Information about the Turkish Van Cat

The Turkish Van Cat is intelligent, energetic, emotional, and sociable, he is also a very beautiful masterpiece with soft and silky hair, he has a strong character but is docile when he puts his trust in his master. He makes up an excellent pet cat.

The Turkish Van Cat

History

The Turkish Van cat breed is undoubtedly one of the oldest breeds. One of the legends says that these cats appeared near Lake Van, near Mount Ararat. This is what happened in the time of the Old Testament Noah. One of the animals on the ark was a cat. He decided to explore the spaces around the Ark and found the van Salt Lake located at the same height as Mount Ararat.

No less romantic legend says that cats grew up naturally in the Lake Van region. They grew up and developed as a species in the Wild, and learned to swim and hunt. The modern Van cat carries the genetic traits of its ancestors, is not afraid of hydration, and can swim and enjoy the water.

Turkish Van cats belong to one of the oldest breeds brought to Europe by the Crusaders, and proudly carry this status, but regardless of whether they left Noah's Ark or not, these cats have several unique qualities, are highly valued all over the world, and are still found in their natural habitat near Lake Van, although it is extremely rare.

The modern development of this beautiful breed in European countries began in Great Britain in 1955. Two photographers, Laura Lushington and Sonya Halliday brought Van cats from a trip to Istanbul – a male and a female, with red markings on the head and tail. For four years they were successfully breeding, after which they brought another pair of Vanir from Istanbul, continuing what they started.

The breed was officially recognized in England in 1969 under the name “Turkish cat”. Later the name was changed to Turkish Van. The International Society of cats (TICA) awarded the status of champion of Turkey to this breed in June 1979.

Description of the Turkish Van Cat

The Turkish Van Cat is a special breed characterized by a tremendous love of water, the ability to swim and hunt in water and on land, as well as outstanding intelligence, which make Vanir pets very interesting.

These cats are very flexible, muscular, and strong, they are created for hunting, they can climb any tree and rarely have problems getting down from it. The hind legs are slightly longer than the front legs, the chest is wide and developed, the ears are medium and the tail is fluffy. Males are much larger than females. The head is round and wedge-shaped, and the eyes are amber or blue.

A cat will become a loving and affectionate companion, very intelligent with his character and outlook on many issues and events that surround him. You need to find a common language with Vani, as it is almost impossible to suppress their personality.

The personality of the Turkish Van Cat

A distinctive feature of the Turkish Van Cat is very high intelligence, manifested in the form of certain isolation and the ability to deeply perceive all phenomena, so that the cat concludes, but, as they say, “in his mind”. On the other hand, if the correct socialization is carried out while the pet is still a kitten, you will be able to form a more open personality.

With other pets, the cat should feel at the top of the family hierarchy. Then he will be calm and pleased with himself.

These cats like to lie in the water in hot weather, swim great, and love to hunt, so forget about the fish in an open aquarium. Small pets such as guinea pigs, hamsters, and parrots may also not survive acquaintance with a hereditary Hunter.

Turkish Van cats can show great love and affection to their family, even though they will feel great alone. She is an excellent climber and loves to climb trees, they are flexible and strong cats, they can catch toys on the fly, and show miracles of dexterity. 

Van usually conceives children, if they are not too intrusive, but she treats guests and unfamiliar people with caution.

This breed is very capricious and does not like restrictions on freedom, and if the cat does not like something – from stroking to too much children's attention, he will let you know about it, but also pay attention to his nose – if the cat is angry, the nose turns from pink to red.

The love of water can also cause trouble. The Turkish Van can fall into the toilet, and she can learn to open the water taps on her own, not to mention the bathroom doors.

Feeding the Turkish Van Cat

The Turkish Van Cat does not cause any problems with food and adapts perfectly to commercial industrial cat food. However, it must be of high quality to provide him with all the nutrients he needs, adapting to both his age and his level of activity.

Moreover, since he is capable of self-regulation, we can easily leave food available to him at all times in his bowl.

Being very active, he is not very prone to obesity, but his master should make sure that he does not gain weight, especially if he lives in an apartment. If he is overweight, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian to change his eating habits, if necessary.

Caring for a Turkish Van Cat

Nature itself has adapted these cats for swimming since there is no undercoat for them. This greatly simplifies the care, it is not necessary to use a rough metal brush. 

Ordinary plastic is also suitable, with its help once a week you can remove dead villi. Hair falls out badly, in spring and autumn, during the period of renewal of the cap.

The Turkish Van Cat is bathed with shampoo at least once a month, but you should make sure that water gets to your pet. This can be as simple as showering with toys without shampoo, but on top of that, you will likely have to do it a lot.

Claws are trimmed at least once every two weeks, ears are checked every week, and teeth are brushed every day. The tray must be kept clean, Van cats are very demanding in this matter.