Anatolian cats: description of the breed, features of the content

The cat is perhaps the most popular pet, and for good reason. After all, this is a surprisingly cozy, affectionate creature. If you are looking for a not too capricious and friendly breed, pay attention to the Anatolian cat. It has long been in demand in many countries, including Russia. Perhaps their appearance will seem ordinary to many, especially in comparison with the new original breeds, but their character, love for people is amazing. Otherwise, Anatolians are called Turkish cats, of course, they owe this to their historical homeland.

The Anatolian cat was once a wild cat and led a free lifestyle in the east of Antalya. Pride in the origin of this breed is still characteristic of the Turks. At first, Lake Van was the habitat of free cats, then a rather long chain of evolution and change took place, then the cat was domesticated. As a result of these processes, the Turkish breed was formed. In modern Turkey there are a lot of wild cats of this breed, they fought off people and run wild. Nevertheless, there are still very many purebred representatives.

The official recognition of cats took place in the mid 90-ies of the XX century, despite the fact that Turkish cats have a very long history. At this exhibition, the breed made a strong impression on many European breeders, after which the Anatolian cat began its victorious procession in different countries. Turkish Shorthair was included in the list of thoroughbred representatives in 2000.

The external features of this short-haired cat breed are not very remarkable:

• medium size, variable weight - from 3 to 6 kg depending on gender, males, naturally, are larger;
• the muscles are developed, the skeleton is extremely strong, so the appearance of a cat is squat, stocky type;
• even kittens already have a strong build, grow very quickly if they are properly looked after and fed;
• outlines of the back of a direct type;
• the pelvis is smaller than the front of the body;
• the neck is rather powerful, the tail and paws of an adequate size body are medium;
• the head is like a triangle, medium size;
• the muzzle is distinguished by a pronounced chin and convex cheekbones;
• the area of ​​the head and ears has the original pigmentation, which is divided by light stripes;
• ears are straight, high, with down inside, broad at the base, the ends are rounded;
• eyes of very unusual almond-ellipsoid shape, slightly mow;
• the coat is short, elongated on the tail, but not too much, the coat is harsh, thinned, crunchy;
• wool repels water very well, so they do not need much time to dry;
• the undercoat is not very pronounced;
• color is allowed varied, with a darkening of the tail.

First of all, owners note such qualities of pets as vigor, active behavior, they are very curious, like to run, play. The character is extremely lively, playful at any age. They love to talk with the owners, so they become very faithful friends of a person and even family members. These cats love water, which distinguishes them from the entire cat tribe, therefore they bathe with pleasure, especially since they dry out at an incredible speed.

It doesn't matter how much your family is, Anatolians will take root in it perfectly, but you need to be prepared for the fact that they will choose one owner, whom they will obey. With this person they will spend almost all of their time and clearly give preference to him in any situation.

Their chosen one will constantly see how the cat rubs his legs, purrs, rumbles, jumps to his knees, waves his tail. Anatolian cats can frown, if you carefully follow their muzzle, you can notice it. Anatolians meow in a special way, the sounds are very reminiscent of a bird cry or tweet, while their voice is not sharp, but soft, melodic, quiet.

Cats can show their owner that they have cause for concern. If you have a kettle boiling, or you forgot to close the faucet, the cat will find a way to report it.

According to standards, the color of the Anatolian cat can vary, the range of acceptable colors is quite wide: gray, white, red and others. At the same time, there is an important feature without which the cat will not receive a certificate - the correspondence of the color of the body and tail in favor of darkening the latter. The most common colors:

• grey;
• the black;
• white;
• blue;
• ginger;
• tortoiseshell.

Variation of colors nevertheless does not allow Siamese, chocolate or cinnamon color. In this case, the pigment can lie in different ways: tabby, tricolor, bicolor. As for the color of the eyes, there is no color that is not allowed by the standards, white cats most often have a different shade of eyes.

Cats, in principle, are able to keep themselves clean; this is one of the cleanest creatures in the animal world. Anatolians are neat, so they always look great, neat and beautiful. This does not mean that they do not need help with care. In order for the cat's appearance to always be spectacular, certain procedures are mandatory.

• Combing. Although the coat is of a short type, it is nevertheless necessary to comb out it every week, especially during the period of dropping the coat. Use a special tool - a soft brush with frequent teeth.When the animal molts, it is necessary to increase the number of combing.
• Water treatments. Cats are bathed when the need arises, there is no strict regulation, but not more often than once a month. Since Turkish cats adore water and often ask to bathe, it is necessary to proceed from their abilities, you can bathe more often if you have time. There are Anatolian cats who are constantly ready to sit in the bathroom and jump to those who are going to take a shower.
• Ear cleaning. This procedure is best done once every 2 weeks or more often with cotton wool, chopsticks and Chlorhexidine. Movements must be neat, thoughtful.
• Eye brushing. Daily eye care is a must. You need to clean with a cotton wool disc, which is pre-soaked in warm water, tea leaves, herbal infusion, broth, eye care fluid - to choose from.
• Claws. You need to cut the claws about once or twice a month, you can not start this process, since the Anatolians have very hard type and fast-growing claws. The procedure is performed with scissor claws. In addition, make sure that the cat has where to sharpen its claws. If you don’t do this, interior items will come into play: sofa, carpets, chairs, legs of a table or chair
• Teeth. After about a day, two, it is necessary to clean the pet’s teeth with a special paste and a brush. It does not require rinsing and is purchased either at pet stores or in pet stores.

The only recommendation is to buy paper-based or wood-based filler for young Anatolians so that the granule accidentally eaten does not harm the kitten. The main thing is to regularly change the filler, otherwise the animal will begin to look for other places.

Cats of this breed can and should be walked, because by nature they are very freedom-loving. Ideally, it is better to have such a cat for owners of private houses so that the pet can regularly walk in a fenced area. If you live in an apartment, you should take care of a special leash.

One of the most pleasant character traits of the Anatolian cat is its unpretentiousness in food, which was formed when they were free to live and to get their own food. This cat is a predator by nature and knows how to get food, despite the fact that he has become domestic, these traits are ineradicable. If desired, cats can be fed regular food or special feeds of a dry and other type. If you prefer a natural menu, then foods such as:

• beef, turkey, boiled veal;
• boiled chicken;
• rabbit meat;
• cheese, cottage cheese;
• offal of various types;
• fish scalded with boiling water;
• boiled eggs;
• dairy products;
• cereals;
• boiled vegetables;
• occasionally raw meat.

Feline digestive tract perfectly digests natural products, while cats quite easily get used to different types of feed. You can not boil the meat, freeze, and then pour boiling water over it. It is very important to water the animal on time, fresh water should be available around the clock, it must be changed every day, not allowing stagnation. It is better to organize feeding in this way - for kittens 5 meals a day, for adult cats - two meals a day.

The appetite, as a rule, in healthy cats is very good, but they are not prone to obesity - they move a lot and are very active by nature. Overfeeding does not threaten them, since they finish eating after saturation. If it is important for you to be guided by numbers, then 1 kg of animal weight should average 30 grams of feed. Protein foods should be 4/5 of the total diet. In this case, cats need carbohydrates and fats.Both the animal and the owners are more comfortable if the cat is accustomed to a certain feeding time. Give him food at the same time, what is not eaten, you need to immediately remove.

What should be excluded from food completely:

• sweets, for example, sweets or cookies, rolls, chocolates;
• salty food, as well as seasoned with spices;
• fatty meats, such as pork;
• fried food.

Thanks to the ancestral genes, Anatolian cats are very strong and are distinguished by excellent health, their immunity copes with parasites, viruses and infections. These troubles happen infrequently to them. And serious diseases all the more rarely affect representatives of this breed. If you provide competent care, the cat can live with you for more than 15 years.

If your plan does not include breeding, it is better to castrate or sterilize your pet. Sterilize after the animal is 8 months old, and preferably up to a year. The maximum age for this procedure is 2 years, after this milestone health problems may arise. Castration is carried out in the period from 10 months to 2 years. It is important to carry out these manipulations before the cat matures and his habits are formed. In addition, the younger the cat, the faster it will get to its feet. Early surgery is also not recommended, otherwise it will cause a developmental delay.

After the operation is done, you need to provide the pet with full care in order to prevent possible complications. Entrust your little friend only to a trusted doctor, and after the operation, follow these rules:

• the cat needs peace, save the animal from noise;
• there is a danger that the pet will be too active in licking the seams, and they will separate, so provide him with a special blanket belt;
• food can be given only after 12 hours;
• daily check the condition of the joints, treat them with “Chlorhexidine” or peroxide;
• stay close, do not move too actively;
• you can give an anesthetic if the veterinarian gave the go-ahead and indicated the dosage.

For the purchase of an Anatolian cat, you need to contact only trusted breeders, in nurseries. Anatolians are bred in Greece, Germany, Holland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia. There are no nurseries in our country, but quite a few breeders specializing in this breed.

You can learn more about the intellectual abilities of Turkish cats from the video below.