"We have a Turkish Angora cat, about aged 14, whom we adopted from Humane Society when she was 7. Her fur was in terrible shape, and she was scrawny. Her people had moved and left her at Humane. We scissored the knots out of her fur and let her do her own thing in the condo. She hid under the bed for about a year, coming out at night to eat. Gradually, she has straightened out, fattened up. She is a beautiful cat, blue eyes, LOTS of fur - but very picky. She wants what she wants when and how she wants it, only eats dry food, and will howl for no reason in the day time. I came to this site after searching for 'Turkish Angora howling for no reason!'....it is a pathetic, periodic howl - one would think she was sick or stuck somewhere, but that is not the case. She loves water, and likes to be petted but only in certain places (her chest) and only at certain times (when I am in bed trying to read a book). She resists any grooming, but I have tricked her by using my fingernails instead of a comb. She likes to have secrets - she will go outside on the condo deck, but only if no one is looking...it has to be a secret. If she sees that we see, she runs back in. We have a dog and another cat (also a Humane adoption). Finally, after 7 years here, she begins to try to play with the dog, sniffing him and wanting his attention. By this time, of course, he is more or less indifferent. She will wake us up in middle of night wanting our hands to stroke her - lousy timing. She is fat, but can spring to counter heights. She loves drinking water from faucet. I think she would go swimming if we had a pool. Although she is skittish about many things, she will - inexplicably - suddenly become 'Miss Affability' when guests are here - guests who probably do not WANT white cat hair all over their clothes. Then she enters the living room as though the party is all about her, and parades around, presenting herself. Her name is 'Princess' - probably should be 'Empress'... She is an interesting and inconsistent combo of indifference, seeming fear, social avoidance, self-containment, assertiveness, social, anti-social, dietary mono-kibble. We have taken her boating in Canada - she loves the boat and the ocean. She fell in once, and just paddled around! If we let her, she would leave the boat at night and explore. She did get out once when we were moored at a dock. We were lying in bed, looked up at the skylight, and thought 'there is a cat outside on our deck that looks just like....Princess!' then 'It IS Princess'. We could see her footprints all over the dock and the boat. Her adventure had to be a secret. She had gone out the porthole opening above the kitchen stove. So this is NOT a cat that is fearful in fact. But she sometimes acts that way - one of a kind! but I think a lot of it is the temperament of the Turkish Angora! "
"carol"
