Comments for My Cat Looks Like a Turkish Van

Hi Joanne. I respectfully disagree with Michael here. The characteristic Van pattern is not restricted to the Turkish Van breed only, but is seen with other breeds as well, just as it occurs spontaneously with mixed breeds. Basicly it’s just a variation of the ‘tuxedo’ pattern with a lot of extra white.
But determining what’s in Peaches’ mix is virtually impossible, as it could be almost any of the semi-longhaired breeds – Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest, Siberian, Turkish Angora, Turkish Van etc.

Judging from photos alone is difficult, but I know Turkish Van fairly well, as a cousin of my wife breeds them, and Peaches doesn’t look like that. Actually her whole build and expression is much more like our own tabby Norwegian.
The Norwegian Forest Cats are also bred in Van pattern, so my best guess is that Peaches has some Norwegian roots.
Without papers to prove otherwise she is per definition a ‘mixed breed’, which of course in no way makes her a lesser cat. She is a great looking cat and from what you tell, a cat that has become very special to you. What luck you found her on your doorstep that morning! 🙂

p.s. Your vet was right that most orange and white cats are males. When females have the gene for orange, it usually comes with black, making them orange/black ‘tortie’ or tri-colour ‘calico’ with white. Because of the way the genes work, males do not become tri-colour, but just orange and white, which is why the main part of cats with this colour configuration are males.