Turkish van: a description of the breed of cats, keeping and breeding

Turkish van is considered one of the most ancient breeds of feline. Today, these cats are incredibly popular and prestigious with breeders. Possessing external beauty, cats have unique habits and an original color. The material of our article will acquaint readers with the nuances of the content and breeding of these cute creatures. In addition, you will learn how this pussy looks like and how it appeared in Europe.

The Turkish van belongs to the aboriginal rocks formed in a particular area under the influence of natural factors. The origin of animals is lost in the depth of centuries, Eastern Anatolia of Turkey is considered their homeland. For the first time, cats were seen near Lake Van, whence they took part of their name.

In Turkey, cats were called “bath katu”, which means “cat from Lake Van”.

In 1955, Englishwoman Laura Lushington and Sonya Halliday, going to Turkey on official mission, took pictures of local sights. It was in Turkey that they saw charming white cats, which they received as a gift from local residents.

The unusual features of the characters of the Englishwoman's kittens were noticed on the way to the airport. Stopping to rest at the stream, the girls took the kittens with them, and they gladly jumped into the water and began to frolic in it. These individuals were registered in England as the first Vans, they were named Van Atilla and Van Guzelli Iskenderun. After about 4 years, the journalist again visited Turkey, from where she brought four more kittens.

So began the selection of Wans in Europe. However, they were included in the standard by the International Federation of Cat Lovers only in 1973. As for other versions of the origin of exotic cats, a remarkable legend, which is told in Turkey, is also known. According to her, during the departure of Noah’s ark, the devil, who was watching, decided to drown him.

To this end, he let a small mouse into the ship, which was supposed to gnaw through the hole so that through it the ark filled with water and sank to the bottom along with everything that was on it. The devil decided to kill a man so that he could not be saved and multiply. Knowing this, God told the white cat on the ark to catch the mouse.

Thanks to these marks, the cat is considered to be revered and loved. It can not be hurt, so as not to incur God's wrath.

Van cat differs from the usual home counterparts in their dimensions. Female breeds weigh from 4 to 6 kg, the weight of males can be 5-10 kg. These animals have a surprisingly strong body, which is not typical of fluffy cats. It is large, its shape is long and streamlined, tapering slightly towards the back. To a large extent, this feature is expressed in male Vans.

The length of a cat from nose to tip of tail is on average 1 m or more, the height usually reaches 40 cm. At the same time, an individual usually has a short neck and broad shoulders.The muzzle of cats is larger than that of females, it is angular, resembles a wedge with rounded contours and high cheekbones. Round forehead and chin. In general, the muzzle of animals is quite neat, distinguished by a pronounced pinch.

The eyes of cats of this breed can be either round or slightly elongated, tending to the oval shape. Their landing is slightly tilted, and the colors may be different. And the eyes of the representatives of the Turkish feline breed can be painted in different colors.

The shape of Turkish van’s ears resembles the ears of wild tribesmen (for example, a dune cat). They are large and wide, set wide and high. Their outer edge is located almost vertically. As for the paws, in these cats they differ in length: the front legs of representatives of the breed are shorter than the back ones. The paw pads are neat, woolen tassels are observed between the fingers.

Vana's tail is considered its decoration: it is long, fluffy and painted in a barely noticeable strip. The length of the hairs of the tail in adults often reaches 5 cm. The fur in the cat, which has a fur collar, is single-layer and semi-long, it does not have an undercoat. In the summer, it becomes more rigid, however, it does not affect its features. It is waterproof, which explains exotic cats' love of water and bathing, where they enjoy swimming.

Such a cat lives more than 10 years. However, the life expectancy of a Turkish van depends on various factors. For example, it may be the environmental background of a particular region, the frequency and duration of outdoor walks, observation by a veterinarian, the timeliness of vaccination and the regularity of preventive examinations. On average, cats of this breed live 15–20 years. But if the care of an animal is bad, as evidenced by the lethargy and apathy of the pet, his life span may be reduced.

The color of the cat is unique: the main background is white, the spots on the head, ears and the tail itself can be painted in red, cream or even black. In addition to the solid white color with colored markings, the Van cat may have a tabby color with white. This pattern can be clearly pronounced or barely noticeable, which makes tabby classic or striped.

The blue tabby pattern at the base has a pale ivory tint. The marks themselves are bluish in color, this color is unique and unusual. In brown tabby, the base color is cream beige, the marking marks are black. The body of white color can be painted with spots of red and gray, other individuals have a black and white color.

Among the representatives of the Van cats breed there are individuals with tricolor and spotted coloration. For example, individuals may have a tortoise color in which black and reddish spots are located on light red areas. The tortoise color may be diluted, for example, with bluish and cream spots with tabby pattern on bleached-peach patches.

In addition, these cats are characterized by colors patched tabby (torbie) and diluted torbie. Also among the representatives of the breed can be found individuals of other colors. For example, a van may have silvery or even smoky spots on a white body. There are other individuals without signs of hybridization (for example, Himalayan, chocolate, purple type). Spots on the body - rather the rarity of the color of such cats.

Turkish van is considered one of the most attached to human pets. Vanian cat is distinguished by intelligence and wit, it is one of the most energetic breeds of the cat family. Individual breeds are very active and spend a lot of time in active games.And they love to involve in their games and owners, they understand the slightest hint of the offer of the game and are activated with pleasure.

Breed representatives find entertainment in everything. They can drive around the house not only candy wrappers from candy, but even sheets of notebooks rolled up in a wadded form, easily climb onto cabinets and cling to window curtains. These cats do not have activity - they have enough energy for two. The pet will always ask what the owner is doing, because he likes being in the center of events.

However, if a van is tied to households, this does not mean that he loves to be picked up and squeezed. In general, he misses his masters, cannot be alone for long and often meets a person with joyful speeches, “speaking” in his own language. Excessive talkativeness of a cat can be a problem for family members, because van likes to talk at night when everyone wants to sleep.

As for relationships with other pets, the Van cat gets along well with them as long as they do not seek to take a leadership position or build aggressive tactics of behavior. Exotic cat will not provoke conflicts, he does not offend children.

Van's behavior is often compared with a dog: a pet is trainable. He can be trained in different teams, he can perform simple tricks, carries small objects and his own toys in his teeth. Individuals of the breed often stand on their hind legs, which is uncharacteristic for many domestic brethren. However, muscular cats are not always delicate in games, they are strong, and therefore it is not recommended to leave them alone with young children.. Especially the cat will never offend the child, but he may not calculate his strength.

Van cat needs physical exertion and loves interactive toys. Rarely will an individual allow himself to uselessly dispose of his time: despondency is alien to vans. They are closely in a small apartment, for a normal growth and development need a large area. In a limited space, due to its mobility and exploration, the van will quickly turn everything upside down.

Perfectly distracting the Vansky cat is a game complex with a scratching post, and the size of the corner should be large, there should be at least a few toys in it. Tired of the games, the animal can splash in the water, which is not only not afraid, but also adores. Van swims with pleasure, swims and often basks in the water, likes to swim in the pool or shallow water. Kitten breeds are very active, they do not know laziness, are curious and very affectionate, although they do not tolerate unnecessary care. They prefer to cling to family members rather than being in their hands, like toys.

As practice shows, most of the Vans single out one of the family members and love him more than others. The cat understands him so well, which often surprises with her behavior to the tone of the host. One gets the feeling that she is aware of the emotional state of a person, adapting to it. For example, he may regret his master if he is upset or, on the contrary, instantly adjusts to a mobile game, playing along with a person who wants to play with his pet.

Due to her ingenuity, she quickly learns about the tray and the harness, as well as organized walks in the fresh air. It is also noteworthy that a van can run a race with a man or jump high if the owner chose one of these games.. Other cats repeat the exercises for the owner.

Wans are very demanding of themselves. They will not allow to skip the walk on the street and with a loud voice “will tell” about it to the owner. They have developed facial expressions, which will allow to understand the excitement of a cat and its disagreement with the fact that its interests were not taken into account.The cat will express discontent even if feeding time is missed. The animal quickly gets used to the diet and daily routine; it also understands the time when it should be fed.

Of course, it is better for a pet to live in a private house, where he will be able to visit the fresh air more often and walk with the owner. If at the same time there is a pool near the house, it is even better - the van will happily splash in the water in between the various studies and games. If desired, in the water, he will find entertainment, he will be able to swim and play with the owner. The abundance of fresh air will favorably affect the development of the cat, it will be strong and muscular, with excellent immunity.

It is important to take care of the animal's hair, to comb it in time, although it is not prone to excessive entanglement. It is necessary to do this on average once a week, paying special attention to the long-haired tail. During the molting period, you need to take care of the wool more often. It is well combed, if you perform the procedure every day while the cat sheds.

We must not forget about the hygiene of the ears, claws, teeth and eyes. Approximately 1 time in half a year it is necessary to visit a veterinarian for the purpose of a routine examination. If the cat began to constantly pull at the ears, this may indicate the presence of parasites, from which you need to get rid of a special drug. The physician selects the dosage, frequency and the medicine itself, given the age of the animal.

Periodically (about once every six months) the cat needs to be given a drug for worms, adjusting the dosage based on weight. The presence of parasites can be indicated by the white thorn in the inner corners of the eyes. In this case, it is also important to contact a veterinarian in time. Important and expert advice about the weight of the pet, because it affects the state of health and even the mood of the pet.

For claws it is worth buying a scratching post, it can also be part of a gaming complex.

It is important to ensure that the product is stable and reliable in terms of the material used.

It should not suffer from the slightest touch of a cat, be resistant to its claws and teeth. Some breeders purchase special wool brushes that can be attached to the wall. Some cats love the procedure of combing and when the owner can not pay attention to them, they themselves rub against the brush, and often not only with sides, but also with a muzzle.

In order for the cat to understand its place, it is necessary to take care of the purchase of sun beds with high sides. If desired, it can be done independently, and own production can sometimes create more interesting models up to houses. You can take care of the hammock on the battery. Such a device will help Vana bask in the offseason when the heating is not yet turned on.

You can make and mink, in which the pet can track down the owners during games. As for other domestic nuances, one of them is thinking through the water supply system. Some cats quickly understand how to open a one-armed faucet to make water flow. They think how to use the door handles, because they will not ignore any corner of the house in the absence of the owners.

The more toys a cat has, the better: in addition to observing what is happening on the street through a window, it will take most of its time in the absence of owners. In order for a cat to be intelligent, education is necessary, which will continue throughout the life of the pet. He has an amazing memory, for his life he is most attached to one owner and does not change this binding. If the cat is brought up correctly, it will not cause trouble to the household.

Education begins in childhood, at this time, kittens can afford to hiss and show hostility to others.For example, they may bite, scratch and hide from a person. The breeder eliminates this disadvantage: it is thanks to him that the cat becomes friendly. However, other kittens are more friendly and play around.

Under such conditions, the baby quickly forgets past habits and gets used to the household. If the kitten does not respond to the doctrine and continues to behave badly, it is slightly raised by the withers, showing who is in charge. As a rule, the pet perceives such lessons adequately and quickly realizes that it is necessary to behave well.

In general, wans are well trained and rarely give problems to their breeders. If the kitten favors the person, it starts to purr. In this case, it is set up well and completely trusts the owner. During the first year of life, the animal understands all the rules in the house. Like all family members, he submits to them, becomes independent and learns to communicate.

It is necessary to feed the Van cat correctly: you cannot exclude natural food from the diet, relying on industrial food. He cannot fully compensate for the lack of all the substances she needs, and in addition is capable of harming her health, no matter how the advertisement claims the opposite. Meat and fish should be mandatory components of the nutritional diet.

It is necessary to pick up food taking into account an age category of an animal. In order not to overfeed the baby, you must consider the dosage of the feed, taking into account the weight. Van loves natural food, for example, he eats well lean meat, vegetables, cereals, dairy products, offal. In addition to all this, it needs vitamin-mineral complexes. If the nutrition of the kitten is balanced, its weight will change with each passing month.

If the breeder prefers to buy dry food, it is better not to save on its quality. In this case, it is better to purchase meat products without preservatives. However, it is worth noting: food alone over time can harm the cat's health. In addition, after some time, the animal can completely abandon the natural food, which is very bad, because whatever the food, it does not replace the nutrients contained in natural food.

If the pet does not receive vitamins and minerals, he will become drowsy, his hair may begin to fall out. You can not feed a cat with food from your table, and therefore after a meal it is necessary to remove everything from it, because the cat is curious and may be interested in what this or that household food attracts, what is interesting in a bottle of milk. She herself also needs food with a sufficient content of proteins and carbohydrates. Fish for Van needed boiled and cleared of bones. Kotu can not be offered to enjoy chocolate, sweets, honey, pickles or smoked foods - this food is harmful to him, leading to allergies and tooth decay.

Due to the naturalness of its breed, the Turkish van is distinguished by good health, the representatives of this breed do not have genetic diseases. Only in rare cases, the cat can get cold when bathing. Washing it too often is undesirable; bathing water should be warm. A sign of excellent health of a cat is its weight, however, this does not mean that the cat can be overfed. When overweight decreases the activity of the animal.

Be sure to have a bowl of water in the house. Wang does not have to look for water on his own, wherever. In natural habitat water is in sufficient volume. The teeth of a cat are usually strong, in the absence of beriberi they will last him a lifetime. If the owner noticed that at least one tooth fell out of the bath, it is urgent to contact the veterinarian.

It is necessary to choose a kitten in a professional nursery, looking after a baby of two months of age.At this time, he was accustomed to the tray and the scraper, and also socialized and vaccinated. Ideally, the kitten is desirable to bring from abroad. He will have all the necessary documents, besides, he will be thoroughbred.

If this option is not feasible, you must first determine the choice of the nursery, scroll through reviews about it, inquiring about the purity of the breed, the availability of the necessary documentation (kitten veterinary passport) and pedigree. The kitten must be active and nimble, besides its appearance must be well-groomed. Before buying, it is necessary to find out the nuances of his health, draw up and sign an agreement, in which, besides the price, the conditions for the transfer of the animal and its further maintenance will be described.

At the time of purchase, the kitten you like must be vaccinated. In addition, it is important to pay attention to color. As for the documentation, it is worth considering: the best pedigree is the one in which a greater number of Van's relatives are indicated. If the kitten is picked up, but he is not yet two months old, he is not taken. And the reason for this is not only not all the necessary vaccinations, but also the need for primary immunity, which the baby receives with mother's cat's milk.

You can not take a tiny baby, because if it is too early to tear him away from his mother, he will be painful. In addition, it is the mother who teaches the rules of the game, like behavior, in the first months of each kitten’s life. It also shows how to go to the toilet.

Among Turkish breeders, every purebred individual is appreciated. Even if the baby was left without a nurse, breeders offer different options, but these are additional difficulties associated with special care. That nuance is also interesting that such a kitten will not be given to anyone who turns to a nursery. The buyer must inspire the confidence of professional breeders.

Knit Turkish Vanov produce according to the standard scheme. This is unacceptable until the animals reach one year old; two estrus in a cat must be missed As a rule, from 3 to 6 kittens are born in litters. They are born blind, with a small amount of wool.

Mother cats are very attentive to their children. They are caring, protect kids from any danger. Difficulties in breeding may arise due to the search for a partner: in our country, finding a cat or a cat for breeding is not easy, and to acquire an authentic cat you must go to Turkey.

The price of a kitten in the nurseries of Russia can range from 8 thousand rubles. There are few kennels in the country, kittens brought from Turkey sell more expensive, besides a special veterinary certificate is required for export. The price of an individual may also depend on the pedigree. Some breeders estimate kittens at several thousand dollars.

On the history of cats Turkish van told in the next video.