Group Classification: Longhair
Country of Origin: Turkey
Date of Origin: 1600 or earlier
Weight (M): 12-19 lbs.
Weight (F): 7-11 lbs.
Life Expectancy: 17+ years

History
This breed is named for Lake Van, Turkey's largest lake. It covers over 1400 square miles in the eastern region of the country, not far from Mount Ararat, where Noah's Ark is said to have landed after the Great Flood. Legend says two beautiful white cats disembarked and God gently touched their heads in blessing. All Turkish Vans wear the evidence of God's touch to this day in their colored head markings.

Turks place these cats in ancient times; the breed's actual age has yet to be established. In any event, in the modern era, sometime after World War II, two English women vacationed at Lake Van and purchased a white female cat with auburn'thumbprints' on the head and a full auburn tail. Back at their hotel in Istanbul, the manager led them to a male cat with very similar markings. They brought both home and began a breeding program. The cat was officially recognized in Britain in 1969 as the Turkish Cat.

General Description
The silky fur is the only dainty trait of the Turkish Van. The cat has a deep, heavily muscled chest and a long sturdy body, ending in a dense brush tail the same length as the body. Medium-size legs end in tufted round feet. The short wedge shaped head features large ears set high on the skull.

Colors
Put simply, the Van is a predominantly white cat with colored markings on the head and tail. The pattern is so distinctive that the term Van is used to describe the color pattern when it occurs in other breeds. Preferred coloration is chalk white (no traces of yellow or beige) with colored head markings that do not extend below the eye line or below the base of the back of the ears. The ideal Van has a white blaze on the forehead that divides the color into two separate areas. Ears should be colored.

Bicolors
Red, cream, black, blue, tortie, blue-cream with white.
Corresponding tabbies, silvers and smokes with white

Coat
Soft and silky, the Van has no undercoat so their fur lies closely against their body.

Notable Features
The distinctive pattern of Turkish Vans is the result of the piebald "S" gene, which causes white spotting, meaning in some places the white leaves open spots where other colors occur. Japanese Bobtails carry the same trait.

In their native land, the odd-eyes that some Vans have is the noteworthy feature. Travelers to Ankara and Istanbul quickly notice that many businesses use the image of a Turkish Van as their logo or mascot. Billboards, signs, fliers and menus all sport drawings or photographs of these special cats. While the depictions vary in terms of the piebald spotting pattern a particular drawing shows, each and every one features the cat with odd eyes.

Health and Care
Turkish Vans have a distinct affinity for water. They swim whenever presented with the opportunity to do so. This means they also love baths, but their silky fur almost never gets dirty so many owners never find that out! In Turkey they are nicknamed the Swimming Cat, They are highly energetic cats and their active behavior expends a lot of calories in the course of the average day, so they tend to need more food than other cats. Vans are known climbers, so potential owners should scan the upward reaches of their homes carefully before bringing this breed home. Remove objects that might fall when a large cat leaps up onto the shelf, refrigerator top or soffit.

This breed needs very little grooming thanks to their silky, tangle-free fur and lack of an undercoat. Brush once a week to remove debris and that's about it.

Resources
Classic Turkish Van Cat Association at www.vantasia.org
The Turkish Cat Society at www.turkishcatsociety.co.uk