Is Gypsy a real Turkish Van?
by Lindsay
(Texas)

Gypsy grooming her old roomate Apollo
As long as I've had Gypsy, I wondered what type of cat she was. Until one night a few days ago I was watching cats 101 on Animal Planet, and I saw Gypsy run across the screen during a section on Turkish Vans!
I researched further to find that Gypsy seems to fit the description. She has the softest low-maintenance fluffy coat.
She is an attention feign and loves getting petted and scratched, but only on her terms. She hates being held when I want to hold her, but loves it when she wants to be held.
She is extremely loving to me and one of her favorite pastimes is cuddling with me. She often knocks over cups of water and plays in the toilet and under the faucet.
She loves her food and is very vocally demanding when she is hungry (all the time). She has made herself first priority at dinner time and the other cat, Katherine, waits until Gypsy is done before she gets her turn.
I adopted her from the shelter, where she was with her mom who looked just like her, the last kitten left from her litter.
Seeing as how she is from a shelter, I know it is unlikely she is actually purebred, and no way to prove it, but I'm convinced!
I'd love to hear your input! Thank you!
Lindsay
Hi Lindsay.... Thanks for visiting and sharing. We know that the only way to be sure that a cat is purebred is through a certified, documented pedigree that meets the requirements of the cat association concerned. You don't have that.
However, having seen a lot of pictures of purebred cats, I can honestly say that Gypsy looks like a purebred Turkish Van. She may have papers to prove it somewhere.
I have the book Legacy of the Cat by Gloria Stephens and Tetsu in front of me at this moment at the Turkish Van page and Gypsy could easily be one of the cats illustrating the page!
Her personality also supports this decision. For example she is assertive and intelligent and likes water.
So there you go. I declare Gypsy a Turkish Van. A Turkish Van breeder may be able to provide a better answer, however.