| Turkish Van |
|---|
| Common Nickname |
| Van, Swimming Cat |
| Country of origin |
| Turkey |
| Breed standards (external links) |
| AACE, CFA, ACFA, TICA, ACF, GCCF, FIFe |
| Notes |
| Occurs naturally in the Lake Van region of Turkey |
The Turkish Van (Turkish: Van Kedisi, in Armenian: Վանա կատու) (also known as the Swimming Cat) is a rare, naturally occurring breed of cat originally found in the Lake Van region of eastern Turkey. The word van refers to their color pattern, where the color is restricted to the head and the tail, and the rest of the cat is white. It is the maximum expression of the piebald white spotting gene that makes the van pattern. A chart of the effects of the piebald white spotting gene The spotting gene appears in many different species (like the horse and ball python). It also shows up in the common house cat, so a cat that shows this color pattern but is not registered or from the Van region, is called a "Vanalike".

CFA Breed Profile: Turkish Van - Features the qualities and characteristics of this cat type.
Meta Description: [ An in depth look into the Turkish Van breed, a rare and ancient breed that developed in central and southwest Asia ]
Classic Turkish Van Cat Association - This is the official site for Turkish Van Cats
Meta Description: [ The Classic Turkish Van Cat Association. Read all about Turkish Vans, visit our photo gallery, get the latest news, find a breeder near you, rehome a rescue cat ]
FBRL Breed Page: Turkish Van - Information, links, and breeder contact information for the Turkish Van cat breed.
Meta Description: [ Information, links, and international breeder contact information for the Turkish Van cat breed. ]
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