Turk Hazine Turkish Vans 

Turkish Vans

 

Turkish Vans are a natural breed, meaning a breed of animal that has naturally evolved over the years with no assistance from humans. They are believed to originate from Turkey near Lake Van. Legends say that the Turkish Van swam ashore from Noah's ark, which is said to have landed on Mount Ararat, near Lake Van. Legends also says that the red markings Turkish Vans have come from a divine touch. On the Ark a door closed on the white cat’s tail causing it to turn red and that God reached out and touched the cat on the head leaving a mark where his hand had been. The spot that some Turkish Vans have on their shoulder is known as the "thumbprint of Allah" and it is considered a sign that the cat has been blessed. 

 

Turkish Vans were brought to England in 1955 by two women, Sonia Holliday and Laura Lushington, who where in Turkey on a photographic holiday. They brought back a pair to England and found that they bred true, meaning the kittens had the same markings as the parents. Discovering this, Lushinton started breeding them and set out to have them recognized by the British Cat Fancy organization. Turkish Vans where first brought to the United States in 1982 and was first recognized by TICA ( The International Cat Association) in 1985 and then by the CFA (Cat Fancier Association) in 1988. 

 

Turkish Vans take 3-5 years to fully mature and can range from a weight of 10-18 pounds. They are a large athletic breed of cat with no known health problems. Turkish Vans are very muscular with a deep chest and broad shoulders which allow them to swim better. They are very intelligent and love to play games such as fetch. 

 

Coat and Coloration

 

Turkish Vans have an unusual single layered coat which sheds water and has a cashmere or rabbit-like feel to it. This quality makes coat maintenance and shedding low. 

 

Turkish Vans are an all white cat with color on their head and tail. They may also have random spots of color on the body and legs. This color pattern is known as Van markings. In fact the word "van pattern" is now used by other breeds that have been bred to have this distinctive pattern. These markings are caused by a gene called piebald which is also known as the spotting gene. Yes, the spotting gene but not in the way you may be thinking. The red markings you see on my Turkish Vans are not the spots, but the white is. Turkish Vans are red cats with giant a white spot on them. They are actually considered by many to be the original breed to carry this gene.

 

Turkish Van’s come in a party of different colors.

 

There are Solid colors and White: Red and White, Cream and White, Black and White and Blue and White.

 

Then the Tabby and White: Red Tabby and White, Cream Tabby and White, Brown Tabby and White and Blue Tabby and White.

 

Lastly there is the Parti-colors and White: Tortoiseshell and White, Dilute Tortoiseshell and White, Brown Patched Tabby (torbie) and White, Blue Patched Tabby (dilute torbie) and White.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Turkish Van's have almond shaped eyes that can come in three different colors. Blue, amber and odd eyed which means having one blue and one amber eye.

 

CFA breed standered

 

Turkish Van

POINT SCORE

HEAD (30)

Shape (boning, chin, nose, cheekbones, profile)........................... 18

Ears (shape, placement and size) ................................................... 7

Eyes (shape, placement and size) .................................................. 5

BODY (30)

Type (boning, muscle, length, size)................................................ 18

Legs and feet..................................................................................... 5

Tail ..................................................................................................... 7

COAT................................................................................................. 15

COLOR and PATTERN..................................................................... 20

BALANCE............................................................................................ 5

 

GENERAL: The Turkish Van is a natural breed from the rugged,

remote and climatically varied region of the Middle East. The breed is

known for its unique, distinctive pattern...the term “van” has been

adopted by a variety of breeds to describe white cats with colored

head and tail markings. The Turkish Van is a solidly-built, semi-longhaired

cat with great breadth to the chest. The strength and power of

the cat is evidenced in its substantial body and legs. This breed takes

a full 3 to 5 years to reach full maturity and development, therefore

allowances must be made for age and sex. Turkish Vans are very

intelligent and alert cats, and as such feel more secure, and handle

better with all four feet on a solid surface.

 

BALANCE: Despite age and sex, as adults, individuals should convey

an overall impression of a well-balanced and well-proportioned

appearance in which no feature is exaggerated to foster weakness or

extremes.

 

HEAD: Substantially broad wedge, with gentle contours and a medium

length nose to harmonize with the large muscular body, ears are

not to be included in the wedge. Prominent cheekbones. In profile,

the nose has a slight dip below eye level marked by a change in the

direction the hair lays. Allowances must be made for jowling in the

males. Firm chin in a straight line with the nose and upper lip; rounded

muzzle.

 

EARS: Moderately large, in proportion to the body, set fairly high and

well apart; the inside edge of the ear is slightly angled to the outside

with the outside edge fairly straight but not necessarily in line with the

side of the face; wide at the base. Tips are slightly rounded. Insides

should be well feathered.

 

EYES: Moderately large, a rounded aperture slightly drawn out at the

corners, set at a slant, equidistant from the outside base of the ear to

the tip of the nose. Eyes should be clear, alert and expressive.

 

BODY: moderately long, sturdy, broad, muscular and deep-chested.

Mature males should exhibit marked muscular development in the

neck and shoulders. The shoulders should be at least as broad as the

head, and flow into the well-rounded ribcage and then into a muscular

hip and pelvic area. Turkish Van males are substantially larger than

females and exhibit much greater development.

 

LEGS AND FEET: Moderately long, muscular legs. They are set wide

apart and taper to rounded moderately large feet. Legs and feet

should be in proportion to the body. Toes, five in front, four behind.

 

TAIL: Long, but in proportion to the body, with a brush appearance.

Tail hair length is keeping with the semi-long coat length.

 

COAT: Semi-long with a cashmere-like texture; soft to the roots with

no trace of undercoat. Due to the extremes in climate of their native

region, the breed carries two distinctive coat lengths and allowances

must be made for the seasonal coat. The summer coat is short, conveying

the appearance of a shorthair; the winter coat is substantially

longer and thicker. There is feathering on the ears, legs, feet and

belly. Facial fur is short. A frontal neck ruff and full brush tail become

more pronounced with age. The above description is that of an adult,

allowances must be made for short coats and tail hair on kittens and

young adults.

 

COLOR and PATTERN: Van pattern only on glistening chalk-white

body with colored markings confined to the head and tail is preferred.

One or more random markings, up to color on 15% of the entire body

(excluding the head and tail color), are permissible. Random markings

should not be of a size or number to detract from the van pattern,

making a specimen appear bi-color. A symmetrical pattern of head

markings, divided by white up to at least the level of the front edge of

the ears, is desirable.

 

PENALIZE: any evidence toward extremes (i.e. short cobbiness or

svelte, fine-boning); greater than 20% white in the tail, flat profile.

 

DISQUALIFY: total absence of color in the area from eye level up to

the back of the head or tail; definite nose break; genetic/skeletal

defects such as flattened ribcage, kinked or abnormal tail, incorrect

number of toes, crossed eyes. Color in excess of 15% of the entire

body (excluding the head and tail color).

 

TURKISH VAN COLORS

Eye color on all coat colors: amber, blue and odd-eyed. Eye color

may fade with age.

Nose leather on all coat colors: pink.

Paw pads on all coat colors: pink is preferable but color spot(s) on

paw pads acceptable due to the two colors in the pattern.

Solid and White Colors

 

RED: ranging from warm red to deep auburn, but should be one level

shade, sound to the roots.

 

CREAM: one level shade of buff cream, sound to the roots.

 

BLACk: dense coal black, sound to the roots. Free of any tinge of

rust on tips or smoke undercoat.

 

BLUE: one level tone of blue, sound to the roots.

 

Tabby and White Colors

 

Tabby markings are dense and clearly defined. How much of the

tabby marking is seen is highly dependent on the size and placement

of the head and body spots. A spot may be of a size that only ground

color or only the tabby stripe is seen, thus there may not be enough

color to determine whether the markings are classic or mackerel.

 

RED TABBY: ground color creamy red. Tabby markings range from

warm red to deep auburn.

 

CREAM TABBY: ground color very pale cream. Tabby markings of

buff cream sufficiently darker than the ground color to afford good

contrast but remaining within the dilute range.

 

BROWN TABBY: ground color creamy beige. Tabby markings dense

black.

 

BLUE TABBY: ground color pale bluish ivory. Tabby markings a

deep blue affording a good contrast with ground color. Warm fawn or

patina over the colored portions.

Parti-color and White Colors

 

TORTOISESHELL: black and red patches with tabby markings

allowed in the red portion.

 

DILUTE TORTOISESHELL: blue and cream patches with tabby

markings allowed in the cream portion.

 

BROWN PATCHED TABBY (torbie): brown tabby description with

patches of red or red tabby.

 

BLUE PATCHED TABBY (dilute torbie): blue tabby description with

patches of cream or cream tabby.

*Note: It is characteristic of the Turkish Van breed to carry tabby

markings in the red/cream portions of the tortoiseshell colors.

OTVC (Other Turkish Van Colors): van pattern only – any other

color and white (silver tabby, smokes, etc.) with the exception of

Turkish Van

©2014 The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc.® 1of 2 Turkish Van Show Standard (revised 2009)

those showing evidence of hybridization resulting from the Himalayan

pattern (point restricted) and colors (chocolate, lilac, etc.).

The following information is for reference purposes only

and not an official part of the CFA Show Standard.