Turkkilainen van

Abbreviation:

Turkish Van

FIFe:

TUV

Place of Origin:

Turkey

Ancestors:

A natural breed

Breed type:

Semi-haired cat

Body type:

Muscular

Weight:

5 - 7 kg

Colourful variety:

Red with white, US and FIFe also black, blue, tortoiseshell

History: The name of the breed is coming from Lake Van in Turkey, where the first cats were brought to Europe from. It is a natural breed created without any human influence. The home of this cat it is the heel of Mount Ararat, it is isolated area around the already mentioned Van Lake.

Englishwoman Laura Lushington from Turkey brought the first pair of these wild cats. Both were predominantly white with characteristic red spots. Together with other imported individuals from later years, they became the base of breeding Turkish Van Cats in Europe.

In England, the breed was recognized in 1969, two years before FIFe official recognition. Today, breeding Turkish cats can also be found in the United States. There was recognized in 1985.

Nature: Turkish Van cat has a temperament that is not suitable for complete beginners in cat breeding. They are very focused on a person, but they do not prevent you from making it clear if you do not treat them kindly. But if you have experience with cat behaviour, you can predict its reaction. It can be visible by its position of body. Although the Turkish cat will accept all family members, but they will only stick to one maximum to two people. Then it devotes all the manifestations of its love. It gets well with all dogs and cats.

Turkish cats are very active, they like hunting and playing. In addition, they are courageous and do not let bully themselves by unexpected sound, movement, etc. They are not afraid of water. They are pleased with the snow. They are kind, lively and intelligent.

Body: This is a medium sized cat with a long, strong body and strong construction. Males are especially muscular in the neck and shoulders. The legs are medium-length, the paws round and elegant, dense. The tail is strong and long in good proportion to the body. The head shape is blunt, triangular. The eyes are set a little obliquely, they are large and have an oval shape. The nose is long, ears large and erect, set close to each other and dense. The rear-view mirror and the pads are pink.

Coat: The Turkish Van Cats have a long, soft and silky coat without a wavy undercoat. In winter, the coat is the most beautiful, in the summer it gradually moults.

Care: Turkish Cat's van needs little hair care. It does not have a tendency to moult due to a missing undercoat. It will be enough to adjust it once in a while with a soft brush or a rough crest. It is very good the kittens to get used to the brushing process as soon as possible. Otherwise, combing can get into match. If you want to take part in cat show, it may sometimes be necessary to wash its coat with shampoo for cats about two days before the show. The alternative is to use non-perfumed and non-greasy tartar powder and subsequent brushing. If necessary, the external sound conduits must be cleaned with the product specified. We also need to cut the sharp ends of the claws.

Colourful variety: The body of a Turkish Van Cat is predominantly white, the tail is coloured. The spots are ideally only two on the head, if possible they do not interfere with the eyes or ears and are separated by a white bald. However, it is not punished at shows if it is wearing another spot. Also less symmetrical characters on the head or spot is allowed.

Cats of this breed are mostly red or cream coloured. The hue must be the same on the head and tail. But you can also find pure white, blue, tortoiseshell or tabby. But they are not recognized everywhere. Most Turkish cats have amber eyes. They may also be blue or unevenly coloured (odd-eyed).

The designation Van according to this breed it is also used in other breeds with white spot and white predominance.