What do Turkish Van cats eat? Van Kedisi: description of the breed and character, care features, photo of the breed. Features of character and behavior

During a trip to Lake Van, which is located in Turkey, the Englishwoman L. Lushington's friends gave her two wonderful kittens, which she took with her to England. Enchanted by the charming appearance of these graceful animals, Miss Lushington again went to Lake Van and bought more there. three cats. These miracle cats became the basis for breeding the Turkish Van breed in England.

Origin of the Turkish Van breed

In the European part, the Turkish Van is considered a relatively new breed, but in Turkey it has long been considered an ordinary cat. The homeland of the Turkish Van is the area around Lake Van, which is located on the Armenian Highlands. The Turkish cat acquired its unusual name from the name of the lake. The purposeful rebirth of the Van breed occurred in the middle of the last century, or more precisely, in 1955. Then the Turkish cat was brought to Europe to breed a new breed.

England is considered the second homeland for the Turkish Van, since it was here in 1969 that the breed was given the official status of the Turkish Van. Laura Lushington is considered the main founder of this wonderful breed. In love with these wonderful Vans, Laura named her breed the Turkish cat. In England, the breed quickly gained popularity, mainly due to its beautiful appearance. The FIFe Association only recognized the breed in 1970. This year marked the beginning of the first settlement of the Turkish Van in the United States. Throughout Europe, the Turkish van will become widespread only in four years. There are very few Turkish Vans in the world.

Appearance of the Turkish Van breed

The Turkish Van is a large and massive cat, some males reach 8-10 kilograms. Looking at a cat, you immediately get the impression that this is a true predator, very powerful and strong. Turkish bath head average size, in the shape of a regular triangle. The chin of the Vans is strong, the profile has a clear outline, and is straight. Large and wide ears, set quite close to each other, in the auricles there are obligatory tufts of soft and fluffy hair. The eyes of Turkish Vans are large, round, and expressive. Vanir eye color is amber or blue; there is no clear definition of the standard in this regard. Sometimes kittens with different eyes are born, but such cases are quite rare.

Turkish baths have a long body, muscular, with strong bones. The neck is quite short, the back is strong, the stomach is significantly tucked. The shoulders and chest are wide, with well-developed muscles. The legs are not long, strong and muscular, with graceful round paws. On the paws, between the toes, Turkish Vans have small tufts of hair. Paw pads Pink colour. The tail is strongly drooping, without undercoat, its length is proportional to the body, and has particularly long hair. The color of the tail is chestnut-red, on which there are pale chestnut-red rings. The color covers the entire tail and ends at the tip.

The color of the Turkish Van is very beautiful. Starts with a snowy white hue and ends with dark chestnut markings on the head. Vans have four main color types: classic chestnut, cream (recently bred in England), tortoiseshell and black. Rarely are kittens born with no markings at all, just pure white, but this color is not recognized by felinological organizations. According to the current standard for the Turkish Bath breed, chestnut-red spots scattered throughout the body are allowed if all other indicators strictly comply with the standards. But red-chestnut ears are considered a defect.

Turkish baths look like they have great wool middle length, which feels very lush and silky to the touch. The wool of Turkish Vans has no undercoat, so it hardly gets tangled, which is very important when caring for a cat.

Caring for the Turkish Van breed

Turkish Vans are wild, temperamental cats. They lead a very active lifestyle. They love to play, extending their claws and not biting too much. Biting and scratching is an integral part of the game. The Vanir are very playful, and once they get too excited, it is practically impossible to stop them. They will calm down when they get tired and fall asleep.

By nature, Turkish baths are not at all aggressive; on the contrary, they are very intelligent, affectionate and inquisitive. Not a single event in the house takes place without their participation. In addition, Turkish baths are very sociable, always willing to contact people. They like to sit on their owner's lap and can even climb onto their neck. If the owner ignores them, they become very worried and may even get sick. After a long game, they can fall asleep right at the place of the game, regardless of where it happened.

Turkish Vans do not require any special care. The only condition is to brush it regularly once a week. During molting - every day. You need to bathe 1-2 times a month or when it gets very dirty. By the way, Turkish Vans love water, so they bathe in it with pleasure. Turkish Vans need to be fed a balanced diet. Special instructions There is no information on preparing food for Turkish Vans.

The Turkish Van cat breed is an indigenous and rare variety of semi-long-haired individuals with an original color. Such animals are considered one of the oldest on the planet. On their pure snow-white body, only the top of the head and tail are colored. Animals represent wisdom and calm.

Turkish Van - description of the breed

Pets are large and fluffy. One day, animals accidentally discovered by a British journalist on the shore of the lake of the same name amazed her with their extraordinary habits. Turkish Vans are a breed of cats with long fur. strong body. They are excellent swimmers. Their cashmere-like wool helps them enjoy water play and bathing, making them waterproof. Fluffy Neptunes have excellent social qualities, good intelligence, and you can talk to them out loud.

Turkish Van cat - breed standard

Such pets are characterized by their large size, the weight of an adult male reaches 10 kilograms. Turkish Van cat – breed standard:

• head- large, wedge-shaped with a neat protruding muzzle;
• eyes- large, elongated, color – blue, amber or different for each pupil;
• ears- large, widely set;
• paws- medium length with tassels between the pads;
• body- strong, long, muscular;
• tail- medium, has the shape of a train;
• wool– semi-long without underfur, there is a fluffy tail and collar. Van's fur is waterproof and feels like cashmere;
• color- snow-white, with red spots on the head, ears and tail.

Character of the Turkish Van

Representatives oriental breed very smart and easy to follow, they are taught to walk on a leash. The Turkish cat breed has the character of a gentle and loving companion. They are loyal and affectionate, but will not stay in a person’s arms for a long time - they prefer to lie next to them and ride on their master’s shoulders. At the same time, Vans are active and inquisitive - they love to climb onto high cabinets, windows, balconies and look at everyone from there. Such individuals will not lie in one place for a long time.

Turkish Vans carry a childlike playfulness into adulthood. They grab toys on the fly, jump and tumble. They are natural swimmers, love to swim, and are good hunters and fishermen. The Turkish Van gets along well with other animals in the house, including dogs. He is great with children as long as they don't torment him too much. Turkish cats are persistent, can follow some commands, and have high intelligence. You can talk to them out loud - they love it and understand human emotions.

Turkish Van – color

The color of your pet's coat deserves special attention. The Turkish Van has a white base tone without yellowness. Spots are located on the body in strictly defined places. Shades of tan - chestnut red, red, tortoiseshell, cream, black, blue. Colored spots on the Van are located on the muzzle from the nose to the edge of the ears with the obligatory piercing; small inclusions can be located on the body.

The fluffy tail is colored completely from tip to base - brighter colored rings alternate with pale ones. In relation to other breeds, the color of the eastern swimmer received the common name “Van”. The fur is silky, long, soft and water-repellent. The pile changes depending on the season - in winter it is fuller, and in summer it looks almost like shorthair.

Turkish Van breed - varieties

Eastern swimmers are considered aboriginal - formed in natural conditions, then they became domestic. This Turkish variety of cats has two subbreeds - Anatolian(looks exactly like a Van, but with short hair) and kedisi(snow-white without spots). They have differences in fur length and parameters that are not related to standards - disposition, manners, behavior. The similarity is explained by the fact that the animals belong to the same genetic group and their blood was often mixed in the past.

Turkish shorthair cat

These are individuals of medium proportions, very jumping. The Turkish Anatolian cat has a short-haired standard with thin fur without underfur. Any color options are accepted - white, blue, tortoiseshell, cream, black (except Siamese, chocolate, cinnamon). Anatolian pets are gifted - they are musical, they love to listen to a melody, wagging their tail to the beat, they have a gentle voice, and they make sounds similar to syllables. Pets love to play with water jets or a paper ball. They have a developed intellect, the pet amazes with its ability to learn - it easily catches the intonations of the owner.

Fluffy Turkish cat

This is a medium sized animal. The Turkish Van cat has long hair with an original color - there are several completely colored areas on the snow-white pile, primarily the tail from tip to end. The pet has blue, yellow or differently colored eyes, the latter are especially valued. Van is massive and muscular, bouncy, with a loose coat without undercoat.

Cat fur has water-repellent characteristics, which allows pets to always look well-groomed and stay clean. Their character is intelligent, calm, they willingly accept affection, but maintain a sense of self-esteem. Pets differ from their relatives in that they love water. They have common roots with the well-known ones, but now they differ greatly.

Turkish cat breed - maintenance and care

Caring for oriental pets is not difficult. Tips for their content:

• they are unpretentious, they love personal space, arranged on an elevation, but not a closed house - a wide view should open from a personal bed;
• in the bathroom you can put a basin of water for them to bathe in;
• Vans love entertainment - it is important for them to purchase an artificial tree;
• The fur of Turkish pets does not have undergrowth and is not prone to matting; in normal times, you should brush the animal’s body once a week. During the molting period, you need to comb it daily;
• there is no need to wash them often; the snow-white coat cleans itself;
• You should trim the animal’s claws in a timely manner, monitor the condition of the eyes, teeth and ears;
• Vans love to walk outside. Animals can be kept on a leash, especially near water - they can even swim along the shore. The optimal walking schedule is once every two weeks in good weather;
• the breed is not prone to genetic diseases, but vaccination and prevention of worms and ticks is necessary;
• owners may have problems with mating, the Turkish Van is a rare and expensive breed, find suitable partner difficult. Pregnancy and childbirth in females proceed without problems.

What to feed your Turkish Van?

The food of such a pet should be high in calories, because he loves active life and moves a lot. Using natural food Turkish beauties need to be constantly given meat, offal, boiled fish, eggs, and dairy foods to saturate the body with proteins. It is advisable to use vitamin complexes, greens, vegetables, grow weed. Turkish domestic cat eats dry food with pleasure, you need to choose food for them. It is not recommended to overfeed such pets to avoid obesity.

Turkish Van kittens - care

Babies of this breed open their eyes early - on the 4th day, in the third week of their life, they become completely independent. Kittens are fed up to five times a day, adults (after a year) need to eat twice. For young pets, food should be filled with carbohydrates, proteins, and vitamins D - this ensures bone growth and beautiful view wool They are given meat, eggs, cottage cheese, and dairy products.

For the Turkish Van breed, the description of care includes mandatory socialization of kittens. Babies are characterized by mobility, you need to constantly communicate with them - nurture them affectionately and persistently. In the first months of life, they are somewhat inadequate - they attack the owner and scratch themselves. From childhood, kittens need to be taught to be touched by people, to be held, stroked, they need constant dialogue. Then the pets will grow up obedient, sociable and non-aggressive.

Turkish van - large fluffy cat with a bright temperament and playfulness. She is delicate, obedient, and surprises with her wisdom. Pets become strongly attached to their owner, the relationship between them and the person is very delicate, reminiscent of true friendship with emotions and conflicts that can be resolved through a calm conversation. The Vanir are born philosophers and psychologists in the furry world.

Van cat - pretty rare breed on a global scale. Attracts with its unusual color and amazing love for water. There is a belief that colored spots on a snow-white coat are located only in the place where the animal’s body rises above the water. And the color of the spots resembles the orange sunrise on Lake Van.

Story

The Van cat has existed for more than two thousand years. It got its name from Lake Van, on the shores of which the animals lived.

European travelers repeatedly described cats of this breed, mistakenly classifying them as Angoras. In 1955, the animals came to England. A few years later, targeted breeding of animals began.

The fruits of the breeding work were appreciated in 1969 by recognizing the breed in the GCCF (the oldest felinological organization in the world). In 1971, the Turkish Van was officially registered with FIFE.

Description

The Van cat is considered large breed. Despite their diversity, all animals have common features:

• Torso. Muscular and elongated body, back rectangular shape slightly tapering towards the tail. Rib cage well developed.
• Head. It has the shape of a truncated triangle, medium size. The transition to the nose is weakly expressed, the profile is almost straight, and the chin is strong.
• Ears. Wide at the base, large, tips slightly rounded. The distance between them is three fingers. They are located high, stand upright, and are pink on the inside.
• Eyes. Big size, oval shape, set a little askew. There are three eye color options: amber, blue or different colors (one blue, the other copper).
• Limbs. The front legs are slightly longer than the hind legs and strong. The pads are round and pink. There are tufts of hair between the fingers.
• Tail. Large, with a beautiful ring color. Always raised high, the length of the hair on it can reach 5 cm in the summer, when the hair coat of animals changes and becomes shorter, the tail retains its luxurious hair.
• Size. From the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail, cats grow up to 120 cm, shoulder height - up to 40 cm, the weight of adult cats ranges from 6-9 kg, females - 4-6 kg.
• Litter. There are never more than four kittens in a litter at a time. Puberty occurs by 3-4 years of age. This is one of the reasons for the rarity of animals of this breed.

Peculiarities

The Turkish Van cat (photo in the text) loves water. This feature distinguishes it from the entire genus of cats. Living on the shores of Lake Van for thousands of years, animals have learned not to be afraid of water. They swim calmly and fish well in shallow water.

Externally, cats are very elegant and beautiful. The piquancy of their appearance is added by the fact that Van cats (photo in the text) can have different colour eye. One is amber and the other is bright blue. In Turkey, a pure white cat with multi-colored eyes is called a Van.

The jumping ability and excellent coordination of cats is simply amazing. All cats can jump well, but individuals of this breed somehow manage to hover in the air, like flying squirrels.

One more distinctive feature animals are their fur. It has no undercoat, is very silky to the touch, and dries quickly. It has a water-repellent property, making it less likely to get dirty. By the way, Vans do not take care of their fur like other cats - they do not lick themselves. They need to be bathed, fortunately there are no problems with this.

Feeding

The Turkish Van cat is unpretentious in food. She can be trained to eat dry food, but only very High Quality. Loves fish (genetic memory makes itself felt), can eat vegetables and fruits. He never allows himself to beg for food from the table, but with his appearance he can eloquently show that he is not averse to trying the owner’s food.

You should not include citrus fruits, smoked or spicy meat, sweets, and honey in your diet. Most representatives of this breed are susceptible to allergies. In addition to natural products, it is useful to periodically include necessary complex vitamins

Color

Van breed cats (photo in text) are 80% white. Colored spots are allowed on the head, provided there is always a white mark (from the back of the head to the forehead). Individual colored spots on the body are acceptable, especially on the left shoulder.

The snow-white coat color is emphasized by red markings on the head and tail. It has a ring color, according to the standard 5-9 rings. The markings may also be a chestnut shade.

Today, four colors are recognized:

• classic chestnut;
• cream (bred in England);
• black;
• tortoiseshell.

Sometimes pure white kittens are born in a litter. This color is not recognized by all international felinological organizations.

The coat is semi-long, very soft. In summer it is slightly shorter than in winter. It does not require special care, you just need to comb the cat during spring shedding to help get rid of dead hair.

Character

The Turkish Van, with his “dog-like” character, gets along calmly with other pets, although he persistently asserts his leadership. The predatory nature manifests itself very actively, so hamsters, birds, Guinea pigs, the fish in the aquarium will sooner or later become the prey of a clever hunter. They can perfectly cope with the role of a rat catcher.

The Van cat is famous for its playful and restless character. She will not sleep for hours on a soft pillow. Her energy needs an outlet. If the owner cannot find time for games, she will find entertainment for herself. Important documents It’s better to put it away, tearing papers, enjoying the sound - one of Van’s favorite pastimes. The trickle of water running from the tap also provides great entertainment for the animal. The cat plays with the stream and may even stand under it.

Of all the family members, the cat chooses its owner, although it becomes attached to everyone living in the house. Does not tolerate long-term separation well, suffers if the owner is away for a long time. Follows him around, taking an active part in any household chores. She is very careful with children - she never lets out her claws when playing with them. Expresses emotions loudly and demandingly, knowing how to get his way. Has self-esteem and knows how to take offense.

The Turkish Van can be kept in an ordinary apartment. His activity requires street walking. It is enough to give your pet walks a couple of times a week. fresh air. For safety (so that the cat does not get lost), it is better to accustom it to a harness from childhood.

This breed loves freedom very much; closed spaces have a depressing effect on them. To solve this problem, it is enough to equip it with a safe “observation platform” on the balcony or loggia. In addition, provision should be made for the cat to climb higher.

The best option for a Turkish van to live next to a person would be a private house with a spacious yard. And if there is a stream or river nearby, then we can assume that ideal conditions have been created for the animal.

This is interesting

There is a legend according to which the Van cat breed was especially noted by the Creator himself. In the area of ​​the left shoulder, many individuals have a spot in the form of a human fingerprint. God blessed the animal to eliminate the mouse on Noah's Ark. There is a belief that the mouse was created by the devil to destroy the Ark.

The cat fulfilled the will of the Almighty, saved Noah, and with him the entire human race. By placing his right hand on the animal, God left his fingerprint. The Kurds consider this mark as a fingerprint thumb Allah.

Another legend explains their ability to swim and the presence of a large colored spot near the cats' tail. This is Noah's own shoe print. Tired of the animal's endless games and amusements, he kicked it in anger. Having fallen from the ark, the Turkish van did not drown, but learned to swim.

Before trying food (meat or milk), the cat touches it with its paw, checking the temperature. Can eat melons, watermelons and other fruits (but not citrus fruits).

In Turkey, Vans are considered magical cats. The most popular Istanbul fortune-telling salons have a couple of tailed “assistants” on their staff.

In the mountains of Turkey there is a very beautiful lake called Van. People have lived there since ancient times, and, as they say, where there are people, there are cats. But the mountainous climate of Turkey is special, which affected the character of cats and their appearance. Read more about Turkish Van cats in our article.

In 1955, on instructions from the editors of a British magazine, its representatives Laura Lushington and Sonya Halliday arrived in Turkey. It was there that they saw these beautiful animals for the first time, which attracted their attention with their habits and interesting coat color. At the end of the business trip, the journalist was given two different-sex individuals, which she brought to London. But even on the way to the airport, the girls noticed one incident.

It was very hot outside, and the engine in the car they were driving began to overheat. The driver stopped at the stream to top up. cold water into the radiator. Naturally, the girls also went to the stream to rinse their bodies a little cold water, and took little kittens with them. And imagine their surprise when they saw that the cats quickly jumped into the water and began to frolic and swim. It was these two kittens that became the founders of the Turkish Van breed, which were registered under the names Van Atilla and Van Guzeli Iskenderun.

After 4 years, the journalist went to Turkey again and again brought two cats with her. The offspring of the cats had stable hereditary characteristics, which indicated the purebred nature of the breed.

There is also a beautiful legend associated with these cats, which takes us back to the time of Noah.

When he built a ship and set sail, the devil let a mouse on board, ordering it to gnaw at the bottom of the ship. It was then that the Lord instructed the white cat to find this mouse and destroy it. The cat successfully completed the Lord’s task and saved Noah’s entire family from certain death. For this, the Lord gave her his blessing, touching her with his hand. As a result, the cat received a red-chestnut color on its head and tail, and the Lord left a finger mark on its shoulder blade. Since then, this spot in Turkey has been called “the trace of the “finger of the right hand of Allah” and is treated very kindly by the Vanir. The International Federation of Cat Fanciers included Turkish Vans in the standard in 1973.

general characteristics

Representatives of the Turkish Van breed are medium in size.

Appearance

They have a beautiful snow-white long wool, which does not tend to turn yellow. Visible on the fur characteristic of the breed specks of red-chestnut color that are located on the head and a beautiful fluffy tail of the same color. A small spot is also located on their left shoulder blade, and in some individuals on their back. The color of the coat can vary from light cream to dark chestnut. They have no undercoat, and the wool feels more like cashmere.

Another feature of wool is that it never gets tangled and is easy to comb.

The Turkish Van is very attached to water. They love to frolic in it and can even catch fish. The absence of undercoat gives the wool water-repellent properties, so after bathing the wool dries quickly.

The Turkish Vanir have an extraordinary beautiful eyes. They are large and slanted, and their color can be blue or amber yellow. In some individuals, two colors can be observed at once: one eye is blue, and the second is amber-yellow. paw pads, ears and the eyelids have a pleasant pink color.

Character

These are completely independent cats and their behavior is very similar to dogs. Vans are playful cats, easy to train, and quickly get used to walking on a leash. Cats love to always be in the company of their owners, and are very loyal to those who love them. In addition, they get along well with other animals in the house and even dogs. At the same time, they always take on the role of leader.

Another feature of their character is that they love to play for a long time with any toys. And if you don't occupy the Turkish van active games, then he will express his protest in the form of torn curtains, objects thrown onto the floor and other disturbances. They are very inquisitive and always explore every point in the house. They are especially active at the age of up to 6 months, so at this age you need to make every effort to raise a good kitten in him, in knowledge of the world around him. But despite their high activity, Turkish Baths are affectionate, gentle, devoted and loving animals.

Rules of care and feeding

Remember, Turkish Vans love to frolic in shallow water.

Care

Turkish baths are low maintenance. They can take care of their fur on their own, but they are very happy when they are stroked or brushed.

Cats need to be bathed with special shampoo V warm water. While taking water treatments, play with the cat - she will really like it. Also, periodically you need to trim their nails, wash their eyes and clear wax from their ears.

Feeding

The diet of Turkish Vans should be balanced and no different from the diet of similar breeds. If you prefer to give your cats dry food, then be sure to buy premium or super-premium food for them. There should always be water in the bowl, which should be changed at least 4 times a day.

Health

Turkish Vans have excellent health and can give odds to many breeds. Genetic defects The breed does not have, just like a predisposition to diseases. If you provide your pet proper care And balanced diet, then she will delight you for a long time with her playful character.

Video review of Turkish Van cats