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Turkish Van

The beautiful Turkish Van is distinguished by her chalk-white body and coloured markings on the head and long, plumed tail. This curious feline has powerful hind legs that allow her to jump on otherwise hard-to-reach spaces. The sweet, loving breed likes to be involved in whatever is going on and enjoys curling up on a lap. A slow-maturing breed, the Turkish Van takes three to five years to reach maturity.

DID YOU KNOW? The Turkish Van is a rare, ancient breed that developed in central and Southeast Asia, in areas known today as Iran, Iraq, southwest Soviet Union and eastern Turkey.

 

The need-to-know

 

  • Playful and curious cat
  • Friendly but independent cat
  • Somehow talkative cat
  • Average build cat breed
  • Requires grooming every day
  • Outdoor cat
  • May require familiarisation before living with children
Living Considerations
 Good in multi-pet households, not hypoallergenic
Size
Medium to large, with males weighing 4 to 9 kilograms and females weighing 3 to 5.5 kilograms
Coat
Semi-long, fine, cashmere-like
Temperament
 Energetic, mischievous, intelligent
Grooming
 Weekly
Shedding
Yes
Vocalisation
 Loud
Personality

Turkish Van cats are extremely intelligent and friendly and they make excellent companions. They are lively cats and will enjoy playing games with humans or other cats and so they need stimluaton and a chance to play. Turkish Van cats have soft voices.

 

History and Origins

Country of Origin: Turkey

 

Other Names: : Turkish Swimming Cat

 

The most amazing characteristic of the Turkish Van cat is its affinity with water. It not only likes water but also seems to enjoy a swim. The breed originates from the area surrounding Lake Van in Turkey and has been domesticated there for hundreds of years. In the 1950s a pair of Turkish Van cats were brought back to Britain by a holidaying couple and they began to breed these distinctively marked cats in the UK.

 

Nutrition and Feeding

Every cat is unique and each has their own particular likes, dislikes, and needs when it comes to food. However, cats are carnivores and every cat must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food. The proportion of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle and overall health, so it's not surprising that a growing, energetic kitten needs a different balance of nutrients in her diet than a less active senior cat. Other considerations to bear in mind are feeding the right quantity of food to maintain 'ideal body condition' in accordance with feeding guidelines and catering to individual preference regarding wet or dry food recipes.

Other Information

Health and common issues

 

At present there are no diseases specifically linked to this breed. As with all cats, the Turkish Van breed needs vaccinations, parasite control and annual veterinary health checks.

 

Best cat breeds for children

 

While this breed is not widely recognised as one of the best breeds for children, all cats are different and with the proper familiarisation may still be able to live with children.

 

Tonkinese

The colourful personality of the Tonkinese is one of the breed’s greatest attributes. Muscular and active, with a sense of humor, this feline enjoys playing, climbing and whizzing by at warp speed. With her warm, loving personality, the Tonk craves human attention and shouldn’t be left alone for long periods. This is a lap cat that prefers playmates, including children, other cats and cat friendly dogs.

DID YOU KNOW? The Tonkinese, like her ancestral breeds, the Burmese and Siamese, becomes darker as she ages. A pointed Tonkinese is born white, with the point colours beginning to develop when kittens are a few days old. They do not develop their full, rich colours for several years

 

The need-to-know

 

  • Highly active and inquisitive cat
  • Sociable and dependent cat
  • Somehow talkative cat
  • Average build cat breed
  • Requires grooming once a week
  • Outdoor cat
  • Great family cat
Living Considerations
 Good in multi-pet households, not hypoallergenic
Size
Medium, with males weighing 3.5 to 5 kilograms and females weighing 3 to 4 kilograms
Coat
 Medium-short fine, silly
Temperament
 Affectionate, outgoing, active
Grooming
 Rarely/Never
Shedding
Yes
Vocalisation
Loud, purrs and talks in a soft voice when shown affection
Personality

The Tonkinese cat breed has the same affectionate, friendly nature, as its close relatives the Burmese and Siamese. These cats are very people-orientated and make ideal family pets – they are said to be very inquisitive and intelligent. They can be trained to do tricks and require toys and games for amusement. They love company and if they are to be left alone for long periods of time a companion is a necessity. They are quite vocal and will chatter happily to you and follow you around.

 

History and Origins

Country of Origin: USA

 

Other Names: : Golden Siamese

 

The Tonkinese cat breed is the result of crossing a Siamese cat with a Burmese cat and, therefore, displays characteristics from both breeds. Mostly ignored when they were first developed as 'Golden Siamese' cat in America 1950s, it was not until the 1960s when they reappeared as Tonkinese that their popularity grew.

 

Nutrition and Feeding

Every cat is unique and each has their own particular likes, dislikes, and needs when it comes to food. However, cats are carnivores and every cat must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food. The proportion of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle and overall health, so it's not surprising that a growing, energetic kitten needs a different balance of nutrients in her diet than a less active senior cat. Other considerations to bear in mind are feeding the right quantity of food to maintain 'ideal body condition' in accordance with feeding guidelines and catering to individual preference regarding wet or dry food recipes.

Other Information

Health and common issues

 

Currently there are no specific inherited problems reported with the Tonkinese cat breed. As with all cats, Tonkinese cats benefit from protection against disease through vaccination and need regular parasite control and annual veterinary health checks.

 

Best cat breeds for children

 

While this breed is not widely recognised as one of the best breeds for children, all cats are different and with the proper familiarisation may still be able to live with children.

 

Tiffanie

The Tiffanie cat is built like the Burmese, but with a longer coat. The head forms a short wedge shape, with large to medium ears. The long tail is plumed. The eyes are set well apart and are neither almond-shaped nor roundand can be any colour from yellow through to green. The body is firm and muscular with a strong straight back.

 

The need-to-know

 

  • Playful and curious cat
  • Sociable and dependent cat
  • Somehow talkative cat
  • Average build cat breed
  • Requires grooming every day
  • Needs some out-door space
  • Great family cat
Personality

The Tiffanie cat is friendly and affectionate. This breed loves attention and needs to be part of the family. Tiffanie cats can be quite demanding and often follow their owners around the house crying for attention. The Asian group of cats seems to be intelligent and can often work out such problems as how to open doors. If spoken to they often appear to understand and answer. They can be very sensitive to their owner's feelings and this makes them excellent companions.

 

History and Origins

Country of Origin: Britain The Tiffanie cat is the only semi-longhaired member of the Asian group. Apart from the Burmilla, which was the product of an accidental mating between a male chinchilla and a lilac female Burmese, the cats of the Asian Group were brought about by breeders attempting to create cats of Burmese type, but in colours not recognised in Burmese cats. During the course of the Asian breeding programme, some litters contained kittens with longer coats, and these cats were used to produce this attractive new breed.

 

Nutrition and Feeding

Every cat is unique and each has their own particular likes, dislikes, and needs when it comes to food. However, cats are carnivores and every cat must obtain 41 different and specific nutrients from their food. The proportion of these nutrients will vary depending on age, lifestyle and overall health, so it's not surprising that a growing, energetic kitten needs a different balance of nutrients in her diet than a less active senior cat. Other considerations to bear in mind are feeding the right quantity of food to maintain 'ideal body condition' in accordance with feeding guidelines and catering to individual preference regarding wet or dry food recipes.

Other Information

Health and common issues

 

There are no specific conditions relating to the Tiffanie cat breed in veterinary literature. As with all cats, Asian cats benefit from protection against disease through vaccination and need regular parasite control and annual veterinary health checks.

 

Best cat breeds for children

 

While this breed is not widely recognised as one of the best breeds for children, all cats are different and with the proper familiarisation may still be able to live with children.