Turkish Van

Coat length	Semi-longhair
Weight	Male: Ø 6-9 kg Female: Ø 4.5-6 kg
Coat colours:	Red Cream Black Blue Tortoiseshell
Coat patterns:	Van pattern
Activity / playfulness
Grooming needs

The Turkish Van, sometimes called the swimming cat or Van cat, is a relatively rare breed associated with eastern Turkey. It takes its name from Lake Van and the rugged, isolated surrounding region. Accounts of cats in the area reach far back into history, although claims that the modern breed is more than 2,000 years old should be distinguished from its documented breeding history. Its characteristic features are a dense, semi-long coat and the colour distribution known as the Van pattern.

In its shorter summer coat, a Turkish Van can be mistaken for a Turkish Angora. A closer look reveals clear differences between the breeds.

The Van pattern

The characteristic pattern consists of separate coloured areas on the upper head near the ears and a coloured tail, against a predominantly white body. It is a form of extensive white spotting. The amount and distribution of white cannot be inferred from a single simple inheritance rule.

Cats with this pattern are found across the Middle East. Nineteenth-century artists depicted them; one example is John Frederick Lewis’s painting “The Arab Scribe, Cairo”. The pattern also occurs in non-pedigree domestic cats.

Origins and history

Historical accounts associate cats of this appearance with the Lake Van region of eastern Anatolia. The older source article mentions depictions of a large white cat with a ringed tail on weapons and banners connected with Roman campaigns in Armenia. Such images do not establish a continuous pedigree for the modern breed.

In 1955, two British women, Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday, encountered these cats in Turkey. They brought a pair to Britain and began a breeding programme, later importing five more cats from Turkey.

The GCCF recognised the breed in 1969 and FIFe in 1971. The first Turkish Vans arrived in the United States in 1982, and the CFA accepted the breed for championship competition in 1994.

Appearance

Eyes

The large, oval, slightly slanting eyes may be amber, blue or odd-eyed, with one blue eye and one amber eye.

Build

The Turkish Van is a large, strong, semi-longhaired cat. Traditional examples have chestnut-red markings, a noticeable ruff, breeches on the hind legs and a full, bushy tail. The head is wedge-shaped, the nose long, and the ears large and pointed, with visible furnishings.

The chest is approximately as broad as the head. The body is muscular, with large paws, tufts between the pads and strong claws. The nose leather, paw pads and inner ears are pink. Males may reach around nine kilograms and females around six kilograms.

Like many large breeds, Turkish Vans mature slowly and may take up to four years to finish growing.

Pattern and colours

Most of the body is white, traditionally described as chalk-white to warm ivory. Colour is largely confined to two areas on the upper head and the tail, which often has rings. Small additional coloured body spots may be permitted.

Traditional standards emphasise red and cream. Other associations also accept black, blue, tabby patterns and the corresponding tortoiseshell colours. Chocolate and colourpoint markings are not part of the traditional standard. Exact registration requirements depend on the association.

Turkish Vankedisi

Entirely white cats associated with the Van region are also known as Vankedisi, from the Turkish “Van kedisi”, meaning Van cat. All-white is not the same colour as cream. The older source records the GCCF introducing provisional recognition under the Turkish Vankedisi name in 2005. Terminology and registration treatment differ between countries and associations; local Turkish Van cats and the internationally bred patterned Turkish Van should not automatically be treated as identical populations.

Coat texture

The coat is semi-long and silky, with little woolly undercoat. The tail is very bushy and a pronounced ruff develops in the fuller coat. Hair on the belly can be noticeably longer than on the body.

The seasonal difference is striking: the winter coat is fuller and insulating, while the summer coat is much lighter and featherier. Its soft feel is sometimes compared with cashmere or rabbit fur.

Temperament

Turkish Vans are generally described as intelligent, quick to learn, active, curious and playful well into adulthood. They can be very sociable and demanding of attention. Many have a strong, expressive, melodic voice and form a particularly close bond with a favourite person, whose company they actively seek.

The breed is famous for an interest in water, which led to the nickname “swimming cat”. Individual preferences vary. At home, an inquisitive cat may investigate vases, aquariums or toilets. Secure covers and sensible supervision help prevent accidents; a reputation for enjoying water does not make open water automatically safe.

Van cats in Turkey

The older source article reports 92 white Van cats in Turkey in 1992 and around 100 cats in a university breeding programme in 2006. These are historical figures, not a current population count. It describes the research centre at Yüzüncü Yıl University in Van, established to preserve these cats and investigate features such as odd-coloured eyes.

The same historical account mentions initial funding of US$200,000 and a later withdrawal of government support. Its quoted export penalty is not presented here as current law. Anyone considering moving an animal across borders should obtain the applicable requirements from the responsible authorities.