Turkish Van – The Swimming Cat

  The Turkish Van is the only cat known to actually like water. This photo shows Lady McBeth swimming in a Lilly Pond. It should be noted that not all Vans exhibit this unusual trait. Also, Vans don’t particularly like being bathed.
(Photo by Jack Reark)
  Vans like to swim in warm water. This photo shows Tonya Young with her Van “Grandma” Brooke enjoying a cooling dip in the pool.
  Vans are Working Cats in their native Turkey. They also make excellent photo models since their striking color photographs so well.
  Vans tend to be the alpha cats in a group. Their strong personalities tend to dominate over mixed breeds.

 

Special traits of the breed

Van cats have distinctive personality characteristics. The cat is very intelligent and has a high level of energy.

Some of the unique traits are:

  • Vans play fetch with small objects
  • Vans react strongly to crumpling papers sounds
  • Vans like to climb step ladders
  • Vans are highly interested in running water
  • Some Vans like to swim in large bodies of warm water
  • Vans form strong bonds with one or two people

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