Chapter
48: Turkish Van
CFA Standard
POINT SCORE
HEAD (30)
Shape (boning, chin, nose, cheekbones, profile) .... 18
Ears (shape, placement and size) ................... 7
Eyes (shape, placement and size) ................... 5
BODY (35)
Type (boning, muscle, length, size) ................ 20
Legs and feet ...................................... 5
Tail ............................................... 10
COAT .................................................... 15
COLOR and PATTERN ....................................... 20
GENERAL: The Turkish Van is a natural breed from the rugged, remote and climatically varied region of
the Middle East. The breed is known for its unique, distinctive pattern...the term "van" has been adopted by
a variety of breeds to describe white cats with colored head and tail markings. The Turkish Van is a
solidly-built, semi-longhaired cat with great breadth to the chest. The strength and power of the cat is
evidenced in its substantial body and legs. This breed takes a full 3 to 5 years to reach full maturity and
development, therefore allowances must be made for age and sex. Despite age and sex, as adults,
individuals should convey an overall impression of a well-balanced and well-proportioned appearance in
which no feature is exaggerated to foster weakness or extremes. Turkish Vans are very intelligent and alert
cats, and as such feel more secure, and handle better with all four feet on a solid surface.
HEAD: Substantially broad wedge, with gentle contours and a medium length nose to harmonize with the
large muscular body, ears are not to be included in the wedge. Prominent cheekbones. In profile, the nose
has a slight dip below eye level marked by a change in the direction the hair lays. Allowances must be made
for jowling in the males. Firm chin in a straight line with the nose and upper lip; rounded muzzle.
EARS: Moderately large, in proportion to the body, set fairly high and well apart; the inside edge of
the ear is slightly angled to the outside with the outside edge fairly straight but not necessarily in line with the
side of the face; wide at the base. Tips are slightly rounded. Insides should be well feathered.
EYES: Moderately large, a rounded aperture slightly drawn out at the corners, set at a slant, equidistant
from the outside base of the ear to the tip of the nose. Eyes should be clear, alert and expressive.
BODY: moderately long, sturdy, broad, muscular and deep-chested. Mature males should exhibit marked
muscular development in the neck and shoulders. The shoulders should be at least as broad as the head,
and flow into the well-rounded ribcage and then into a muscular hip and pelvic area. Turkish Van males are
substantially larger than females and exhibit much greater development.
LEGS AND FEET: Moderately long, muscular legs. They are set wide apart and taper to rounded
moderately large feet. Legs and feet should be in proportion to the body. Toes, five in front, four behind.
TAIL: Long, but in proportion to the body, with a brush appearance. Tail hair length is keeping with the
semi-long coat length.
COAT: Semi-long with a cashmere-like texture; soft to the roots with no trace of undercoat. Due to the
extremes in climate of their native region, the breed carries two distinctive coat lengths and allowances must
be made for the seasonal coat. The summer coat is short, conveying the appearance of a shorthair; the
winter coat is substantially longer and thicker. There is feathering on the ears, legs, feet and belly. Facial fur
is short. A frontal neck ruff and full brush tail become more pronounced with age. The above description is
that of an adult, allowances must be made for short coats and tail hair on kittens and young adults.
COLOR and PATTERN: Van-pattern only on glistening chalk-white body with colored markings
confined to the head and tail desirable. One or more random markings, up to color on 20% of the entire
body, are permissible. Random markings should not be of a size or number to detract from the van pattern,
making a specimen appear bi-color. A blaze (a white streak up the nose) to at least between the front edge
of the ears is desirable.
PENALIZE: any evidence toward extremes (i.e. short cobbiness or svelte, fine-boning); flat profile. Lack
of a blaze to at least between the front edge of the ears.
DISQUALIFY: total absence of color on the head or tail; definite nose break; genetic/skeletal defects
such as flattened ribcage, kinked or abnormal tail, incorrect number of toes, crossed eyes.
TURKISH VAN COLORS
Eye color on all coat colors: amber, blue and odd-eyed. Eye color may fade with age.
Nose leather on all coat colors: pink.
Paw pads on all coat colors: pink is preferable but color spot(s) on paw pads acceptable due to the two
colors in the pattern.
Solid and White Colors
RED: ranging from warm red to deep auburn, but should be one level shade, sound to the roots.
CREAM: One level shade of buff cream, sound to the roots.
BLACK: dense coal black, sound to the roots. Free of any tinge of rust on tips or smoke undercoat.
BLUE: one level tone of blue, sound to the roots.
Tabby and White Colors
Tabby markings are dense and clearly defined. How much of the tabby marking is seen is highly dependent
on the size and placement of the head and body spots. A spot may be of a size that only ground color or
only the tabby stripe is seen, thus there may not be enough color to determine whether the markings are
classic or mackerel.
RED TABBY: ground color creamy red. Tabby markings range from warm red to deep auburn.
CREAM TABBY: ground color very pale cream. Tabby markings of buff cream sufficiently darker than
the ground color to afford good contrast but remaining within the dilute range.
BROWN TABBY: ground color creamy beige. Tabby markings dense black.
BLUE TABBY: ground color pale bluish ivory. Tabby markings a deep blue affording a good contrast
with ground color. Warm fawn or patina over the colored portions.
Parti-color and White Colors
TORTOISESHELL: black and red patches with tabby markings allowed in the red portion.
DILUTE TORTOISESHELL: blue and cream patches with tabby markings allowed in the cream
portion.
BROWN PATCHED TABBY (torbie): brown tabby description with patches of red or red tabby.
BLUE PATCHED TABBY (dilute torbie): blue tabby description with patches of cream or cream
tabby.
*Note: It is characteristic of the Turkish Van breed to carry tabby markings in the red/cream portions of
the tortoiseshell colors.
OTVC (Other Turkish Van Colors): van pattern only - any other color and white (silver tabby, smokes,
etc.) with the exception of those showing evidence of hybridization resulting from the Himalayan pattern
(point restricted) and colors (chocolate, lilac, etc.).
The following information is for reference purposes only, and not an official part of the CFA
Show Standard.
TURKISH VAN COLOR CLASS NUMBERS
All Championship Colors ...... 3500 3501
(All accepted colors as defined
in the Show Standards and Other
Turkish Van Colors with the
exception of those showing evidence
of hybridization resulting from
the himalayan pattern (point
restricted) and colors (chocolate,
lilac, etc.)
AOV ........................... 3598 3599
* Turkish Van allowable outcross breeds: none. |
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