KittyCat Feline Profile, Character and Care

The Turkish Van Cat

 

Character: Gentle, affectionate disposition. Enjoys water and will actively choose to bathe. Not very active, suited to indoor life. Care: This breed has a hearty appetite, with no special dietary requirements. Daily grooming recommended. It handled regularly and gently from an early age, less prone to nervousness.   Jessie Owner: Petra Smith. Thank you to Irene McCullagh for providing this beautiful photo.

The Turkish Van is the only cat that loves the water. It may be that this came about because of his need to catch fish but now it seems the breed just loves to swim for pleasure. The Turkish Van came from Western Turkey to England in 1955. The two women who originally took these cats to England imported two more in 1959. In1969 the Turkish Van was accepted for the championship show in Britain. The next year the breed entered the United States was registered in the U.S. in 1985. The Turkish Van is a very solid cat with a broad chest. It has a thick body and long legs that are muscular and wide set. The coat is semi long and feels like cashmere. After swimming it dries quickly because it has no undercoat. Grooming this cat by combing twice a week will be all that is necessary. He should have extra grooming when his heavy winter coat is shedding. He can tolerate a cool climate. The only color seen in this breed is white. The pattern you will see is called van. This is when only the head and tail have coloring. There can be no more than two spots on his body. The Turkish Van is an active cat who is very smart. He is not a lap cat but a lively companion with a very lovely voice.     Ratings out of 10 Compatibility: -Children -Other Pets   6 Grooming 2 Affection 7 Playfulness 6 Attention Need 6 Healthiness 4 Independence 8 Activity Level 6 Vocality 4 Intelligence 8

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