Van Turk Cat

The Van is a lake, of 128 km. Of length by 64 km. Of wide, situated on top of the southeast mountain of Turkey, near the border with Iran. It is an inhospitable zone, at 1,600 m. above the sea level, and in winter there are frequent ice storms.

In a village situated at the shores of the lake the English traveler Laura Cushington discovered in 1955 an unknown race of cats, of white long hair and a characteristic color on head and tail.

She was given two whelps, which she took back to her country.

Four years later, she went back for more exemplar. With them she introduced the Van Turk race.

Breed Oringins
The Van Turk that at first was known as the Turk cat is considered in Europe as a cat of semi long hair and in North America, as a long hair cat. If well they have something in common with the Turk angora, the country of origin, both races are totally different and the Van has evolved separately due to its geographical isolation. He is more robust and bony, but its marks give him a graceful aspect.

As it seems, it was simply casual that Laura Cushington would have discovered the founders of the race at the zone of the lake from whom they take its name.

There exists a numerous population of cats with the same patterns as the Van on other zones of Turkey.

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