The Turkish Angora cat evolved naturally in the mountains of Turkey many hundreds of years ago. The earliest written records of the breed trace back to France in the 1500s. Long-haired cats made their way to Britain and France as early as the late 1500s, coming from Russia, Persia, and Turkey. It’s likely that some of these were Turkish Angoras. In the early 20th century, European cat fanciers and breeders bred Angora cats to other long-haired breeds, including Persians. Before long, so much interbreeding had taken place that purebred Turkish Angora cats nearly became extinct. The cats were impossible to find outside of Turkey, where the breed is considered to be a national treasure. In the early 1900s, Turkey’s government and the Ankara Zoo developed a breeding program aimed at preserving the Angora cat breed. White Angora cats with blue eyes, gold eyes, or odd eyes (one blue eye and one eye in green, green-gold, or amber) were a main focus of the breeding program. In 1962, a U.S. Army colonel named Walter Grant was stationed in Turkey. He and his wife exported a pair of Turkish Angora cats to the United States. These cats came with pedigrees and interest in the breed grew rapidly. Even though it was difficult to import Angora cats, more breeders joined the effort and these beautiful cats once again proliferated in the West. The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) accepted Turkish Angora cats for registration in 1968, and in 1970, allowed provisional competition. In 1972, CFA granted the Turkish Angora championship status; however, this only applied to white Angoras. In 1978, CFA accepted all Turkish Angora cat colors for championship. All CFA Angora cats must have lineage that can be traced back to Turkey. Today, the Turkish Angora is recognized by major cat registries worldwide.