This is a no-problem cat! Or, as they’d say in this beauty’s homeland, “sorun yok!” Let’s continue our feline language lesson and meet the Anatolian cat! “Miyav!” (Turkish for “meow”).
History of the Breed
A country’s pride! That’s usually what people say about native cat breeds. The homeland of these “no-problem cats,” Turkey, can rightly call the Anatolian cat its national treasure.
The Turkish Shorthair is considered a naturally developed breed. Long ago, these cats appeared on their own around Lake Van in Turkey. Later, breeders noticed them and appreciated the “wild look” of these lake nymphs.
In the 1980s, Anatolian cats were first shown to the public at a cat show in Germany, in the town of Castrop-Rauxel. Three Turkish beauties defended the breed’s honor: odd-eyed “Van kedisi” (Turkish for “cat from Van”). The Turkish cats won rave reviews. That’s when the Anatolian cat’s domestic era began. In 2000, the World Cat Federation registered the Anatolian as a breed (a shorthaired variety of the Turkish Van).
Anatolian Cat Breed Description
It’s as if Turkish pop star Tarkan were singing love songs to Anatolian cats. They really are hard to keep quiet, they really can “sing,” and they really are gorgeous. The breed standard offers a less poetic but very detailed description.
- The Anatolian cat’s head is medium-sized and triangular. The cheekbones are high, the chin strong and the profile straight:
- the ears are on the large side, wide at the base and rounding toward the tips. They’re set high and upright. The head and ears carry the breed’s characteristic markings, divided by a white blaze;
- its eyes are two three-carat diamonds. And, as befits an Eastern beauty, they’re large, oval and slanted. Eye color can be anything, as long as it harmonizes nicely with the coat;
- the neck is thick and strong.
- Kittens of this breed never grow up small. Their size is more like L to XL. Anatolian cats are medium to large, with solid muscles regardless of sex and fairly sturdy bones. Overall, Anatolian cats are rather stocky:
- the tail is very mobile (even the tip). It’s medium-length, in proportion to the body and well furred. The tail is always darker than the rest of the coat, and its fur is longer than elsewhere on the body.
- the legs aren’t long but are strong. You wouldn’t call them aristocratic; they’re more like the legs of an “ortakçı,” a Turkish word for a peasant farmer (study the standard and you might accidentally learn Turkish).
Anatolian males are noticeably larger than females. Females weigh up to about 11 lb, while males reach about 11–15 lb.
- Coat
An Anatolian kitten’s coat is unusual. First, it has no undercoat, and second, it’s water-repellent! It’s also short and very fine. And it even crunches slightly to the touch!
- Color
An Anatolian cat can be gray, white, blue, black, red, tortoiseshell… but never pointed (Siamese pattern), cinnamon or chocolate. Those colors are not allowed by the standard.
Personality
Being a native breed has shaped the Anatolian cat’s personality in fascinating ways. How can you tell you’re looking at a Turkish Shorthair? Put on some Tarkan! What other cat can move to the beat and even sing along?
The Anatolian cat is very musical. And very talkative. Owners say these cats rarely meow; the rest of the time they chirp, click, coo and call “ma-ma.” They have a lot to say, with facial expressions to match. A familiar scene: the Anatolian cat says “Ma-ma,” nods toward its empty bowl, or frowns and suffers next to an overflowing litter box.
There are, of course, differences in temperament compared with man-made breeds. Anatolians mature early (females at 7–9 months, males at about a year). They have a lively, stormy temperament; they weren’t bred specifically to live comfortably with people. But you can easily live with that temperament.
This cat jumps, runs, swims and rustles about; it has to be involved in everything. And it’s so smart! An Anatolian cat easily learns the names of objects and, with the right command, will fetch what you need (what’s the Turkish for “slippers,” or “a stick of salami”?).
Health
The Turkish Shorthair (also called the Anatolian) doesn’t suffer from genetic diseases; that curse has passed it by. The only point worth discussing in detail is parasite prevention.
Life around Lake Van made these cats freedom-loving, and their domestic descendants inherited a passion for fresh-air outings. You can’t coax them indoors for hours; they’d happily run around a yard all day. For their safety, give them outdoor time on a harness or in a secure catio.
IMPORTANT! After every outing, check your cat for external parasites. Better yet, use vet-recommended flea and tick prevention and give preventive medication for internal parasites. Otherwise, no problem!
The Anatolian cat lives 15–20 years.
Care and Living Conditions
Caring for this breed follows the same slogan: “Anatolian cat? No problem!” It won’t give you any trouble or difficulty, because breeders didn’t create this breed: nature did. The Lake Van “cattery” raised a cat that knows perfectly well how to take care of itself.
These Turkish beauties put personal hygiene first and groom themselves thoroughly. All the owner has to do is check from time to time that the cat hasn’t missed anything, and finish brushing the coat, cleaning the ears or wiping the eyes.
The breed’s one obvious drawback is that these cats can’t do their own manicure and pedicure. You could leave their claws as they are, but your furniture would suffer badly. So that the cost of reupholstering doesn’t spoil the joy of your pet, trim the nails regularly or provide scratching posts and nail-filing devices.
Feeding
Centuries in the wild gave today’s Anatolian cats an excellent appetite. But despite being big eaters, they aren’t prone to gaining weight.
Experts recommend feeding these cats commercial food, although their digestive system is better suited to fresh food. They wouldn’t mind some raw meat themselves, but when planning a homemade menu, choose cooked beef, chicken, fish and organ meats. Cheese, cottage cheese, eggs and fermented dairy can also be on the menu, if your cat tolerates them.
Photos
An interesting fact: the breed’s history shows that cats were constantly taken out of their native region, mostly white ones, since that color was exotic for Europe. As a result, white Anatolian cats became quite rare in Turkey. European lines of white Anatolians, however, pose in countless photos online.
Where to Buy an Anatolian Kitten
Even today, the breed is little known outside Turkey, and Anatolian kittens are rare. In the US, the CFA and TICA don’t recognize the Anatolian (Turkish Shorthair), and we couldn’t find a US cattery.
There’s no established US price. If you’re set on one, look for a WCF-registered breeder in Turkey or Europe through the World Cat Federation, ask for pedigree papers and plan for import costs (shipping, a vet health certificate and a rabies vaccination). The price of the kitten itself is usually modest, especially given the breed’s unique traits.
If you love the look, the closely related Turkish Van is recognized in the US, and you can find registered breeders here:
- CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) Find a Breeder – https://find-a-breeder.cfa.org/;
- TICA (The International Cat Association) breeder listings – https://tica.org/find-a-cat/find-a-cat-breeder-listings/;
The Anatolian cat: wild at heart, kind in soul!
