Content
- Turkish Van: origin
- Turkish Van Cat: Features
- Turkish Van Cat: personality
- Turkish Van Cat: care
- Turkish Van Cat: health
With a soft and fluffy coat, owner of a captivating look and a very sociable personality, the Turkish Van cat, also known as Turkish Van, Tuco Van or even Turkish cat, is a unique and highly coveted breed. If you are thinking about adopting a Turkish Van or if you already have a pet like this at home, this PeritoAnimal sheet will help you to know everything you need about this breed of cat, from its origin, personality and physical characteristics to what are the care that should be taken with him. So, keep reading this text to know all the information about the cat. Turkish Van, that will surely conquer you.
Source- Asia
- Turkey
- Category I
- thick tail
- Strong
- Small
- Medium
- Great
- 3-5
- 5-6
- 6-8
- 8-10
- 10-14
- 8-10
- 10-15
- 15-18
- 18-20
- Active
- outgoing
- Affectionate
- Curious
- Cold
- Warm
- Moderate
- Medium
Turkish Van: origin
The Turkish Van cat comes from the lake of Vã, the largest in Turkey and from which the feline is named. The origin of the Turkish Van cat goes back centuries, from a legend that this cat breed arrived in the famous Turkish lake after the great biblical universal flood by Noah's Ark. oldest cat in the world.
Depending on the region in which it is told, the legend has two versions and intends to clarify the causes of the curious and characteristic marks on the coat of this cat breed. According to the Jewish version of the story, the blemishes that can be seen on the Turkish Van cat's fur were caused by God, who stroked the cat on the head, upper back and tail, places where the fur was a different shade from the cat. rest of the body. In the Islamic version of the legend, Allah was responsible. So much so that the caramel coat region on the back of the Turkish Van cat is popularly called the "footprint of Allah".
What can be said, for sure, is that this breed of cat already existed at the time of the Hittites (XXV BC - IX BC), an Indo-European civilization that was located in Anatolia, currently part of Turkey, since the Turkish Van already they appeared in many written accounts of this people.
From the Lake Van region, this cat breed expanded to various places, starting in Iran and Armenia and ending in the United States, as in the 1950s the Turkish Van cat was exported to the "New World" by an English breeder. Since then, the breed has become quite popular among Americans.
Turkish Van Cat: Features
The Turkish Van is considered a breed of cat of medium to large size as the weight varies between 7 kg in males and 5 kg and 6 kg in females. Even with the differences in size and weight, both males and females have robust, muscular, strong and slightly extended bodies, some specimens of the breed can reach up to a meter in width, if measured from its nose to the tip of its tail. Also, the Turkish Van cat's hind ends are slightly longer than the forelegs.
The Turkish Van cat's head is triangular and has a slight downward slant. The animal's eyes are large and oval and are also very expressive. Usually, the eyes have shades ranging from amber to blue, however, the breed has several cases of heterochromia. However, what maybe it is the most characteristic of the Turkish Van cat is the coat, a thick, silky, semi-long hair that is not easily matted. The base color of the coat is always white and the typical patches vary from caramel, reddish-brown, cream or even blue.
Turkish Van Cat: personality
The Turkish Van cat is famous for being passionate about water and for loving swimming, whether in bathtubs or in rivers and lakes. Also, these felines are very playful and sociable, as long as they have been educated and socialized since puppies, therefore, they can spend hours entertaining themselves with games and games that keep them entertained. The Turkish cat Van is also affectionate and gets along well with other people and animals. Turkish Van is also very fond of socializing with children, so it is possible to create various games involving both the pet and the little ones. Hunting games, with rubber rats that move or fishing rods are usually preferred by this breed of cat.
It is important to know that, like many other cats, the Turkish Van is very fond of climbing high places, without taking into account that it must hold onto curtains or jump over objects and furniture. At these times, you should be patient, but not scold your pet for this behavior that is common among cats of this breed. Therefore, it is essential to keep these cats stimulated with scratchers of various levels and heights, so they can climb, move freely, so you don't have to worry about damaged or spoiled furniture.
Turkish Van Cat: care
As mentioned before, the Turkish Van cat has a dense and semi-long coat that don't usually embarrass or fall off very often. So if you brush your cat's fur every two or three days, or even once a week, it will be enough. As for the baths, they are not necessary, but when you think it is appropriate, it is important to bathe your Turkish Van with specific products and dry the animal thoroughly afterwards.
On the other hand, being a playful and active breed of cat, you should enjoy daily games and play sessions to keep you fit and healthy. In addition, it is also good not to forget to follow the necessary care for all felines, such as a balanced diet and good oral, eye and ear hygiene.
Turkish Van Cat: health
The Turkish Van cat is usually healthy, however, as in other cat breeds, consanguinity was a recurrent method among the breeders of these cats, which favored the emergence of a greater predisposition to the development of congenital diseases specific to the breed. One of them is hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which consists of a change in the heart muscle or myocardium because the left ventricle is larger and thicker than normal.
The Turkish Van also usually suffers from hearing problems as it has a predisposition to deafness. Therefore, it is common to find Turkish Van cats with partial or total deafness. Also, to ensure your cat is in good health, don't forget to pay attention to the vaccination schedule and deworming, as well as frequent visits to the veterinarian, every 6 or 12 months. In addition, the life expectancy of this breed of cat varies between 13 and 17 years.