The Turkish Van is a semi-long-haired breed of cat, developed in the United Kingdom from cats obtained from various cities of modern Turkey. The breed is rare, and is distinguished by the Van pattern. The term "Turkish Vankedisi" is used by some organisations as a name for all-white specimens of the formal Turkish Van breed. The Turkish Van is an excellent hunter. The native Van cat landrace of Turkey have been nicknamed the "swimming cats", due to an unusual fascination with water. Check out our collection of Turkish Van cat names for male or female kittens.