History of the Turkish Van Cat
The Turkish Van cat originates from the Lake Van district of western Turkey. It's widely believed that Armenians living around the lake brought these "swimming cats" with them when they first settled in the region. Two turkish van kittens were brought to England in 1955 and were used to establish the breed there.

Appearance of the Turkish Van Cat
The Turkish van is a muscular cat with a broad chest and thick-set body and legs. Its head is large with gentle contours and they have large round eyes that slant in the upper corners. The ears of the turkish van cat are fairly large and rounded at the tips with a feathering of fur inside the ears. Their coat is semi-longhair with a soft cashmere-like texture.  The turkish van only comes in the "van" variety/pattern. "Van" refers to the cat's head and tail being colored with no more than two spots occurring in the cat's body.  If the turkish van has a streak of white up the nose areas to at least between the front edge of its ears its is thought to signify a blessing from Allah.

Personality of the Turkish VanCat
The personality of the turkish van cat can be described as active and intelligent. The turkish van is not a laptop and will feel much better walking on its own. This cat makes a soothing, melodious noise when it meows.

Turkish Van Cat Pictures