The Turkish Van is a breed of cat native to the rugged mountains of the Lake Van region in Eastern Turkey. Originally called the Turkish Cat, the name was changed in 1979 in the U.S. ( 1985 in the U.K.) to Turkish Van to better distance the breed from the Turkish Angora cat which had its origins around Ankara, in central Turkey. Historically, in Turkey, solid white is also the color for the Van Kedisi, which some consider to be synonymous with the Turkish Van.

Turkish Van Cat Origin

Turkish Van is a rare and ancient breed. The Van has survived virtually unchanged since Biblical times and shares the area known as "the cradle of civilisation" with mankind. It is a natural breed indigenous to the Lake Van region of Turkey.

Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes (having no outlet). The original outlet from the basin was blocked by an ancient volcanic eruption.

“Van” is a common term in the region that has been given to a number of towns, villages and even a lake - Lake Van - so it is no surprise that the uniquely patterned cat native to the region was named the “Vancat” by the residents.

Turkish Van cat history goes back several hundred years and is rooted in the culture of the Armenian people whose ancestral homeland has only been part of Turkey for about eighty years. Armenian folklore, poetry, and songs contain references to the Van cat dating back to the middle ages.

However, as required care has not been shown so far, they face loss of the species. The number of them has been decreasing day by day and the original breeds have been lost, while they were often seen in the region and almost each house had one in the past. People of Van call the cat "Pişik".

The modern and History of the Van began in 1955 when they were introduced in England. Turkish Van cats were "discovered" by two Englishwomen (Sonia Halliday and Laura Lushington). The most noticeable difference between Turkish Angora and Turksih Van however was that the coat was not pure white, but had auburn head markings and a faintly ringed auburn tail. Laura brought two unrelated cats back to Britain, and when they were mated they produced kittens bearing the same auburn markings.

Since that time, cats of other breeds that exhibit the classic pattern of a Turkish Van (i.e., color primarily on the head and tail) have been called "van patterned".

Most of the Turkish Vans alive today in Britain can have their origins traced back to the cats brought in by Laura Lushington. The registration requirements of the British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) stipulated that cats of unknown pedigree must show proof of pure breeding for at least four generations, during which they were shown under the Any Other Variety category. However in 1969, at the Kensington Kitten & Neuter Cat Club show, Turkish Vans were shown in Britain in their own class for the first time.

Although the breed has an ancient lineage, the Turkish Van is a relative newcomer to the United States, arriving in 1982. They are considered regional treasures in their homeland, and are not readily available for export to other countries.

Turkish Van - Swimming Cat

Do you know why the Turkish Van is called the swimming cat? The answer to this question is rooted in the history and origin of these cats. They are uniquely adapted to the rugged terrain of eastern Turkey and to fish for dinner in the many shallow streams of the area. Since most of the cats in modern breeding programs are only a few generations removed from Turkish imports, they still maintain their fondness of water. Additionally, the lustrous sheen of their fur is due in part to the presence of an oil that imparts water resistance to their coats; a necessity to dry off quickly after a dip.

Turkish Van Cat Appearence

The Turkish Van is a large, semi-longhaired cat with a swimmer's body. Ideal type should feature broad shoulders with a body that is 'top heavy', that is a cat with its center of gravity forward. The cat is moderately long and its back legs are slightly longer than its front legs but, neither the cat itself nor its legs are so long to be disproportionate. These cats are large and muscular and feature short necks. Male Vans grow to about 16 lbs (7.25 kg.) while Females tend to be a bit lighter in weight, 12 to 14 lb (5.44 to 6.35 kg.) A Van will take up to 3 years to reach full maturity. Vans have been known to reach 3 ft (0.9 m.) long from nose to tip of tail

The shoulders of the Turkish Van are broad with the ability for one to place three fingers between the legs at the chest area. It is said that large Van males are the only domestic cats that cannot follow their heads through a fence due to the broadness of their chest and shoulders. The rear end on the cat should not exceed the width of the shoulders - in other words, no bell bottomed or pear shape should be seen.

Turkish Van Cat Colors and Coats

The coat is the most fascinating trait on this cat. The climate change in Turkey throughout the year seems to have designed the cat's coat over time. Eastern Turkey is mountainous, and Lake Van sits over 5,260 ft (1600 m.) above sea level. The area faces such extreme temperatures during the summer and winter seasons that it is almost inhospitable. The semi–long haired, water resistant single coat, is thick in winter but very soft, like rabbit fur or cashmere. At maturity, the cat will have a winter mane. During the spring and summer months when Turkey becomes extremely hot, the long hair on the body is shed for a shorter coat that retains the cashmere feel. The hair on the tail remains long throughout the year and has the appearance of a bottle brush.

The traditional color of a Turkish Van is Red Tabby and White; as this was the first color exported out of Turkey. Later colors added were Cream, Black, Blue, Cream Tabby, Brown Tabby, Blue Tabby, Tortoiseshell, Dilute Tortoiseshell, Brown Torbie, and Blue Torbie.

The coloring of the Turkish Van should be limited to the head and tail with random body spots acceptable but all color should not exceed more than 20% of the entire cat with no lower case markings( marking on the legs). The random spots should not detract from the pattern. This would be a small color cap on the head with a white blaze to at least between the front edge of the ears, and a colored tail in any of the traditional colors. The rest of the cat is chalk white. Color can extend up the rump from the tail of the cat and patterned cats often have a random spot or spots of color on the shoulder or body. This is acceptable as the native people see this as the "Mark of Allah" left when Allah touched the cat to give it his blessing. A large rump spot above the tail is know as the toe boot of Noah because he got tired of the vans playing on the ark and kicked them off early so they learned to swim to spite him. White Turkish Vans should be solid white if that variety is accepted by their registration association.

How to Differenciate Turkish Angora and Turkish Van

Vans are sometimes confused with Turkish Angoras, although a side-by-side comparison reveals vastly different characteristics. Angoras are named after Ankara (Angora) and descended separately from the Vans. Angoras also carry the W gene associated with white fur, blue eyes and deafness while Vans do not. Van eye color can be amber, blue or odd (one each, amber and blue) but Vans with two blue eyes are not deaf like Angoras. As of late, some Vans have developed green eyes, though the green shade is not rated highly with breed associations.

How to Differenciate Turkish Van and Van Kedisi (Van cat)

Currently, in Turkey, the Van Kedisi (English: Van cat) is recognized only as an all white cat, generally with eyes of two different colors (see Odd-eyed cat). These cats may be either short or long haired. The all white Turkish Van is claimed to be genetically identical to the patterned cat with the exception of the white masking gene (W) that "covers" the pattern.

The Turkish Van Temperament

Turkish Vans are very intelligent, and will easily take over their home and owners. Vans are people cats that want to be with people wherever they go.

They are highly energetic, agile and intelligent. They are great climbers, which is, along with swimming skills, is most probably due to their origin, - so don't be surprised to find them on top of shelves or the curtain rail.

Many Vans are dedicated to fetching their particular object of interest, and many owners describe them as "dogs in a cat suit" because of their unusual personalities.

They like to play and jump and explore anything in their reach, which is quite large. They are energetic; they play hard and sleep hard.

An intriguing aspect of Turkish Vans is their insatiable curiosity for water. Turkish Vans love to play in the water and will join you in the tub for a dip or help you in the sink and are known as "the swimming cat." It has been known for Turks to swim in the bath, swimming pool or even the sea.

When it comes to courage, it is a known fact that the van has the heart of a lion. When cornered by dogs it will bite viciously to defend itself.