Turkish Van Cat: Complete Breed Profile

The Swimming Cat of Lake Van

Ancient natural breed from Turkey's Van region. Semi-longhaired, cashmere-soft, water-loving, dog-like devotion.

Signature Traits

Feature	Details
Pattern	Van pattern: white body + colored head/tail only. No body spots.
Eyes	Blue, amber, or odd-eyed. Distinctive.
Coat	Semi-long, single layer, water-repellent. No undercoat = less matting.
Size	M 10–15 lb, F 8–12 lb. Muscular, broad chest.
Lifespan	13–17+ yrs.

Personality

• Highly intelligent, trainable (fetch, harness, tricks).
• Affectionate but not clingy. "Supervisor" energy.
• Water obsession: sinks, tubs, pools. Supervise.
• Athletic climber/jumper. Needs vertical territory.
• Vocal: chirps, trills, conversational.

Care

• Brush 1–2×/wk (more during shed). Bath quarterly if they'll tolerate.
• High-protein diet. Monitor weight—food-motivated.
• Dental care critical (prone to periodontal disease).
• Ear cleaning (tufts trap debris).

Health Concerns

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) — screen breeding cats.
• Autoimmune issues (rare).
• Deafness in blue-eyed whites (test BAER).

Finding a Van

• Reputable breeder: health testing, contract, kitten socialization.
• Rescue: Turkish Van Cat Connection, breed-specific rescues.
• Expect waitlist. Rare breed (~100 kittens/yr US).

A Van chooses you. Then they run the household.