. The colors are black and red. White color is again dominant on the underparts.

Dilute calico smoke White color with patches of white-rooted and deeply color-tipped hairs. The colors are blue and cream.

Other Turkish Angora Cat Colors

Tortoiseshell A tortoiseshell Turkish Angora is black in color with unbrindled red and cream patches. It is preferable for the cat to have a red, red and cream or cream blaze on its face.

Here is a picture of a black silver tortie tabby mackerel Angora (Mithrandir's Lovely Lilo). 

Calico The calico Turkish Angora is white with unbrindled red and black patches. Tabby markings are allowed on the red areas. A calico Angora is predominantly white on the underside.

As an example of Turkish Angora cat colors, here is a picture of a calico Angora - Mithrandir's Laurelin. 

Dilute calico The base color is white with distinct patches of blue and cream. Tabby markings are allowed on the cream colored parts. And just like the traditional calico, a dilute calico is also predominantly white on the underside.

Bluecream calico The base color is white, and there are unbridled patches of cream and blue. White is the dominant color of the underparts.

Tortoiseshell and white The head, back and sides are in black, red and cream – preferably in clearly defined patches. The belly, throat and legs are white. It is desirable for thetortoiseshell Angora cat to have one side of the face black and the other red, cream or red and cream. (How pretty!)

Bluecream and white The head, back and sides are blue and cream. The belly, legs and throat are white. And it is desirable for one side of the face to be blue and the other cream (cute!).

So as you can see there are plenty of Turkish Angora cat colors to choose from. But if you have decided that the Turkish Angora cat is the right pet for you, cat colors aren't really the decisive factor. Which ever Angora you have - it is always beautiful!

I want to thank the Mithrandir Cattery for the permission to use their beautiful photos to illustrate this article. They no longer breed Turkish Angoras, but their offspring are benefiting the breed around the world.

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