katzenzeitung
office@katzenzeitung.eu

Turkish Cat or Armenian Cat?

This is an interesting "cat breed", which is registered and named very differently in the various cat organizations and which leads sometimes to quite controversial discussions.

Longhair

If one considers the body type (including the head), there seem to exist two different types:

The longer, somewhat fine built cat, whose body is longer and elegant, which has a long tail and whose head is slightly longer and tapering with high set and relatively large ears.

The more sturdy and more solid built cat, whose body is rather sturdy, which has a medium long tail and whose head forms a blunt broader triangle with ears not set so high.

Shorthair

The more sturdy type with a head forming a blunt triangle exists also with a short coat.

Naming of the breed

And here already the differences between the various organizations start to become obvious.

Turkish Angora or Ankara kedisi

The more slender type with long coat, where all parts are more elegant and longer, is called Turkish Angora in most organizations.

Turkish Van

But how to call the more sturdy type might be different in the organizations.
In many organizations only the Van-pattern of the longhaired variety is recognized as Turkish Van.

Turkish Van kedisi or Turkish Van white

There are organizations, in which also the colour white is recognized in the more sturdy longhaired variety, but:

Other colours of the longhaired Turkish Van

Actually there exist also Van-cats in other colours and patterns, also solid coloured cats.

Anatoli

The shorthaired variety of the Turkish Van is recognized as Anatoli for example y WCF, but in all colours and patterns, except some very few colours and the pointed pattern.

Origin

Also here one can read different stories.
Thus both parties, the breeders of Turkish Angora and Turkish Van, claim that their breed is an ancient Turkish breed.

If one looks, what the state of Turkey considers to be its national cat, than it is mainly the white Van-cat (in Turkish language: Vankedisi, kedisi = cat, Van = from the city of Van) odd-eyed or blue-eyed.
The officials of Turkey do not talk about a Turkish Angora or about a Turkish Van, they talk about a Van-cat = Van kedisi , and they mean a white cat with odd eyes, blue eyes or orange eyes:

When looking at the pictures of the Zoo of Ankara one can also see shorthaired white Turkish cats.

When looking at the cats of Cyprus, Turkey and Armenia - in general of Asia Minor - one can see shorthaired and longhaired cats.

Confusion completed

In pedigreed cats exist:

Turkish Angora
Longhair, in all colours and patterns, except pointed pattern (with Siamese markings), chocolate-lilac and cinnamon-fawn

Turkish Van
Longhair, only with the Van-pattern in all colours and also in tabby, except chocolate-lilac and cinnamon-fawn

Turkish Van kedisi
Longhair, only in white with blue, green, orange eyes and also odd-eyed

Anatoli
Shorthair, in all colours and patterns, except pointed pattern (with Siamese markings), chocolate-lilac and cinnamon-fawn

What is quite strange, when looking at the Anatoli, whose standard is identical with the Turkish Van, is following:

The description of origin and history of the Turkish Cat differs widely from each other on the various web sites.
Some interesting links:

TourArmenia - Van Cats

Turkish Van - articles #2

Classic Turkish Van Association (Vantasia)

Turkish Van Cat Club UK

The trials to explain that there are cats from Ankara (the more slender type) and cats from the Van-region (the more sturdy type) are not based on historic and scientific materials, there are no accurate scientific references made on those web sites.