Turkish Vankedisi

If you have heard of the Turkish Van, you might assume the Turkish Vankedisi is simply a white version of it. It is not. The Vankedisi is a separate breed, developed and maintained by Turkish universities in Van and Ankara, and designated as a distinct animal of Turkish national heritage. The key difference is the coat: the Vankedisi is all-white from ears to tail, every single time, by breed definition. There are no coloured markings anywhere.

This matters in New Zealand because the Turkish Van has some presence here, with a small number of registered breeders and cats through the NZCF (New Zealand Cat Fancy). The Turkish Vankedisi has essentially none. If you are looking for a Vankedisi in New Zealand, you are looking at an import from Turkey or Europe, full stop.

The all-white coat is also not albinism, which is a common and important misconception. Albino cats have no melanin at all and show pink or washed-out eyes with light sensitivity. The Vankedisi's white coat comes from dominant white or white-spotting genes that suppress coat pigmentation while leaving eye pigmentation intact. This produces the breed's signature odd-eyed look, one blue eye and one amber or green, in many individuals. When bringing a Vankedisi through New Zealand MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) biosecurity, being able to articulate this distinction accurately helps ensure the health declaration process goes smoothly.

The Vankedisi is a medium to large cat with a muscular, semi-foreign body type. It is not a fragile or decorative breed. It is active, alert, and strong-willed, and it tends to bond deeply with its household while remaining wary of strangers. In New Zealand conditions it adapts well to indoor life, which is the recommended management approach regardless of climate.

The Lake Van region of eastern Turkey has produced distinctive semi-long-haired cats for centuries. When British travellers brought these cats to the United Kingdom in the 1950s, they selected for the bicolour pattern, coloured patches on the head and tail against a white body, which became the defining characteristic of the Turkish Van. The all-white cats in the same population were left behind.

Turkish institutions, particularly Van University and Ankara University, recognised the all-white cats as a distinct population worth preserving and began formal documentation and breeding programmes. The Turkish government has at various points treated these cats as protected cultural heritage, reflecting the deep national attachment to them. The name Vankedisi translates roughly to 'Van cat' in Turkish, reinforcing the geographic and cultural identity of the breed.

The result of this preservation effort is a breed that exists in meaningful numbers only within Turkey, with very small populations in parts of Europe. New Zealand and Australia have seen almost no documented examples. This stands in contrast to the Turkish Van, which has established a modest but real presence in many Western countries, including New Zealand through the NZCF registry.

For any New Zealand cat fancier pursuing a Vankedisi, the journey begins with understanding that you are not buying from a local breeder. You are sourcing from a tiny international gene pool, navigating export requirements from Turkey or a European country, and bringing an animal through MPI biosecurity at considerable time and expense.

The Turkish Vankedisi's appearance is anchored entirely in its white coat. Every registered Vankedisi is white. There are no acceptable colour variants, no tabby points, no colour-and-white patterns. The coat is semi-long with a silky texture and a lighter undercoat than many northern semi-longhairs, which means it manages heat reasonably well and does not mat as aggressively as heavier double-coated breeds.

The white is produced by dominant white or white-spotting genes, not by albinism. This is a distinction that matters both scientifically and practically. Albino cats have no melanin in any tissue and display characteristic pale pink eyes or very washed-out pale blue eyes with a strong sensitivity to light. A Vankedisi with classic odd eyes, one vivid blue and one deep amber, is showing you exactly why it is not an albino: its iris pigmentation is working normally. The coat pigmentation is suppressed; the eye pigmentation is not.

The ears are medium-sized and wide-set, often with light feathering at the tips. The tail is full and well-plumed. The overall build is athletic without being extreme in any direction, giving the cat a capable, substantial look rather than the angular refinement of oriental breeds or the bulk of the largest northern longhairs.

In New Zealand's variable climate, the semi-long coat with its lighter undercoat is well suited to indoor life. Outdoor exposure is not recommended for Vankedisi cats, both because of the sun protection concerns for white-coated cats and because of the road and predator risks that apply to any pedigree cat in a New Zealand environment.

The Vankedisi is not a passive cat. It wants to know what is happening in the household, and it has the energy and curiosity to stay involved. Owners report that this breed will follow them from room to room, investigate new objects within minutes of their arrival, and make its preferences known through persistent vocalisation if ignored.

This is a breed that needs genuine engagement. Interactive toys, puzzle feeders, and daily play sessions are not optional extras for a Vankedisi; they are part of what the cat requires to stay mentally healthy. A Vankedisi left alone in a quiet house with nothing to do will find its own entertainment, which may not align with your preferences for the furniture.

With strangers, the Vankedisi tends toward caution. It will typically observe from a distance before choosing to interact, and some individuals take several visits before they approach a new person voluntarily. This is not shyness in a pathological sense; it is the breed's measured approach to trust, and it resolves reliably with patient, consistent exposure.

Grooming the Turkish Vankedisi

The Vankedisi's semi-long coat is silky and relatively low-tangle compared to double-coated longhairs, but it still needs regular attention to stay in good condition.

• Brush two to three times per week to remove loose hair and prevent minor tangles from developing
• During seasonal coat changes, daily brushing prevents matting around the neck and behind the ears
• Check ears weekly and clean with a vet-approved solution if wax builds up
• Trim nails every two to three weeks
• Brush teeth regularly with cat-safe toothpaste, or use vet-recommended dental treats

Exercise and enrichment

The Vankedisi is an active breed that expects its environment to offer genuine stimulation. A quiet room and a window is not sufficient.

• Two play sessions daily of ten to fifteen minutes each, using wand toys, fetch games, or puzzle feeders
• Cat trees, shelving, and climbing structures give this cat the vertical space it naturally seeks
• Rotate toys regularly; the Vankedisi loses interest in static objects quickly
• A second cat companion can offset the energy demands on the owner, though introductions should be slow and structured
• Mental stimulation through training sessions (clicker or hand-signal based) counts toward daily enrichment

Environmental considerations for New Zealand

New Zealand's UV levels are high, particularly in the South Island and during summer months. White cats with unpigmented skin on the ear tips and nose are at elevated risk of squamous cell carcinoma from sun exposure. Keep your Vankedisi as an indoor cat, use UV-filtering window film or curtains to limit direct sun exposure through glass, and have your vet check the ear tips and nose annually for early signs of solar damage. The country's temperate and varied climate is otherwise well-suited to an indoor Vankedisi lifestyle, with no extreme cold or heat demands in most regions.

The Turkish Vankedisi's active build and energy level make a high-quality, protein-forward diet appropriate at all life stages. New Zealand has a good range of premium cat foods available through pet stores and veterinary clinics, and finding a suitable option is not difficult. Look for foods with a named protein source (chicken, fish, lamb) as the first ingredient, and avoid products that list cereals or by-products at the top of the ingredients list.

Wet food is a useful addition to the diet, particularly for indoor cats, because it contributes to daily water intake. Cats that eat primarily dry food in warm weather can fall short of their hydration needs. A mix of wet and dry is the approach most New Zealand vets recommend for indoor pedigree cats.

Treats should be limited to ten percent of daily caloric intake to avoid weight gain in an indoor cat with naturally bounded activity. If you are using treats as training rewards, use small pieces and account for them within the daily food budget. Avoid human foods, particularly onion, garlic, grapes, and dairy, all of which are harmful to cats.

The Turkish Vankedisi is not an albino breed and does not share the health profile of albino cats. However, the same genetic mechanism responsible for the all-white coat, primarily the dominant white (W) gene, is associated with an elevated risk of congenital deafness. The link between white coats, blue eyes, and deafness in cats is one of the most thoroughly documented examples of gene pleiotropy in domestic animals.

Blue-eyed white cats carry the highest deafness risk. Odd-eyed cats (one blue, one non-blue) have intermediate risk, with the deaf ear typically on the side of the blue eye. White cats with two non-blue eyes have the lowest deafness risk within the breed. BAER testing (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response) is the definitive diagnostic tool and can be performed on kittens as young as five to six weeks. Any reputable Vankedisi breeder should test all kittens before sale and provide certificates.

A deaf Vankedisi is not an unhealthy cat in any other sense. Deaf cats adapt to visual and vibration cues quickly and live full, active lives when managed appropriately. Indoor living is strongly recommended, as deaf cats cannot hear approaching dangers. Owners who discover their Vankedisi is deaf should inform their vet so that examinations account for the cat's inability to hear instructions.

New Zealand veterinary clinics in major centres will have access to BAER testing equipment or referral pathways to veterinary specialists who do. If a breeder overseas claims BAER testing was performed, ask for the certificate to be included in the import documentation.

The Vankedisi is one of the more trainable semi-long-haired breeds. It has the attention span, the curiosity, and the social orientation to engage with reward-based training over repeated sessions. Clicker training is effective, and many Vankedisi learn to respond reliably to their name, sit on cue, and retrieve small toys. The breed remembers routines and can become frustrated when they are not maintained consistently.

For New Zealand owners who plan to show their Vankedisi through NZCF, early habituation to handling, noise, and strangers is essential. A show-quality Vankedisi that freezes or hisses under judge handling will not compete successfully regardless of its structural quality. This means beginning socialisation before twelve weeks, including exposure to car travel, unfamiliar people, and busy environments.

Deaf Vankedisi cats train particularly well with visual cues. Hand signals replace verbal commands, and the cat's natural focus on its owner's face and hands can make the training process quicker than it might seem. The key shift is ensuring the cat is looking at you before you give the signal, which requires a light tap on a nearby surface to attract its attention first.

Keep training sessions short. Five to ten minutes, twice a day, is more effective than a single extended session. The Vankedisi engages fully when sessions are brief and rewarding, and disengages quickly when it senses that sessions are going on too long or that the reward rate has dropped.

The Turkish Vankedisi is not a breed any New Zealand cat fancier can simply start breeding from existing local stock. There is none. Any breeding programme in New Zealand would need to begin with imported cats, navigating MPI import biosecurity requirements, which include import permits, approved-country health conditions, and mandatory quarantine on arrival.

Once founding cats are here, the genetics require careful management. The dominant white gene that produces the all-white coat also drives deafness risk. Pairing two blue-eyed white cats raises the probability of deaf kittens substantially. Breeders should work toward pairing cats with different eye colours to reduce deafness incidence in the breeding programme, and all kittens must be BAER tested before sale.

Regarding NZCF registration, the Turkish Vankedisi is not a recognised breed on the NZCF books. Any breeder wishing to register cats or litters would need to contact NZCF about the process for gaining recognition for a new breed, which involves submitting a breed standard and documentation of the breed's established history and characteristics. The process is not quick, but NZCF has pathways for rare and emerging breeds.

Prospective Vankedisi breeders in New Zealand should connect with European Vankedisi breeders, particularly those in Germany, Italy, or the Netherlands where small but established populations exist, before committing to a breeding programme.

Registering a Turkish Vankedisi and its chip in New Zealand

Giving your Turkish Vankedisi a record takes less time than choosing her food: name, colouring, photo, phone number, save. The profile holds for life, free, with a chip number slot waiting whenever the vet's done. Registering your cat starts it.

Pop the fifteen digit number from the vet paperwork into your free United Pet Club account, check your phone number is current, and your Turkish Vankedisi's chip finally points somewhere. Every brand is accepted, every update free, and the record answers scans at any hour. Microchip registration is the link in the middle.