The International Cat Association

Turkish Van Breed Standard

RECOGNIZED CATEGORIES/DIVISIONS/COLORS:
Traditional Category, Particolor Division, all Colors.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The Turkish Van is a solidly built, semi-longhaired cat with a seasonal coat, and great breadth to chest and hips. The strength and power of the breed are evidenced in the substantial body and powerful legs. The breed also has a unique pattern and markings. The Turkish Van has an essentially assertive temperament and an affectionate nature. The cat should appear alert, healthy and well-groomed. It should be clean, handleable, and parasite free. Males should be large and imposing, females medium to large and well-balanced. Turkish Vans should not be restrained too tightly, but should be handled with a firm and gentle pressure. The perform best when allowed to stand on their own on the table (if temperament allows).

HEAD:
The head is a modified wedge, broad in males and semi-broad infemales. Head is minimally as long as it is broad. The muzzle is neat, rounded and proportionate to head, with a definite but not sharp whisker break (must be felt in full coated cats). Bite is even, chin is rounded. The face should not look foxy. The cheekbones are high, and the profile is sculpted with a dip or gentle stop at eye level. Nose has a downward curve. There are no sharp angles to the head. The neck is medium short and muscular.

EYES:
Eyes are large and expressive. They are peach pit/walnut in shape, set midway in the face, slightly oblique. Color is blue, odd or amber. Green is permissible but amber is preferred. Allow for faded eye color in cats over 18 months of age. Rims are pink unless colored from random spotting.

EARS:
The ears are large in size and set relatively high on the head and flare gently. Height is equal to separation width. Ears turn slightly to the side in set.

BODY:
The body is long, large, and substantial. The ribcage is somewhat rounded (no slab sides). The chest is full and broad, and body tapers slightly to a strong pelvis. Strong muscle development. The cat should feel heavy and firm. Allow for loose skin between back legs. Males are large and imposing, females are more petite. Kittens do not have the hard muscular feel of adults.

LEGS AND FEET:
The legs are set wide, medium in length and boning. Back legs are longer than the front. Legs are trim and muscular, tapering to neat, rounded feet. Toes are tufted. Leather is pink except where random spotting occurs.

TAIL:
The tail is a brush or plume, medium length and in proportion to the cat. Color should be continuous from base to tip. In tabbied colors, it should be ringed and darker above than below. Color may extend up rump.

COLOR:
The color should be chalk white with no trace of yellow; white with Van Pattern markings. Markings are Van Pattern, ideally confined to head and tail, but show specimens may have randome spotting on up to 20 percent of the cat (including head and tail color) with no penalty. A white blaze should extend up nose onto forehead and to at least between ears. Allow for extended color on head or rump and random spotting. Red and cream tabbied, other colors are true to their descriptions. Head color may appear on one or both sides of head.

PATTERN:
Van pattern, which is a blazed head patch and colored tail on white. Tail color extends to tip. Up to 20 percent of the cat may be color with random spotting.
Leather: All leather is pink unless colored in patches by random spotting.
Miscellaneous: The white spotting gene is present, and may be manifested as white patches in colored markings, over an eye as blue iris color, or as a small white spot at tip of tail.
Deafness is not known in this breed.

COAT:
The coat is waterproof and seasonal semi-long hair. The texture is soft, similar to velveteen. The summer coat is not as soft. NO wooly undercoat. Full coat development occurs in cats over two years of age with the winter coat. Summer coat is shortexcept for the tail. Coat stands away from body slightly. Feathering of tummy and britches is desired.

PENALIZE:
Yellowed white; color over more than 20 percent of the cat; lack of facial blaze.

WITHHOLD ALL AWARDS:
Poor condition; bi-color patterning; extremely small size in adults.
See TICA Show Rules for rules governing penalties/disqualifications applying to all cats.

HEAD:
Shape: Broad in males, moderately broad in females.
Modified wedge. Rounded contours.
Size: Large to medium.
Profile: Slight dip at eye level. High cheekbones.
Muzzle: Full and rounded, slight whisker break.
Forehead: Slightly rounded.
Chin: Rounded somewhat, but bite even.
Neck: Medium short and muscular. May have full ruff with winter coat in adults.

EYES:
Shape: Walnut/peach-pit.
Size: Large.
Set: Slightly oblique.
Color: Amber, blue or odd.

EARS:
Size: Large.
Set: Wide at base, gently flared, turned slightly to side.

BODY:
Shape: Sturdy and long. Full chest and substantial musculature.No hard planes or angles to shape of body.
Size: Large and imposing in males, females proportionately less so.
Boning: Medium, well-muscled over.
Shoulders: Should be as far apart as head is wide.
Pelvis should be slightly narrower than shoulder width.

LEGS AND FEET:
Length: Medium forelegs, hind legs slightly longer.
Boning: Medium, with strong trim muscles.
Set: Wide, with swaggering gait when cat is in motion.
Feet: Neat, round and toes tufted.

TAIL:
Shape: Brush.
Length: Medium, in proportion to body.
Size: Thick and muscular. Hair at least 2 inches long in adults.

COAT:
Length: Semi-long.
Texture: Soft, with the feel of velveteen.
Seasonal changes: Winter coat is fuller, longer and softer.
Summer coat is short except for tail and feathering of britches and tummy.
Hair: Individual hair is fine, waterproof and has a slight stand-away quality, particularly in winter.

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