The Turkish Van cat owes its name to the fact that they are cats from Lake Van, Turkey.
This beautiful and elegant breed has been loved for centuries, as Turkey is also a popular country for cats.
The origin of this cat breed indicates an interesting legend that focuses on the Jewish and Islamic religions.
So keep reading the article and find out more about the Turkish Van cat: what is the story of its origin, physical characteristics, personality, health, and care.
The origin of the Turkish Van cat
As mentioned earlier, the Turkish Van Cat originated from Lake Van in southeastern Turkey, specifically in the Armenian Highlands, and emerged as an isolated species from the rest.
Two examples were brought to Britain in 1955 and did not come to prominence in North America until the 1970s.
However, the history of the origin of this breed for hundreds of years also goes back to a strange legend.
This cat is said to have come out of Noah’s Ark, looking for solid ground to survive. Their beautiful fur and thick coat are due to the low temperatures in which they evolved.
Characteristics of the Turkish Van Cat
The Turkish Van cat is a medium-sized cat with a semi-long coat without inner wool, similar to the Turkish Angora cat. The most famous color of cats belonging to this cat breed is reddish with large white spots (as opposed to what is thought to be a white cat with colored spots).
However, since white is dominant, the spots appear red rather than white and are only present on the head and tail. However, the spots can also be of colors such as black, brown, blue, cream, and others.
This Turkish Van cat spotting pattern is known as the Van pattern, to refer to cats of other breeds that have this spotting pattern in their coat color.
Their eyes are large, round blue or amber, and can sometimes have a different color for each eye. It can weigh from 4 to 8 kilograms.
Their head is wedge-shaped or triangular with large ears.
They are cats that have a strong and solid build thanks to their wild origin. They have muscular legs and a broad chest. Its coat is shorter in summer and in winter it becomes longer and thicker.
Since there is no inner wool, Turkish Van cats tend to shed less.
Characteristics of the Turkish Van Cat
Turkish Van cats have a very independent character. They are energetic, intelligent, and deceptive. They are even famous because they love water. They are happy to play in ponds, pools, or anywhere they can play in the water.
After adjusting to the house, they tend to be very social and love their family members.
They love to play and thanks to their hunting instinct, they really enjoy thrilling games, where they can feel like a predator behind their prey.
They like to climb on the highest places in the house and are very playful, they like to push things and you have to be careful of places with water like bathtubs, sinks, and toilets.
However, they are tender and enthusiastic about the affection of their masters, so they are undoubtedly a great company of men.
Turkish van cat health
Turkish Van Cats have a strong constitution and are healthy.
The average life expectancy is therefore 13 to 17 years. However, like any breed of cat, it can suffer from diseases due to genetic problems, due to interbreeding between families to maintain the breed.
Among the diseases that Van cats can suffer from, the one that affects the breed the most is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
A condition that affects the heart, especially the heart muscle, in which part of it suffers from thickening of the left ventricle, which affects the work of the heart.
Turkish van cat breeding
Turkish Van cats need no different care than any cat with medium-long fur.
In fact, when it comes to coats, they’re easy to care for because they only have one coat, which means they don’t shed like other breeds. Some of the basic care you should give your Turkish Van cat are:
- Comb his hair once a week: This will only be necessary once a week, as his coat doesn’t tend to tangle much or shed excess hair.
- You won’t need to bathe them often, in fact you rarely have to. It will be enough to clean them with a towel, since they have a waterproof coat.
- Oral care: She should brush her teeth 3 times a week to avoid gum disease such as gingivitis.
- Up-to-date Vaccinations: You should visit your veterinarian periodically and keep your cat’s vaccinations up to date to prevent disease.
Turkish Van cats are healthy cats, after these basic care your cat will be very healthy and disease free.
We hope you learned a lot about this beautiful breed of Turkish Van cats after reading the article and that you can share it in the world of social networks if you are interested.