| Country of Origin: | Turkey |
| Colors: | White |
| Average Size: | Weight: 12-14 lbs ( 5.4 – 6.35 kg) Length: Large |
| Life Span: | 10-14 years |
| Coat: | Semi-long |
| Personality: | Very smart, friendly, affectionate and devoted, which makes them wonderful companions |
| Characteristics: | Energy: Active Talkative: Little Kid Friendly: Yes Allergic: No |
Unique among the small cats, Turkish Van cat loves the water and enjoys swimming! It is well known that most of the domestic cats run away from any kind of water – although they will sit mesmerized for hours and watch a goldfish in an aquarium! This cat breed, however, for several hundred years lived in the area of Lake Van in Turkey and this is probably from where they get their fascination with water.
Just as the Turkish Angora cat, the Turkish Van cat has had limited opportunities growing out of their region, and the long-haired characteristics become permanent, so they become a real long-haired breed with a “foreign” body.
Legend says that the white spot in the middle of the forehead of Van cats is actually a fingerprint of Allah’s thumb. The modern history of Turkish Van cats began in 1955 when two British tourists brought two cats, as souvenirs, and then founded the breed in the UK. Although the breed quickly spread through Europe, it was officially recognized only in 1969. Until 1982 the Turkish Van cat arrived to North America, where she got accepted by CFA and TICA.
Turkish Van breeders use a lot of poetic descriptions, when trying to describe the colors of this cat breed. Reddish- maroon pattern, together with large oval amber eyes was the original appearance of Turkish Van cats in the fifties of the 20th century.
Van cats in their homeland of Turkey developed a very thick winter coat to protect them from freezing temperatures. During the summer they abundantly shed, rejecting almost all the winter coat. The soft coat is water resistant and changes its position with each cat’s movement.
It is a very muscular cat, ideally built for swimming: the body is long, legs are of medium length, and the paws are round and small, with tufts of hair on the toes and pink pads. In terms of temperament, Van cats retained their sense of independence which was inherited from ancestors – rural cats accustomed to extreme temperatures and hard life.
