Whilst the Turkish Van cat can be traced back to Eastern Turkey and Lake Van, the Turkish Angora originates more from Western Turkey and the area around Ankara (formerly Angora), from which it derives its name.  Cats from this region were said to be the first longhairs seen in Europe, brought back by Vikings as early as the 10th century, and forming the foundation for our modern-day longhairs.  Today's Turkish Angora owes its existence to organisations like Ankara Zoo, from where cats were imported into the USA in the late sixties, and thence to Europe.

In the United Kingdom the Turkish Angora is not recognised by the dominant registering body, the GCCF, so owners wishing to exhibit their cats do so at shows organised by the Felis Britannica.  There is also another breed registered by the GCCF known as the Oriental Longhair (Angora) cat, however this is a man-made breed totally unrelated to the Turkish Angora, and not to be confused with it. In other areas of Europe and also in the USA the Turkish Angora is well supported, and as a consequence they are more popular amongst breeders and the show fraternity.

Description

Whereas Turkish Van cats tend to be strong, cobby and quite heavy, Turkish Angoras can be considered to be their lightweight cousins.  Their bodies are long and slender with fine bone structure and delicate poise, but nevertheless robust.  They sometimes carry their long plumed tail arched back over their body, almost touching their head.   Their faces are smooth and elegant with almond shaped blue, amber, or odd-coloured eyes, and large tufted ears set high on the head.  Similar to the Vans their coat is long, fine, and silky with no woolly undercoat and requiring only occasional grooming, however a full range of coat colours is available although the completely white cat remains a popular favourite.  In summer the Turkish Angora's sheds its coat, becoming a shorthaired cat.

Character A Turkish Angora makes a splendid pet.  They are very intelligent, spirited, and devoted to their owners, and have an athletic grace around the house with no wardrobe being too high for them, and no door too secure.  Turkish Angoras are sociable and playful, but generally well-behaved, unlike their Turkish Van cousins which can be quite naughty!  Neither do they have the same love of water that Vans have, although this isn't surprising due to their different geographical origin. Turkish Angora kittens are precocious, very active, and start to play from an early age.  They don't develop a full angora coat until they're at least two years old.

The Turkish Vankedisi is an all-white Turkish Van originating from eastern Turkey and should not be confused with the Turkish Angora. 'Van Kedi' is the Turkish phrase for Van cat. Due to the severe restrictions placed on the export of these highly prized cats very few ever left Turkey, however, in the early 90's Lois Miles succeeded in obtaining written permission from the Turkish authorities to bring home a white, odd-eyed female. In Turkey the all-white Turkish Van is very carefully nurtured, but the Turkish people have less regard for their auburn/white relatives. The most sought after is an odd eyed white cat, but blue eyed cats are also seen as special; the amber eyed white cat is the least sought after.

In Britain most matings are between an all-white cat and an auburn/white. These matings will produce roughly 50% all-white and 50% auburn/white with an occasional cream/white kitten. The eye colours of the kittens will be a mixture of the three variations.

There are only a few breeders in the UK but they have found that the Turkish Vankedisi produces litters of 4 to 7 sturdy kittens.

They have a well balanced temperament and strong constitution. Variations between litters are exactly the same as those found in other Turkish Vans. Indeed, with regard to coat texture, eye colour, bone structure and personality they are indistinguishable from those found in the Classics. A few breeders have reported that these cats seem even more keen to play with water than the classic Turkish Van Cat.

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.”

The Turkish Van takes three to five years to reach full maturity and is a large and agile cat of substantial strength. They are very intelligence as well as curious and make very rewarding companions in the right home. The breed is a healthy one and the unique coat does not lend itself to matting, so they require little grooming.

Pricing on Turkish Vans usually depends on type, applicable markings and bloodlines distinguished by Grand Champion (GC), National or Regional winning parentage (NW or RW) or of Distinguished Merit parentage (DM). The DM title is achieved by the dam (mother) having produced five CFA grand champion/premier (alter) or DM offspring, or sire (father) having produced fifteen CFA grand champion/premier or DM offspring. Usually breeders make kittens available between twelve and sixteen weeks of age. After twelve weeks, kittens have had their basic inoculations and developed the physical and social stability needed for a new environment, showing, or being transported by air. Keeping such a rare treasure indoors, neutering or spaying and providing acceptable surfaces (e.g. scratching posts) for the natural behavior of scratching (CFA disapproves of declawing or tendonectomy surgery) are essential elements for maintaining a healthy, long and joyful life.

TURKISH VAN CAT

The Turkish Van cat has developed in the area around Lake Van in southeast Turkey. Around the city of Van they still walk around free. Van is the capital of a province in eastern Turkey, on the shore of a great lake famous for its Island of Akdamar; a high town in an oasis. In every way the region of Van is honored. The inhabitants speak proudly of Lake Van, Van cheese, Van silverwork and ... the Van cat! The Turkish Van is known as a very social cat. They are renowned for their beauty, but also for their habit of swimming. A Turkish Van has a semi-longhaired auburn white coat, but with a pattern that is very rare with cats: the auburn color is restricted to areas around the ears and the tail.

They are very social cats. They want to be with their owner all the time. They play a lot, even when they are older. When they play, they do things first and think about it later. So if you don't have a sense of humor, choose another breed. Turkish Vans seems to have more feelings then most cats (some literature mention that cats have no feelings at all, but this doesn't count for the Van), they can be happy, sour, moody, caring, etc.. If you play with them and give them attention they thanks you for that by climbing on your shoulders and by giving you hugs. They are all great personalities, even as kittens! In Turkey they breed, what they call the real Turkish Van; a white cat (no markings at all) with one blue and one amber eye. Despite this all white, odd-eyed Van cat (the famous Kedi), all over the world the Van cat is recognized as an auburn white cat!

Typical properties of the breed:
Striking appearance, Graceful, Strong, Lively, Very affectionate. They molt extensively during the summer.

Character:
Alert, Impetuous, Naughty, Very sweet.