Turkish Van Cat Picture

A super glamorous Turkish Van cat in a Helmi Flick special picture. Helmi is one of today's leading cat photographers, probably the best. When we think of the Turkish Van we think of the classic van coat pattern, which is the inverted "V" on the forehead and the colored tail. The cat in the Helmi picture is a calico  - three colors: orange, white and black - with the non-white areas exactly as they should be for this cat breed. This is a very special cat, I think. We also think about water or at least I do because I see so many websites saying that this cat likes swimming and loves water etc. This enhances the breed's history as this breed ostensibly comes from the Lake Van region, which is in Eastern Turkey. Personally (forgive me), I think it is pure fiction to dress up a cat breed that does not need dressing up by saying that the cat likes swimming. Some cats like water, some don't and some are in between. It is about individual cats although we can say that wildcat hybrids have an affinity for water because their wildcat ancestors do. That makes sense.

Here is another piece of Turkish Van history. This cat breed is not that common in Turkey (where it is probably not a cat breed but a random bred cat) because they prefer all white cats with odd-eye color. That describes the Turkish Angora (see picture right) This preference came about because the founder of modern Turkey declared, in 1923, that his successor would be bitten on their ankle by an odd-eyed white cat! Believe that?! Read and see more...

Turkish Angora Picture

A glorious, all white, Turkish Angora cat, "Caleb", in a Helmi Flick Turkish Angora picture. Caleb is a fantastic looking cat. The Turkish Angora has a very long history in the cat fancy. It is one of the original purebred cats. The cat originates in Turkey as a household cat in that country. In Turkey the cat is not so highly bred as in North American and Europe. The breed has more moderate proportions in Turkey and looks similar to the traditional Persian (see picture right). The all white odd-eyed Angora in Turkey is the favored appearance. The odd-eye colors are blue and yellow. The big question I asked was whether the Turkish Van and the Turkish Angora are or were the same household cat in Turkey. My point is that the cat fancy created two cat breeds from one household cat. Interested? Please read this and this and if you would like to read more about the Turkish Angora please click on this link....

Traditional Persian Cat Picture

Beautiful Cristalline. I have not seen a more beautiful domestic cat. I can think of a ginger cat that is almost as beautiful! The traditional Persian is a refinement of the way the original Persian cats looked before they became purebred but the "refinement" and development of the breed through selective breeding has not gone as far as for the flat-faced contemporary Persian. The desire to create an extremely rounded cat with a flat face results in other elements of the cat's anatomy becoming slightly unnatural such as the smaller ears of the contemporary Persian.  The small picture on the right shows a Persian cat at around the early 1900s. The similarity with Christalline is noticeable. Today you will see Turkish Angoras in Turkey (not the more highly bred American cats) that look like traditional Persians indicating that the purebred Persian cat of today might originate in Angoras of Turkey.

This picture (left) is copyright Harvey Harrison. The doll face look of this Turkish Angora in Turkey is reminiscent of the traditional Persian. The body conformation is similar too.