Turkish Vankedisi cats – known as Van Kedi in their native Turkey – share the same history as Turkish Van cats. The breed originates in Eastern Turkey; specifically, it was first noted in the Van region. In fact, the name “Vankedisi” translates to “cat from Van” in Turkish.
The breed is a naturally occurring variety of landrace cat, meaning that individuals breed freely among one another, and distinguishing them from standardized cat breeds that were developed through human intervention and selective breeding.
Most feline registries make no distinction between the Turkish Van vs. the Turkish Vankedisi. Instead of classifying these pure white cats as a distinct breed, they’re shown and judged alongside their van-marked cousins.
In Turkey, the opposite is true. There, locals only classify all-white individuals as Van cats, even though the marked variety shares all traits but coat color.
Because of a genetic predisposition to deafness, white Turkish Vankedisi cats are rarely bred to one another. Instead, breeders tend to pair a Van cat with a Vankedisi. The resulting litters may contain both Turkish Van and Vankedisi cats.
Count yourself fortunate if you’re able to adopt one of these amazing kitties! Both Van and Vankedisi cats are rare, even in their native Turkey.