Cat of the breed of the Turkish van: description, photo, reviews

Despite the loud statements of many breeders of cats, native breeds of these pets there really is not really much. From the rest they are distinguished by a beautiful physique, strong by nature health and stability of the phenotype. The Turkish van is a cat belonging to one of the most ancient breeds, being natural (aboriginal).

The Legend of the Origin of the Turkish Van

There is a very interesting legend about the origin of the Turkish Van breed. If you pay attention to the photo, you will notice on the left forearm of the animal a small speck, resembling a fingerprint of a human finger. This feature is found in cats with a classic red-and-white color. According to legend, God Himself blessed Vana for him to catch the mouse created by the devil, who tried to gnaw Noah's Ark to flood it with water. As a token of gratitude, the Lord blessed the cat and laid his right hand on it, as a result of it, and this fingerprint appeared.

From the history of the recognition of the breed

Obviously, the history of breeding these cats as pets has begun long before the official recognition of the breed. They received their name in accordance with the territory on which their ancestors lived (the population of Van cats) - this is Lake Van, located on the Armenian Highland, now owned by Turkey.

Representatives of this breed left their homeland before, but it is officially believed that they first came to the UK in 1955. The English journalist Laura Lashington started work on including them in the international standard. In 1955 she, along with photographer Sonya Halliday, traveled around Turkey to prepare a reportage for one of the British publications. Lashington was a famous lover of domestic pets and it's not at all surprising that her cat's attention was attracted by a Turkish cat. She liked not only their appearance, but also the character with very unusual features. Journalists presented as a gift two kittens of different sex, with which she went back to England.

Four years later, she brought two more animals from Turkey, who gave promising offspring with persistent phenotypic traits that were perfectly passed down by inheritance. This led Lashington to the idea that they must be thoroughbred (thoroughbred). Then followed a decade of breeding and breeding of Van cats. As a result, in 1969 they were included in the English national register. In 1971, the breed was recognized as an international organization for the breeding and breeding of new breeds of cats.

Cats of the breed Turkish van: description of appearance

In the standards of various international organizations, Turkish Vans have certain differences, but at the same time they are characterized by common "classical" features. They are quite large cats with an elongated, muscular body, developed thorax and legs (front slightly longer than the rear ones). The pads on the paws are pink in color, and the brushes of the hair are visible between the fingers. The breed has a noticeable sexual demorphism, expressed in larger sizes of males compared with females. The weight of an adult cat ranges from 6 to 9 kg, and cats - 4,5-6 kg. Complete puberty occurs at the age of 3-5 years.

The cat of the Turkish turtle has a medium-long nose with a slight transition from the forehead. Head shape is cuneate. The eyes of the Turkish van are rich in copper or amber color, less often blue, and there are also disagreements. Laura Lashington in her memoirs wrote about a white chalk of half-long wool of cats, which in texture resembled a fur of a mink.

Color of cats of breed Turkish van

According to the standards of all international organizations, a color referred to as "Van" is considered a classic for this breed. It means a red-chestnut tail in the form of a brush with 3-5 brightly expressed rings, several spots of the same shade on the muzzle near the ears, the rest of the body is white (no less than 80% of the total surface). In addition, at present, some felinological organizations of the cat of the Turkish turkish van cream, black, tortoiseshell or blue color are also recognized.

WCF breed standard

The World Federation of Cats (WCF) currently recognizes the Turkish Van breed only those representatives who have a classical color. The organization also makes certain requirements to the constitution, size and phenotype of cats, which are called the standard.

• The cat of the Van breed must have a physique characterized by an average strength with pronounced musculature. Chest and neck are massive and strong. The limbs are of medium length with rounded paws and tufts of hair between the toes. The tail is medium, well lowered, resembling a brush.
• The shape of the head is a truncated triangle, the length is medium. The breed of the Turkish van is characterized by an almost straight profile and a strong chin.
• High, vertical and straight set ears have a wide base, tips slightly rounded.
• Turkish Vans have large oval eyes, the position slightly slanting. Color - amber, blue or different with pink edging.
• Wool is of medium length, without thick undercoat, silky to the touch to the roots.

The Federation also states that if the cat of the Turkish Van breed has small color spots randomly scattered throughout the body but at the same time has good characteristics for other articles, it should not be disqualified.

Character of the Turkish Vans

Van cats have an intelligent and affable character, love affection, but they are absolutely independent and full of dignity. They have a melodic voice, are very energetic and sociable. The latter quality is simply irreplaceable in pets if there are children in the family. Turkish Vans are mobile, curious by nature and are happy to frolic with toys both in solitude and in the company of a person. They have strong health and strong immunity, so animals feel great on walks, even in winter.

The Turkish van is a breed of cats (a photo of its representatives is in the review) with a very unusual property of character and behavior. Unlike the majority of their relatives, they are not afraid of water, moreover, they are happy to swim in it. They are attracted by the murmur of a thin trickle pouring from the tap, and they can not only play with it, but also completely move into a sink or bath. Wool in the representatives of this breed has a water repellent ability, because they have almost no undercoat. Such an unusual habit for cats was given to vans from their ancestors, who existed on the shore of the lake, adapted themselves to catching fish in shallow water.

Relations with the owner

The Turkish van will be devoted to all members of the family, but it is generally considered to be "the cat of one master", since in any case, one person will single out one specifically. Representatives of the breed are very sociable and are able to express their emotions clearly, bringing their needs to the attention of the person in a fairly understandable form. They have a good facial expression, which is emphasized by the contrasting coloration of the face.

It is enough to read reviews about the breed of cats the Turkish van to understand how they are friendly and interesting. The owners of animals confirm that they are very curious and take part in everything with pleasure, what people are doing, following them like dogs. Many breeders emphasize this feature. With dogs, Van cats get along well, but due to an independent and proud nature, they strive to rule everything.

Care and maintenance

The Turkish van is a breed of cats, the information about which is presented above, which is distinguished by excellent health and endurance. They are not prone to genetic mutations and diseases. This is due to the fact that they are aboriginal, and not artificially derived breed. Of course, there are exceptions, and diseases such as fleas, helminthiases, lichen, also happen, but their cause lies in the wrong care of the animal and its lifestyle.

As already mentioned above, Vans have almost no undercoat, so the wool is not inclined to tangle and easy to care for. It is enough to comb the pet 1-2 times a week and a little more often in the moult period. Vans are happy to wash themselves and even swim in the pool. As with other cats, claws should be cut off regularly, and the veterinarian should examine the teeth.