Turkish Van Cat

Archaeological evidence hints that domestic cats were known in Turkey as long as 7000 years ago. Excavations by the British Archaeological Institute uncovered small Neolithic figures of women holding, or playing with cats. These terracotta statuettes are thought to be the oldest known representations of pet cats.

From AD75 to AD387 the Romans occupied the Lake Van region in Eastern Turkey. Battle armor from this period displayed in the Louvre Paris, shows large light colored cats with tail rings, these are believed to prove an early presence for the Turkish Van Cat.

These cats have been highly valued and respected pets for centuries in the mountainous Lake Van district. It is the remoteness and somewhat isolated nature of the region that helped preserve the unique breed.

In 1955 two British photographers, Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday, were working in the Lake Van region on an assignment from the Turkish Tourist Board. Enthralled by tales of the "swimming cat" the pair showed a lot of interest in the local felines with auburn head markings and faintly ringed auburn tails, and were given an unrelated pair of Turkish Van kittens.

After the obligatory period of quarantine upon arrival to the UK, the kittens were sent to the home of Laura Lushington where it was established that they belonged to a breed unknown to the world of pedigree cats. A serious breeding program was started, five more examples of the breed were collected on subsequent trips to the Lake Van region, and after four years litters of consistently patterned kittens were being produced.

Then began what proved to big a long process in getting the Van cat officially recognized as a new breed. The stunning photographs that the owners took of their cats, particularly shots of them swimming, gained a lot of publicity, but this cut no ice with the feline associations.

It was not until 1969 that this attractive breed was given recognition. Delay had been caused by Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday's decision to use the name Van for the breed and also for their own registered cattery, this was not permitted by the associations. For a time the cats had to be known as Turkish cats rather than Van cats.

This stipulation caused confusion with the related, but separate, breed the Turkish Angora, therefore the new name never became popular. It was not until Laura Lushington retired from cat breeding that the name reverted to Turkish Van cat.

Also, because records were not kept in Turkey, there had to be breeding through four generations before there was official recognition as pedigree felines.

It was not until 1982 that examples of Van's arrived in the USA, and another thirteen years before they were officially recognized.

Van cats continue to gain popularity. They are a charming, intelligent breed, and prove to be loyal, loving companions.

Turkish Van Cats, The Swimming Cats More information about the attractive Van breed.

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