House Cats Central  

Complete Domestic House Cat Encyclopedia

 House Cats Central was created for the domestic house cat owner

Turkish Van Cat Breed

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.”

Eye color for the Turkish Van cat is amber, blue or odd-eyed-in Turkey, the odd-eyed cat is the preferred but the original cats used to found the breed had amber eyes. These are large, agile cats with a substantial, powerful strength to their bodies. They take from 3 to 5 years to reach their full maturity and when they do males range in weight from 10-20 pounds with females ranging from 7-12 pounds. The coat is semi-longhaired with no undercoat. It has a unique cashmere-like texture that makes it repel water and dirt. As the cat matures, the coat gets more and more lush.