- Breed name: Turkish van
- Origin: Turkey
- Size: Big cat
- Average life expectancy: 9-15 years
The Turkish van cat, or swimming cat as it is better known, originates from the area around Lake Van. She loves water and swimming and gets along well with other pets. By its behaviour, it resembles a dog more than a cat.
ORIGIN
Turkish Van is an extremely old breed, some sources claim that it existed before the new era. It originates from eastern Turkey, from the area around Lake Van, after which it got its name. Officially they were recognised as a breed by the International Felinological Association in 1969, and was presented at the exhibition only after 1983. It became famous in the United States in 1982.
Turkish van is one of the extremely rare breeds, even in its native Turkey, where it is considered a national treasure.
APPEARANCE
Turkish Van cat is a very strong, large and long cat, built for swimming. She has wide breasts and a muscular neck. The legs of this cat are of medium length with round paws and tufts between the toes. The head is slightly triangular, with a medium-long and straight nose and a strong chin. The ears are oval, with slightly rounded tips, medium in size with pinkish inner strands of hair. The eyes are large, slightly slanted and can only be amber or blue. As with the Turkish Angora cat, which is very similar to this breed, it can happen that she has one eye in one colour and the other eye in another colour. The coat is smooth, soft and semi-long. It is white with a colour stain on the head and a tail that must be the same colour as the stain on the head. Recognised stain colours are black, blue, red and cream.
CHARACTER
Turkish Van is intelligent, gentle and extremely attached to people. At the same time, she is quite independent and has kept some wild traits, so it takes time to gain her trust. She is not one of those cats who likes to spend time sitting in the owner’s lap. Turkish van resembles a dog in her behaviour because she loves to play by bringing a ball or any object that you throw at her. She is very intelligent, learns quickly and will open doors, cupboards or run tap water without any problems. She gets along well with other animals and loves water and swimming.
HEALTH AND CARE
Her fur is not demanding to maintain, so is enough to brush it once a week, except in the moulting season, when it is necessary to do it every day. This cat is considered extremely healthy, without known genetic diseases, but it needs to be provided with a sufficient amount of physical activities because it is prone to obesity.
Statistics
(on a scale of 1 to 5)
- Energy level: 4/5
- Level of playfulness: 4/5
- Relationship to other pets: 5/5
- Attitude towards children: 4/5
- Maintenance required: 2/5
- Independence: 3/5