Turkish Van: Why It's Called the Swimming Cat

The Turkish Van is a semi-long-haired breed developed in the United Kingdom in the 1950s from cats obtained in Turkey, and it carries one of the most distinctive nicknames in domestic cat breeding: the Swimming Cat.

Unlike virtually all other domestic cat breeds, which treat water with varying degrees of reluctance, Turkish Vans are widely reported to like water. They are said to paddle in streams and wade into ponds, and the native Van cats of the Lake Van area have been observed swimming in the lake itself, though some pet writers argue that the breed likes water no more than other cats.

The Van is also visually distinctive, one of the few breeds to have a specific coat pattern named after it. The "Van pattern" describes a white body with colored markings restricted to the head and tail, and this pattern, in the semi-long cashmere-like coat specific to the breed, is immediately identifiable.

In temperament, the Turkish Van is the opposite of its compatriot the Turkish Angora in one critical respect: where the Angora is graceful and moderate, the Van is athletic, boisterous and independent. These are large, powerful cats with strong opinions and a physical presence that commands attention.

Origin and History

The Turkish Van breed was developed in the United Kingdom in the 1950s from cats obtained in several cities of Turkey, especially in the southeast. The name refers to Lake Van in eastern Anatolia, where a separate landrace of usually solid white Van cats lives, but the breed founder's own writings indicate that none of the foundation cats came from the Van area.

The Turkish Van came to Western attention primarily through the work of British photographers Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday, who were given two unrelated cats while on assignment in Turkey in 1955. Lushington took them to Britain, bred them and went on to establish the breed. Lushington documented the cats' affinity for water, describing cats that dabble in water and have been known to enter ponds and even horse-troughs for a swim.

The breed was recognized by the GCCF in 1969, by CFA in 1994 (as the Turkish Van), and by TICA. In Turkey, the native Van cat landrace is the focus of a conservation program at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University.

The Van Pattern

The Van pattern, white body with colored markings only on the head and tail, is the breed's defining coat characteristic and the origin of the pattern's name in cat genetics broadly. When breeders refer to a "Van pattern" in any breed, they are using terminology derived from the Turkish Van.

Pattern Region	Coloring
Body	White
Tail	Colored (rings or solid)
Head	Colored patches, typically symmetrical
Eyes	Amber, blue, or odd-eyed

The colored areas on the head should be symmetrical, separated by white and typically cover the area from the ears down to but not below the eye level. The tail coloring ranges from full rings to a solid colored tail with a white base. A white blaze on the forehead, running between the colored head markings, is characteristic of the breed.

The genetics of the Van pattern involve the piebald gene (S) in a specific expression state that produces very extensive white spotting, leaving color only at the extremities. The Van pattern is an extreme expression of the white spotting gene, and the same gene at lower expression levels produces less extensive white spotting.

Physical Characteristics

The Turkish Van is a large, muscular cat, one of the larger domestic breeds. Males range from 5 to 9 kg. The breed matures slowly, not reaching full adult size and muscular development until three to five years of age.

Characteristic	Details
Weight (male)	5-9 kg
Weight (female)	3-5 kg
Build	Large, muscular, broad chest
Head	Broad, wedge-shaped
Eyes	Amber, blue, or odd-eyed
Coat	Semi-long, cashmere-like; minimal undercoat
Pattern	Van pattern (white body, colored head and tail)
CFA recognition	1994

The coat is semi-long with a cashmere-like texture, silky, fine and without the dense undercoat that characterizes the Persian. The coat is water-resistant to a degree, which may contribute to the breed's willingness to enter water. It dries relatively quickly after swimming or bathing, which is not insignificant if the breed's water behavior is genuine and frequent.

The Swimming Cat

The Turkish Van's affinity for water is the breed's most famous characteristic and one of the most frequently cited examples of breed-specific behavioral variation in domestic cats. Lushington, who introduced the breed to Britain in the 1950s, wrote that the cats dabble in water and have been known to enter ponds and horse-troughs for a swim, and some owners today report similar behavior.

The nickname originally comes from the native Van cats of the Lake Van area, which have been observed to swim in the lake. The modern breed consists almost entirely of pedigreed, indoor-only cats and some pet writers argue that the idea that it likes water more than other cats may be mistaken.

Turkish Van owners today report cats that play in water bowls, follow owners into the shower, dip toys into water before playing with them, and in some cases actually swim when given access to safe swimming areas. The behavior is not universal.

For water-related cat behavior context see Why Do Cats Hate Water.

Temperament

The Turkish Van has a forceful, independent and highly active personality. It is athletic, curious and opinionated in ways that owners either find enormously entertaining or find challenging, there is little middle ground. The breed plays vigorously, climbs energetically and will investigate every corner of its environment with thoroughness and determination.

The Van is affectionate but on its own terms. It typically bonds strongly with its family but may not be a lap cat in the conventional sense, it prefers being near its people and engaging in activity rather than sitting still for extended petting. When it wants affection, it seeks it directly, when it does not, it makes this clear.

The large, powerful body and independent personality make early socialization and consistent handling important. Turkish Vans that are handled regularly and exposed to a variety of people and situations from kittenhood are generally excellent companions. Those that are left largely unsocialized may be difficult to manage.

For outdoor considerations see Indoor vs Outdoor Cats Which Is Better. For Turkish Van care see Turkish Van Care Guide.

Health Profile

The Turkish Van is generally a robust, healthy breed with few documented hereditary conditions relative to many other pedigree breeds.

Health Concern	Details	Management
Hereditary deafness	Risk mainly in solid white individuals	BAER test
Obesity	Risk in less active indoor individuals	Measured meals

Van-patterned Turkish Vans are not considered prone to deafness, because the pattern is associated with the Van pattern (Sv) gene rather than the dominant white (W) gene. Solid white cats of Turkish Van stock may carry the dominant white gene, and deafness is principally associated with white cats that have two blue eyes. BAER hearing tests are mandatory for registration in some registries.

For comparison with a related Turkish breed see Turkish Angora. For a large breed comparison see Maine Coon.

Grooming

The Turkish Van's semi-long, cashmere-like coat is easier to maintain than many longhaired breeds because it lacks the dense undercoat that causes severe matting in Persians and similar breeds. The coat self-maintains to a reasonable degree and sheds the winter coat in spring with a notable increase in loose hair.

Weekly combing with a wide-toothed comb keeps the coat in good condition during normal periods. More frequent combing during seasonal shedding prevents excessive hair accumulation. The tail, with its full plume, benefits from particular attention during shedding season.