Abyssinian vs Turkish Angora — Side by Side

	Abyssinian	Turkish Angora
Lifespan	9-13 years	15-20 years
Size	Medium	Medium
Weight	8-12 lb	5-10 lb
Energy	Very high	High
Grooming	Low	Moderate
Shedding	Low	Moderate
With kids	With supervision	With supervision

What actually separates them

Less hair on the sofa with the Abyssinian. More with the Turkish Angora.
Less brushing with the Abyssinian. More with the Turkish Angora.
Calmer of the two is the Turkish Angora. The one that needs more exercise is the Abyssinian.
Turkish Angora tends to live longer — 15-20 years against 9-13 years.

The honest downside of each

Abyssinian

Abyssinians are one of the most perpetually active cat breeds that exists and generally dislike being held or restrained, which is the opposite of what most people picture when a breeder describes a 'friendly, people-oriented' cat.

Turkish Angora

A white Turkish Angora — especially one with blue eyes — carries a meaningfully higher risk of being born completely deaf, a well-documented side effect of the same gene that gives the breed its prized pure-white coat, which is why responsible breeders BAER-test white kittens' hearing before selling them.

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Abyssinian · Turkish Angora
Health problems, origin and what living with each is actually like.