Turkish Van

The Turkish Van comes from the region around Lake Van, in eastern Turkey, where cats with a white body and colored head and tail have lived for centuries. Two British travelers, Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday, brought a pair back to England in 1955, and the breed was built from those cats.

The pattern is called van, and it is the signature. The body is chalk white, while the color appears only on the head and the tail, often with a small white blaze between the ears. The usual colors are auburn, called red, and cream, black and blue, with a ringed, fox-like tail.

The coat is the second surprise. It is semi-long and soft as cashmere, but it has no undercoat, so it dries fast, resists mats and sheds little in the cooler months. In summer the cat sheds a good deal and looks short-coated, and then the fur returns in autumn.

The Van is known as the swimming cat. Most cats avoid water, but a Turkish Van will splash in a stream, dive after a toy in a pool or paddle in a bathtub. Many have odd eyes, one blue and one amber, and some have both blue or both amber.

The personality is energetic and sociable. A Van is a big, athletic cat, a strong jumper and climber, and it likes to follow its family around and help. It plays hard, plays rough at times and may not be a lap cat. Many love a game of fetch or a good chase.

Provide climbing space, water play and company. Grooming is simple, a weekly comb with a bit more in spring. Ask breeders about heart screening, as HCM can occur. A fit Van can live well into its teens, and many remain playful all their lives.