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The Van Cat - (Turkish: Van Kedisi, Armenian: Վանա կատու) - is a distinctive type of domestic cat that is found mainly in the Lake Van region of present-day Turkey. It is large, all white, and is often found with mismatched eyes. It is similar in appearance to (and may be related to) the Angora cat. The connection between the Van Cat and the Turkish Van breed of cat is a subject of discussion and disagreement.

History

The Van Cat has been reported in the vicinity of Van, Turkey for centuries, and medieval sources mention white cats as being one of the exports of the Van region.

An excerpt from a Turkish newspaper report from 1951 titled "Van, the most beautiful place in the World" by Yaşar Kemal, English translation in "Van, Turkish Republic Ministry of Culture information book 62", page 167, Ankara 1994.

"Is it possible to come to Van, explore it, and then go away without mentioning the famous Van cat? What do they tell you? These cats are famous for so many things. I make it my business to look into it. Some people say that nobody bothers about them any more and that they are near extinction and other say there are plenty of them, one in every house. They proved to be right, for there is one in every home.

The Van cat is quite large and milky white and when curled up you take it for a heap of cotton, so white is it. Of course, the Van cat’s most distinctive feature is its eyes for one eye is blue and the other amber. The eyes of some cats are hazel. I have never seen one like that but I, too, can bear witness to the fact that one eye is amber and the other blue. If transport weren’t so difficult, everyone could have a Van cat. The people of Van do not sell their cats, they are given to friends as a present."

Van cats mentioned in passing by the Russian writer and poet Sergei Gorodetsky, who was in Van on a humanitarian misson in 1917.

"Wide open, misshapen holes in place of windows and doors. Fetid air smelling of burnt flesh. And suddenly awful howls of starving dogs. Feral cats with dirty frazzled furs. And, more ruins, heaps of ash, charred walls, endless, with no mercy..."

He also wrote:

"The trade unions of Van had representatives not only in the eastern countries, Turkey and Russia, they could also be found as far as in Manchester and Hamburg. They sold the artifacts of the highly talented master artisans of Van, and even, as mentioned in the periodical Mourj, the fluffy white cats of Van that were universally famed".

The British traveller Richard Wilbraham arrived in Van in the 1830s, and in his account of his meeting with the pasha (governor) of Van he wrote:

On the Divan, beside the Pasha, were seated two of the beautiful long-haired cats for which Van is famous, with tails almost like a foxes brush. (Captain Richard Wilbraham, "Travels in the Transcaucasian Provinces of Russia", London, 1839.)

Characteristics

The cats are notable for their lean, long-legged appearance. They are reported to like water more than most cats, and have been seen swimming in Lake Van. They are described as being "terrible house pets". They are reported to be friendly and intelligent, but also to howl more than meow, take pleasure in breaking things, and be very jealous of other animals in the house. Also, given the scarcity of the breed, few veterinarians will spay or neuter them.

Their most notable genetic characteristic is their often mismatched almond-shaped eyes. The most valued and valuable members of the breed generally have one amber-green eye and one blue eye. They also reportedly have a genetic tendency to deafness.

Current status

In recent years, the numbers of Van cats in Turkey has been found to be very limited. This scarcity makes the animals very valuable. One Prime Minister of Turkey received one as a gift, and one ambassador from Greece put himself on a waiting list to get one. Owning one is still seen as a status symbol in Turkey, with pet shops selling the few animals they can get for around $250.00. Export of Van Kedisi is outlawed, with a reported fine of $50,000.

To increase the population of the Van Kedisi, the local government of Van instituted a program which would pay residents the equivalent of $38.00 per month to keep one. This program was discontinued by a later government.

Since then the Turkish government has created a Van Cat Research Center near the campus of Van Yüzüncü Yıl Universitesi in Van, Turkey, to ensure the survival of the breed. The center generally houses around one hundred cats, and offers free exams and vaccinations to any Van Kedisi. The director of the center, Zahid Agaoglu, has stated that he estimates there are roughly 350 to 400 Van Kedisi left in the world.

In February, 2006, access to the center by the public was eliminated, to prevent the possibility that any of the animals might contract a deadly strain of avian flu which reported killed four people in the area. The center has reported some success in breeding recently, having all of its ten "birthing rooms" occupied simultaneously by mothers and their newly born kittens.

References

• "Turkey takes action to save rare breed of feline" by Susanne Fowler
• Travel Guide to Turkey
• Turkish Van - Great Pet Advice

• Fauna of Turkey
• Cat breeds
• Endangered species