Turkish Van Cats

Though the Turkish Van is an ancient cat breed, its presence in the United States is fairly recent. In 1955, the Turkish Van was introduced to England as Turkish cats. They were later renamed Turkish Van to limit confusion with Turkish Angora cats. This cat breed was not introduced to the United States until 1982.

The Turkish Van is originally from a region of central and southwest Asia. The term “Van” is commonly used to refer to things in this region, including a lake and villages. In this region, the Turkish Van was called the Vancat.

Turkish Van cats are playful and intelligent. Unlike most cat breeds, Turkish Vans like to play in and around water. In their native region, the Turkish Van cats were commonly called “The Swimming Cats.” The texture of the coat makes the coat water-resistant. The cashmere-like coat is semi-long. Though the coat is soft and semi-long, it is not prone to matting. Periodic grooming is often enough to keep the coat in good condition.

The coloring of the Turkish Van cat breed is predominantly white with patches of color limited to the head and tail. This color pattern has been called van. Other cat breeds may have this color pattern as one of their possible colors. The patches of color on Turkish Vans can be solid black, solid red, solid cream, solid blue, tabby, tortoiseshell, or patched tabby. A Turkish Van’s large ears are set high on the head and well apart.

The noses of Turkish Vans are pink with no variation according to coat coloring as with many cat breeds. Eyes of Turkish Van cats can be amber, blue, or odd eyes. The eyes are rounded with a slight slant. Slower than many cat breeds, the Turkish Van kittens take up to five years to reach full maturity.

Their bodies are muscular, broad, and moderately long. The legs are long and muscular. The tails are also long, but should be in proportion to the body. The overall appearance of the Turkish Van cat breed is one of sturdiness and balance. The features, including the ears, tail, and legs, should all be proportionate to the large body.