Turkish Van Cat

This is a natural, indeed ancient, breed. As the name suggests this breed originates from Turkey (the place of origin is included in the ancient area of Anatolia - see map) and specifically Eastern Turkey and the surrounding regions (Central and Southwest Asia), centered by Lake Van. Lake
Photo: © by Lazy_Lightning Van is the largest in Turkey. The town of Van is on the eastern edge of the lake (see map below). The Kurdish people and Armenians consider this cat as part of their lifestyle.

The Turkish Van has been kept as a domestic pet in the region for centuries.

The first importation into Europe (specifically England) occurred when 2 people (one of whom was a Mrs Lushington) working on behalf of the Turkish Tourist Board were offered two unrelated cats which they accepted and imported (but see below). They returned for 2 more, 4 years later, and began the development of the breed in the UK. The story is vague but apparently, according to a Times newspaper report of 1964, it took Mrs Lushington tried for 8 years to get to Van to acquire a Turkish Van cat. This doesn't square with the above. Mrs Lushington pioneered the development of the breed in the West.