Turkish Van

Turkish Van Cat Breeders and other Links

Turkish Angora

Turkish Vankedisi

History

A true-breeding variety which evolved within the Turkish Angora breed was the Turkish Van. Living high in the mountain regions of Lake Van, these cats were white with an attractive auburn coloring, restricted to ears and tail. The Van is an excellent swimmer - earning the name "The Swimming Cat" in its home land Turkey.

Cat-lovers have admired this beautiful breed for years, and even those who don't care much for cats can hardly keep from being touched by their beauty.

Sadly, there are not a lot of Van cats remaining. Their export from Turkey is prohibited, thus there are few abroad, and even within Turkey their numbers seem to be dwindling

Also:

The English Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday discovered the Turkish Van Cat in the middle of the 20th century. Archeological evidence hints that domestic cats were known in Turkey as long as 7000 years ago. Excavations by the British Archaeological Institute uncovered small Neolithic figures of women holding or playing with cats. These terracotta statuettes are thought to be the oldest representations of pet cats.But even so the Turkish Van probably existed long before than and probably is one of the oldest races in the world. A white longhaired cat with two coloured spots on the head and a coloured tale was seen on a roman shield. This shield dates from 75-387 BC when Armenia was occupied by the Romans. This battle armor is in the Louvre in Paris.The first two cats in Western Europe (in Normandy) probably arrived about 1930. They belonged to Mr Karelu from Turkey. These cats mixed up with the local cats.

The Turkish Vankedisi

The Turkish Angora

Type and characteristics

Body, legs and feet

The Turkish Van is a solidly built, semi-longhaired cat with great breadth to the chest. The strength and power of the cat is evidenced in its substantial body and legs. This Turkish Van takes 3 to 5 years to fully develop. Mature males should exhibit marked muscular development in the neck and shoulders. The shoulders should be at least as broad as the head, and flow into the well-rounded ribcage and then into a muscular hip and pelvic area. Turkish Van males are larger than females. The Turkish Van has moderate long and muscular legs, set wide apart and moderate large feet. Legs and feet should be in proportion to the body. Toes, five in front, four behind.

Tail

The tail is long, but in proportion to the body and with a brush appearance. Tail hair length same length as the semi-long coat length.

Coat

The coat is semi-long with a soft texture with no trace of undercoat. Due to the climate in their native country Turkey, this cat has two coat lengths. The cats summer coat is short, the winter coat is longer and thicker. The facial fur coat is short. A frontal neck ruff becomes more prominent with age.

Head

The head has a substantial broad wedge and gentle contours. The nose is of medium length. The cat has prominent cheekbones and in profile a nose with a slight dip below eye. The Turkish Van has a firm chin in a straight line with the nose and upper lip; rounded muzzle.

Ears

The cat's ears are slightly large in proportion to the body. The ears are set high and apart; the inside edge of the ear is slightly angled. The ear tips are slightly rounded. and should be well feathered.

Eyes

The eyes should be clear, alert and expressive, moderately large set at a slant.

Temperament

Turkish Vans are very intelligent and alert cats, and as such feel more secure

More Breed Descriptions on the Net

Turkish Van - CFA Breed Profile- includes breed standard.
Turkish Van Cat- includes links, pictures, breed information and more.
Turkish Van Resources on the Web - http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Bluffs/3583/page3.html

Turkish Van Cat Breeders and other Links

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