Turkish Van

[theklauz]

For those of you who do not no what a Turkish Van is it is a white cat with an orange tail and small amounts of orange in other varies places. The reason I brought up this breed of cat is because it ENJOYS WATER AND IS AN ADEPT SWIMMER. wuldnt it be cool to have a cat who likes to swim imagine it swimming in a pool and ur cat comes swimming bye ahhh. Who agrees huh I wish to no pleez i read about them in a book i own called The Cat Encyclopedia I dont no how many other people on here have the same thing. Heres a pic of it swimming.

[theklauz]

Heres another of it standing normally.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Edwina's Secretary and I saw a Turkish Van at a catshow once. They are beautiful cats and I thought it was cool that they like to swim too. The owner of the one we saw was very nice and told us all about the breed. They are beautiful and definitely interesting.

[AbbyMom]

Loved the picture of the cat swimming!

[DJFyrewolf36]

Cats? Swimming? Wow, that is neat! Really pretty kitty too!!!

[Kirsten]

I saw articles on Turkish Vans before and also saw pictures of them swimming. I think it's really cool that they do that!

Kirsten

[tatsxxx11]

I had never heard of the breed until a few months ago. Me and Mr. B were waiting to see the vet and the woman sitting next to me (who has Turkish Vans) said, "Oh, I see you have a TV too!" HUH??? I thought she was talking about a television Mr. B was rescued so I had no idea of his lineage. But he does fit the breed description almost exactly. He loves to sit in the sink; not sure if loves to swim! At his age, I don't think I dare give a test run in the tub They are beautiful, amazing cats!

[catmandu]

That picture reminds me , of Rusty the Orange swimming Cat , taht Elly Mae Clampett , used to have , on The Beverly hillblllies! That was an amazing Cat , and Yours is pretty Amazing, as well!

[moosmom]

Here's a little history on how the Turkish Van came to be:

The cat known in the United States as the Turkish Van is a rare and ancient breed that developed in central and southwest Asia, which today encompasses the countries of Iran, Iraq, southwest Soviet Union and eastern Turkey. “Van” is a common term in the region that has been given to a number of towns, villages and even a lake - Lake Van - so it is no surprise that the uniquely patterned cat native to the region was named the “Vancat” by the residents. They were first brought to England in 1955 as the Turkish cats, but this was later changed to Turkish Van to avoid confusion with the Turkish Angora. Although the breed has an ancient lineage, the Turkish Van is a relative newcomer to the United States, arriving in 1982. They are considered regional treasures in their homeland, and are not readily available for export to other countries. Even in areas where the breed has been known for centuries, they are still relatively rare.

The breed was first brought into Europe from the Middle East by returning crusaders, and has been known by a variety of names over the centuries such as the white ringtail and the Russian longhair. A common misconception is that the Turkish Van is simply a color variation of the better known Turkish Angora. In reality, the Van and the 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 coloration of the Turkish Van, which is considered by many to be the original breed to carry the piebald gene, calls for a white, semi-longhaired cat with colored markings restricted primarily to the head and tail. Other piebald cats that have been selectively bred for many generations to achieve similar markings are said to be “van-patterned” after the breed that originally sported it. The coat lacks an undercoat and has a very unique cashmere-like texture that makes it water-resistant. This brings us to another interesting feature of this breed - they love water and in their native region they have been termed “the Swimming Cats.”


4 years ago our rescue organization had the privilege of rescuing 25 cat and kitten Turkish Vans from a bad breeder in West Virginia. It was the first time I had seen one and was very impressed by their coats and their wonderful, kind personalities. I'm happy to say that ALL the Turkish Vans we rescued are now in happy, furrrever homes.

[theklauz]

Wow where did you get all that information from!!!

[theklauz]

No I dont have a Turkish Van unfourtunetly cause it would be great for Osker to have a friend.