The Turkish Van is a relative newcomer to the United States, arriving in 1982. It's ancestry is traced back to central and southwest Asia -- the countries of Iran, Iraq, southwest Soviet Union and eastern Turkey. The Turkish Van (also called the Vancat) first arrived in England in 1955. It was simply called the Turkish cat, but later changed to Turkish Van, so as not to confuse it with the Turkish Angora.

The Turkish Van is considered a regional treasure in its homeland, and are not readily available for export to other countries. The Turkish Van and the Turkish Angora are distinct breeds that developed in geographically distant regions of Turkey. When seen together, the differences in type, size, boning and coat are readily apparent. The beauty on the left with the golden tail is a Turkish Van; the lovely odd-eyed cat on the right is a Turkish Angora.

The coat is one of many distinctions to this unique breed. Lacking an undercoat, it also has a very unique cashmere-like texture that makes it water-resistant. Which brings us to another interesting "trademark" of this breed . . . they love water and in their native region they have been termed "the Swimming Cats."

Coat color calls for a white, semi-longhaired cat with colored markings restricted primarily to the head and tail. Their unique coat also resists matting, so they require little grooming. Many consider the Turkish Van to be the original breed to carry the piebald gene, and other piebald cats with similar markings are said to be "van-patterned".

The Turkish Van is a healthy breed, and is a large and agile cat of substantial strength. They take three to five years to reach full maturity, are very intelligent, curious and make very rewarding companions in the right home.

Turkish Vans usually have their tails in motion. Even when the cat is asleep, its tail remains active and the cat will eventually grab its own tail and pin it under its legs for a more peaceful nap! Turkish Vans are highly independent, yet still affectionate to their human charges; it is felt they have the heart of a lion, and will bite viciously to defend itself when cornered by a dog.

They are a very intelligent breed and can be taught to perform tasks. Vans are happy to walk on leads/leashes and accompany the family dog on a walk. They enjoy retrieving games, hide and seek and even play with toys. And of course, they love to paddle their paws in streams, fish for their supper and even take a cooling dip in your bath tub!

Pricing on Turkish Vans usually depends on type, applicable markings and bloodlines distinguished by Grand Champion (GC), National or Regional winning parentage (NW or RW) or of Distinguished Merit parentage (DM). Breeders normally offer kittens between twelve and sixteen weeks of age. After twelve weeks, kittens have had their basic inoculations and developed the physical and social stability needed for a new environment. The CFA (Cat Fanciers Association) recommends keeping your Turkish Van indoors, neutering/spaying and providing scratching posts -- for the natural behavior of scratching. CFA disapproves of declawing or tendonectomy surgery.

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