I have had four dogs of famous breeds and three cats. My present Van cat is by far the most intelligent, playful and communicative animal I have met. He can be trained very easily, he shows very frequently his very strong affinity to the human members of his family, he is very sociable and very friendly with other people and animals. He stopped being a pet after being only one year old and since then he is a friend and a member of the family. The only annoying thing is that he loves water so much that he often goes to the bathtub and demands that we open the faucet and let it flow for minutes, until he is satisfied with the water he has had.
Thank you for a good set of comments about physical and behavioral chacteristics of vans. Last fall I adopted a 2 month old kitten from the county animal shelter. He was a small hissing bundle ready to strike out at anyone that got close. BUT, I'd had a wonderful van that was personally plus for about 10 years before I lost him. So I really wanted another van, even though the shelter volunteers had pegged him as a "bad boy" and told me so. Now, I'm not so sure about him. Yes, we've bonded, and yes, I love him to bits ( -he's a big beautiful van at 8 months old, and he is loving and very, very smart). BUT, he can't resist biting me hard, repeatedly even breaking the skin on my arms and hands. I've tried pushing him away and ignoring him for a while, like mother cats do with rambunctious kittens, it works til the whim comes over him again and I'm in the grip of a large strong cat biting me with sharp teeth attached like a vise on my skin. I see quite a few vans in your video doing precisely that! I'm beginning to think I may not be able to keep this cat as a normal pet unless he stops regularly attacking me. (I have several spray bottles that stop him immediately, and he backs away when I reach for them, so I've been hopeful that will help. But, he has to see I've gotten one out and will use it if necessary. I'm trying to associate the spray bottle with a loud "NO BITING" command and he does know what all that means. It's just that he can't stop himself at times, it seems! ) PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, any suggestion. (--- and yes, he has plenty of toys and I spend time playing with him with his jingle balls and soft toys on a string!) So, what can I do????
Got a nine-year-old Turkish Van about a decade ago, and he lived to be nearly nineteen. His recent loss left a very big hole in the house (and a few hearts) since his was an oversized, exuberant personality. It's all the more remarkable since the last place he was before he was at my house was a place that had 47 cats in a one-bedroom townhouse and became Animal Control's worst nightmare. He was a little skittish in the first weeks at my house, but he settled down and turned into the most affectionate character. I was always blown away by his intelligence, and although I've had a dozen or so cats over the last four decades, I'd have to say this one was up at the genius IQ level and was about the smartest of them all. I am trying to find his breeders now, in the hope that 20 years later they're still in business or can at least point me at the bloodline that produced my guy. The next cat in my house will definitely be a Turkish Van.
My own one literally appeared out of nowhere outside a house I rented in Central Greece last summer. He was around 3 months old and I assume he visited cause we fed other 3 cats (which 2 of them we still own, the other one died young) and food was running rampart. My friend named him Cloud because of his fur but we didn't know he was a breed however we knew he was quite unique. We also thought he was a female cause he was young and too much fur made us think he was a female 😂. Cloud is here with me alongside a tuxedo Oreo and his sister Coco, a brown tabby. Their other sibling, Elio, didn't make it. I found him dead under a car last September. It was a painful experience that still lingers in my soul. Bless to you all, may life brings health and happiness to your and the ones you love.
A Beat up emancipation stray took up at my 4 acres in the Woods about 5 months ago , Today he is a Big Happy & Healthy Sweet Beast that loves his Brush Grooming and Back Rubs .
I really wish i could post photos of my turkish van. We got him for free. Best damn cat! He is just like a dog. he plays fetch! He gets along great with his bombay sister!
I found my Turkish van as a tiny kitten at the bank. He’s so beautiful and so soft!
That's awesome! Turkish Vans are such beautiful cats. It's amazing how they can steal our hearts right from the start!
I love Turkish vans. They are perfect
I have had four dogs of famous breeds and three cats. My present Van cat is by far the most intelligent, playful and communicative animal I have met. He can be trained very easily, he shows very frequently his very strong affinity to the human members of his family, he is very sociable and very friendly with other people and animals. He stopped being a pet after being only one year old and since then he is a friend and a member of the family. The only annoying thing is that he loves water so much that he often goes to the bathtub and demands that we open the faucet and let it flow for minutes, until he is satisfied with the water he has had.
Thank you for a good set of comments about physical and behavioral chacteristics of vans.
Last fall I adopted a 2 month old kitten from the county animal shelter. He was a small hissing bundle ready to strike out at anyone that got close. BUT, I'd had a wonderful van that was personally plus for about 10 years before I lost him. So I really wanted another van, even though the shelter volunteers had pegged him as a "bad boy" and told me so.
Now, I'm not so sure about him. Yes, we've bonded, and yes, I love him to bits ( -he's a big beautiful van at 8 months old, and he is loving and very, very smart). BUT, he can't resist biting me hard, repeatedly even breaking the skin on my arms and hands. I've tried pushing him away and ignoring him for a while, like mother cats do with rambunctious kittens, it works til the whim comes over him again and I'm in the grip of a large strong cat biting me with sharp teeth attached like a vise on my skin.
I see quite a few vans in your video doing precisely that!
I'm beginning to think I may not be able to keep this cat as a normal pet unless he stops regularly attacking me. (I have several spray bottles that stop him immediately, and he backs away when I reach for them, so I've been hopeful that will help. But, he has to see I've gotten one out and will use it if necessary. I'm trying to associate the spray bottle with a loud "NO BITING" command and he does know what all that means. It's just that he can't stop himself at times, it seems! )
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, any suggestion. (--- and yes, he has plenty of toys and I spend time playing with him with his jingle balls and soft toys on a string!) So, what can I do????
Got a nine-year-old Turkish Van about a decade ago, and he lived to be nearly nineteen. His recent loss left a very big hole in the house (and a few hearts) since his was an oversized, exuberant personality. It's all the more remarkable since the last place he was before he was at my house was a place that had 47 cats in a one-bedroom townhouse and became Animal Control's worst nightmare. He was a little skittish in the first weeks at my house, but he settled down and turned into the most affectionate character. I was always blown away by his intelligence, and although I've had a dozen or so cats over the last four decades, I'd have to say this one was up at the genius IQ level and was about the smartest of them all.
I am trying to find his breeders now, in the hope that 20 years later they're still in business or can at least point me at the bloodline that produced my guy. The next cat in my house will definitely be a Turkish Van.
I'm sorry for your loss. Your Turkish Van sounds like a remarkable companion.
My own one literally appeared out of nowhere outside a house I rented in Central Greece last summer. He was around 3 months old and I assume he visited cause we fed other 3 cats (which 2 of them we still own, the other one died young) and food was running rampart. My friend named him Cloud because of his fur but we didn't know he was a breed however we knew he was quite unique. We also thought he was a female cause he was young and too much fur made us think he was a female 😂. Cloud is here with me alongside a tuxedo Oreo and his sister Coco, a brown tabby. Their other sibling, Elio, didn't make it. I found him dead under a car last September. It was a painful experience that still lingers in my soul. Bless to you all, may life brings health and happiness to your and the ones you love.
A Beat up emancipation stray took up at my 4 acres in the Woods about 5 months ago , Today he is a Big Happy & Healthy Sweet Beast that loves his Brush Grooming and Back Rubs .
It's amazing to see how much love and care can transform a stray into such a happy companion! Thank you for sharing your journey.
Kitty super busy, curious about everything(showers, sinks,tubs and toilets). Think calico is part van.
I found a kitten in a bush he ended up being a Turkish van the most beautiful coat and is obsessed with the toilet 😅honestly best cat ever
Reminds me of maincoon, the face shape,ears and the type. Also Norwegian Forrest cat
I really wish i could post photos of my turkish van. We got him for free. Best damn cat! He is just like a dog. he plays fetch! He gets along great with his bombay sister!
Your Turkish Van sounds amazing! It's so heartwarming to hear about the bond he shares with his Bombay sister.