Turkish Van Cat
Today let’s cover another cat breed the Turkish Van, the characteristic which is commonly known about this breed by the general public is that they love water and are said to be able to swim and perhaps some of them can, beyond that the average person will known little more about them.
By the way their name may well be connected with lake Van which is the largest lake in Turkey and of course this would go some way to link to their love of water.
So beyond them being swimming cats what else is known about them? They are in fact a rare and ancient breed of cat and cats similar to Turkish Vans have been pictured on ornaments dating as far back to 5,000 B.C. This breed did not just originate in Turkey but can be found in a large area which includes the modern countries of Iran, Iraq, and Syria as well as parts of modern day Turkey. Legend has it that cats similar to Turkish Vans were brought back to England by the Crusaders on their return from the Holy Land though they were at that time called Ring Tailed Cats or Russian Cats. These few specimens must have soon assimilated with local cats and their identity became diluted and lost.
In modern times they were imported into England around 1955, at that time they were called the Turkish Cat but this name was soon changed to avoid confusion with Turkish Angora another existing breed but they are in fact two very distinct breeds and one is not a variation of the other. The breed became established in England amongst Cat Fanciers and Cat Show People and some twenty years later they were being bred in the United States and in other countries of the world as well.
While they are established world wide as a recognised breed Turkish Vans are rare in the UK, I can only remember seeing a couple of them over the years and I am told that even in Turkey and the other countries they originate from they are rare as well. I have never bought a cat in my life, I have always just picked up ones that needed homes but If I was to buy a pedigree cat the Turkish Van would be very high on my list. To my mind they are ” proper ” cats, they are large, strong, hunky cats with a strong sense of curiosity and an intelligent streak that has been passed down over the generations. They are said to take longer than other cats to mature and their full size and development only occurs after two or three years, and as far as I can find out they seem to be a healthy hardy breed.
One of the most obvious feature of a Turkish Van is his coat. The coat does not have an undercoat and has a very luxurious feel similar to cashmere. The coat is said to be waterproof which may help with swimming. Another feature of the cat is that this unusual coat is said not to mat or tangle easily and so requires little grooming. This a rare breed which will become a subject of discussion when visitors come to your house and their strong and intelligent personalities are likely to make them good companions if you have the time to devote to them.
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