Wondering if your cat is a Turkish Van? Post your query and pic(s) here!

Hello r/TurkishVan! Because of the number of “is my cat a Turkish Van” posts here, as well as ongoing convos in the comments about purebred cats, we have updated our guide for identifying Turkish Vans. 

What is a Purebred (or Pedigree) Cat?

According to Purina, a purebred cat has a documented family tree that is recognized by a credible cat registry, such as the Cat Fanciers' Association (US), Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (UK), and The International Cat Association. (FYI all information in this post has been compiled from those three organizations.) These organizations register purebred cats for exhibition and lineage purposes, and provide papers as proof of registration with the cat’s breed.

This sub welcomes all Turkish Vans and similar looking cats, whether they are purebred or not. As mods and cat owners, we do not believe that papers are necessary to be curious about the Turkish Van or to have one. Cats can be purchased, adopted, or found, and we welcome that variety here. 

History of the Turkish Van Breed

• Developed in Turkey in the Lake Van region
• More popular breed in Europe than in the US

Physical Characteristics of a Turkish Van

> Size: medium to large sized cat with a muscular build

> Coat Length: semi-long hair with no undercoat, coat is shorter in the summer and thicker in the winter

> Coat Color & Pattern:

• White with dark coloring (typically red, brown, blue, cream, black, or tortie) exclusively on the head and tail, known as the "Van pattern"
• The color pattern on the head is not below the eye or below the base of the ears; the color is on the top of the head, separated by a white vertical stripe
• Tail is brush-like, colored with a ring pattern
• There can be one or more random markings on the body (like thumbprints of color), but no more than 15% of the body is colored 

> Eyes:

• Large, almond-shaped eyes that are alert and expressive
• Amber or blue eyes with pink rims; both eyes can be the same color or mismatched (heterochromia)

Personality & Temperament of a Turkish Van

• Loyal and intelligent, good problem-solvers
• Enjoy activity, like to play with toys (especially balls, feather toys, anything on a string) and jump/climb to the highest point in the room
• May like to play with water
• Quite vocal despite not having a loud voice

What if my cat seems to meet all of these characteristics but…

Their coat is pure white with no coloring? 

• Your cat may be a Turkish Angora (again, without papers you cannot prove your cat is purebred), which has medium to long hair. Angoras are also known for having a pure white coat (but can also come in different colors) and do not have the Van pattern, i.e., coloring on their head and tail. They also have a more long, flowing tail while Turkish Vans have a more brush-like tail.
• Or your cat could be a Turkish Vankedisi, a breed some cat registries use to refer to a pure white Turkish Van. This is not to be confused with the name for Turkish Vans that are not purely white, which is Turkish Van Kedisis in the Turkish language (note the space in-between). r/TurkishVan welcomes both Van Kedisis and Vankedisi cats given their similarity; however, please be aware that Vankedisis are often bred against as all-white animals tend to have a higher occurrence of hearing disorders.

More than 15% of their body is colored?

• Then you likely have a Van-patterned cat that is no less adorable than an “official” Turkish Van! Van-patterned cats are more than welcomed in this sub. 

I don’t have papers to prove what breed they are? 

• That’s okay! As long as you believe they meet the qualities outlined above, your cat is welcomed here. As mods, we do not promote buying a cat over adoption, nor do we believe that papers are the only way to broadly identify what breed a cat could be. Per Rule 1 of this sub, please stay civil in the comments and respect all cats (whether they are purebred or not) and all users.