The Turkish Angora profile consists of two planes, and does not have a "break". The upper cat is a domestic longhair, while the lower cat is a Turkish Angora. It is also important for shelters to realize that the color white does not reliably identify a long or medium - haired cat as an Angora.
The frontal view of the Turkish Angora face consists of a wedge or a modified wedge. Depending on the quality of the cat, the wedge may be narrow or wide, but should not have rounded sides or a pinch between the cheekbones and the whisker pad. The cat on the left is a domestic longhair, while the cat on the right is a Turkish Angora.
The ears of the Turkish Angora should stand straight upright, or nearly so. The ears of a domestic longhair, Maine Coon, or other such breeds, will be tipped out in a V-shape. Further, the Turkish Angora ears are unusually large, and wide at the base.
A Persian ancestor creates roundness in the features of our Persian mix, on the right in this photo. In the center, we have a show quality Turkish Angora for comparison. Note his long slender legs, large upright ears, and wedge-shaped face. On the left we have a pet quality Turkish Angora, with the same large upright ears, placed further apart on the top of the head. Our pet Turkish Angora still has the typical wedge-shaped face, but his muzzle is slightly wider. He also has more coat, as he is an older adult.
The cat in this illustration is typical of the cats we receive, which are not Turkish Angoras. Shelters contact us about them because they are white, and the assumption is made that this is an Angora. While we do assist this type of cat whenever we have the space to do so, we wonder whether shelters are missing the identification of Turkish Angoras that are not white. Note the V shaped ear-set, the wide muzzle, and the rounder face.
The white Maine Coon can sometimes be mistaken for the Turkish Angora in the shelter setting. The first clue we pursue is the weight of the cat. The Turkish Angora will weigh no more than 9 pounds, with 5 - 8 pounds being more typical. In contrast, the Maine Coon should weigh in at 12 pounds (female) or 15 pounds (male) at MINIMUM, with Maine Coon weights exceeding 20 pounds in some cases. Cats that are in the middle range between the two breeds may be poor quality Maine Coons, or may be domestics, but are unlikely to be Turkish Angoras.
The next clue is the heaviness or lightness of the bone in the cat's leg... the Turkish Angora is spritely, while the Maine Coon is sturdy and heavy-boned.
Other differences are found in the face... the Maine Coon does not have an upright earset. His muzzle should be a square or a rectangle, in comparison to the Turkish Angora's wedge shape.
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