Turkish Van breed standards compared
Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.
Clubs compared: TICA, CFA, FIFE, GCCF, WCF, ACFA, LOOF.
Conformation
| Form | TICA | CFA | FIFE | GCCF | WCF | ACFA | LOOF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head shapeWedge | No ruling | Standard (“Substantially broad wedge, with gentle contours”) | No ruling | Standard (“Substantial broad wedge”) | No ruling | Standard (“Substantially broad wedge, with gentle contours”) | No ruling |
| Head shapeBroad | No ruling | Standard (“Substantially broad wedge”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Substantially broad wedge”) | No ruling |
| Head shapeModified wedge | Standard (“Modified wedge with rounded contours and high cheekbones”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Head shapeTriangular | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Short, blunted triangle”) | No ruling | Standard (“the shape of a blunt triangle of medium length”) | No ruling | Standard (“forme un triangle aux contours arrondis”) |
| Facial profileStraight | Fault (“flat profile”) | Fault (“flat profile”) | No ruling | Standard (“straight but with a barely perceptible dip in profile”) | Standard (“The profile is almost straight”) | Fault (“flat profile”) | Fault (“Stop, profil droit”) |
| Facial profileRoman (convex) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“un nez légèrement busqué”) |
| Facial profileNose break | Disqualifying (“Definite nose break”) | Disqualifying (“definite nose break”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“definite nose break”) | Fault (“Stop, profil droit”) |
| Eye shapeOval | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Large and oval, set slightly oblique”) | Standard (“Large and oval, alert and expressive”) | Standard (“The eyes are large, oval”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Eye shapeWalnut | Standard (“Large, walnut to peach pit shape”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“les yeux en forme de noix”) |
| Eye shapeOblique | Standard (“set slightly oblique”) | Standard (“set at a slant”) | Standard (“set slightly oblique”) | No ruling | Standard (“set at a slight slant”) | Standard (“set at a slant”) | Standard (“légèrement placés de biais”) |
| Ear sizeMedium | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Medium to large and well furnished”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“De taille moyenne à grande”) |
| Ear sizeLarge | Standard (“Moderately large to large”) | Standard (“Moderately large, in proportion to the body”) | Alternate (“Medium to large and well furnished”) | Standard (“Moderately large, well feathered”) | Standard (“The ears are large, with a broad base”) | Standard (“Moderately large to large”) | Alternate (“De taille moyenne à grande”) |
| Ear setHigh | Standard (“set fairly high and well apart”) | Standard (“set fairly high and well apart”) | No ruling | Standard (“fairly close together and set high on head”) | Standard (“straight set, rather high and upright on the skull”) | Standard (“set fairly high and well apart”) | Standard (“placées assez haut sur la tête”) |
| Ear setMedium | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“placed medium high on the skull”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Ear tipRounded | Standard (“Tips are slightly rounded”) | Standard (“Tips are slightly rounded”) | Standard (“slightly rounded tips”) | No ruling | Standard (“slightly rounded tips”) | Standard (“Tips are slightly rounded”) | Standard (“leur extrémité est arrondie”) |
| Ear carriageErect (prick) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“straight set, rather high and upright on the skull”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Body typeLong and substantial | Standard (“Sturdy and long. Full chest and substantial musculature”) | Standard (“moderately long, sturdy, broad, muscular and deep-chested”) | Standard (“Long but sturdy, muscular, medium heavy type”) | Standard (“Long and sturdy, broad, muscular and deep-chested”) | No ruling | Standard (“Moderately long, sturdy, broad, muscular and deep chested”) | Standard (“De format long et puissant, le corps est long, grand et fort”) |
| Body typeCobby | Fault (“Any evidence toward extremes (i.e., short cobbiness”) | Fault (“any evidence toward extremes (i.e. short cobbiness”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Fault (“Any evidence toward extremes, [i.e. short cobbiness”) | Fault (“Format cobby ou foreign”) |
| Body typeForeign | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Fault (“Format cobby ou foreign”) |
| Bone and substanceModerate | Standard (“Boning: Medium, well-muscled all over”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Bone and substanceFine (light) | Fault (“svelte, fine boning”) | Fault (“svelte, fine-boning”) | No ruling | Disqualifying (“Light-boned or undersized adults”) | No ruling | Fault (“svelte, fine-boning”) | No ruling |
| Leg lengthLong | No ruling | Standard (“Moderately long, muscular legs”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Legs/Feet: Moderately long, muscular”) | No ruling |
| Leg lengthMedium | Standard (“Medium length forelegs with hind legs slightly longer”) | No ruling | Standard (“Legs: Medium long”) | Standard (“Legs well-boned and medium in length”) | Standard (“The legs have medium length”) | No ruling | Standard (“De longueur moyenne, les pattes”) |
| FeetCat foot | Standard (“Neat, round feet with toes tufted”) | No ruling | Standard (“Dainty, round well tufted”) | Standard (“Feet neat, well rounded and tufted”) | Standard (“the paws are round”) | No ruling | Standard (“les pieds sont ronds”) |
| ToesNormal | No ruling | Standard (“Toes, five in front, four behind”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Five toes in front and four behind”) | No ruling |
| ToesPolydactyl (extra toes) | No ruling | Disqualifying (“incorrect number of toes”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“incorrect number of toes”) | No ruling |
| Tail lengthLong | No ruling | Standard (“Long, but in proportion to the body, with a brush appearance”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Long, but in proportion to the body, with a brush appearance”) | No ruling |
| Tail lengthMedium | Standard (“medium-length and in proportion to the cat”) | No ruling | Standard (“Tail: Medium long; well furnished”) | No ruling | Standard (“The tail is of medium length and well furnished”) | No ruling | Standard (“De longueur moyenne, la queue bien fournie”) |
| Tail shapePlumed | Standard (“The tail is a brush or plume”) | Standard (“with a brush appearance”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“with a brush appearance”) | Standard (“la queue bien fournie est portée en panache”) |
| Tail shapeKinked | No ruling | Disqualifying (“kinked or abnormal tail”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Disqualifying (“kinked or abnormal tail”) | No ruling |
| Neck lengthMedium | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“De taille moyenne, l'encolure est bien musclée”) |
| StopSlight | Standard (“Slight dip below eye level”) | Standard (“the nose has a slight dip below eye level”) | Standard (“Gently curved forehead, followed by a slight indentation”) | Standard (“straight but with a barely perceptible dip in profile”) | No ruling | Standard (“the nose has a slight dip below eye level”) | Standard (“une légère déclivité au niveau des yeux”) |
| BiteLevel bite | Standard (“Rounded somewhat, with an even bite”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| ChestBroad | No ruling | Standard (“great breadth to the chest”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“great breadth to the chest”) | Standard (“La poitrine est particulièrement développée, large et ouverte”) |
| ChestDeep | No ruling | Standard (“muscular and deep-chested”) | No ruling | Standard (“Long and sturdy, broad, muscular and deep-chested”) | No ruling | Standard (“muscular and deep chested”) | No ruling |
| SkinLoose | Alternate (“Allow for loose skin between the back legs”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Eye sizeLarge | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“Large and oval, alert and expressive”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
Markings
| Marking | TICA | CFA | FIFE | GCCF | WCF | ACFA | LOOF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blaze | Standard (“A blaze (a white streak up the nose) ... is desirable.”) | No ruling | Standard (“on the face with a white blaze”) | Standard (“should be separated by a vertical white blaze”) | Standard (“which are separated by a white flame”) | Standard (“A blaze [a white streak up the nose] ... is desirable.”) | Standard (“Les taches sur la tête doivent dessiner deux flammes sur le front”) |
| White tail tip | Alternate (“you may also see white patches ... or a small white tail tip”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling | Fault (“Bout de la queue blanc (sauf chez le blanc).”) |
Turkish Van colors and patterns
What each club's breed standard says about every Turkish Van color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.
Breed standards describe the Turkish Van in Black, White, Blue, Lilac, Silver, Brown, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Red, Cream and Fawn. Standard patterns: Solid, Tabby, Mackerel tabby, Classic tabby, Spotted tabby, Ticked tabby, Tortoiseshell, Calico, Torbie, Van, Smoke and Caliby.
| Color or pattern | TICA | CFA | FIFE | GCCF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | Standard | Standard (“Black”) | Standard (“black”) | Standard (“Black”) |
| White | Standard (“Solid white”) | Standard (“chalk-white”) | Standard (“chalk white”) | Standard (“Chalk white”) |
| Blue | Standard | Standard (“Blue”) | Standard (“blue”) | Standard (“Blue”) |
| Lilac | Standard | Not recognised (“lilac”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Silver | Standard (“Silver”) | Standard (“silver tabby”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Brown | Standard | Standard (“Brown Tabby”) | Standard (“black tabby”) | Standard (“Brown Tabby”) |
| Chocolate | Standard | Not recognised (“chocolate”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Cinnamon | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling |
| Red | Standard | Standard (“Red”) | Standard (“Auburn”) | Standard (“Auburn”) |
| Cream | Standard | Standard (“Cream”) | Standard (“cream”) | Standard (“Cream”) |
| Fawn | Standard | Standard | No ruling | No ruling |
| Patterns | ||||
| Solid | Standard (“Solid”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Tabby | Standard (“Tabby/white”) | Standard (“Tabby”) | Standard (“tabby”) | Standard (“Tabby”) |
| Mackerel tabby | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“mackerel”) | No ruling |
| Classic tabby | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“blotched”) | No ruling |
| Spotted tabby | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“spotted”) | No ruling |
| Ticked tabby | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“ticked”) | No ruling |
| Tortoiseshell | No ruling | Standard (“Tortoiseshell”) | Standard (“tortie”) | Standard (“Tortoiseshell”) |
| Calico | Standard (“Tortie/white”) | Standard (“Tortoiseshell & White”) | Standard (“tortie with white”) | No ruling |
| Torbie | No ruling | Standard (“Patched Tabby”) | Standard (“tortie tabby”) | Standard (“Tortie Tabby”) |
| Van | Standard (“Van pattern”) | Standard (“Van”) | Standard (“van”) | Standard (“van patterning”) |
| Smoke | Standard (“Smoke/white”) | Standard (“smokes”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Caliby | Standard (“Tortie/white”) | Standard (“Tortoiseshell & White”) | Standard (“tortie with white”) | No ruling |
| Bicolour | Disqualifying (“bicolor pattern”) | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Pointed | Not recognised | Not recognised (“Himalayan pattern”) | No ruling | No ruling |
| Mink | Not recognised | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Sepia | Not recognised | No ruling | No ruling | No ruling |
| Color or pattern | TICA | CFA | FIFE | GCCF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | Standard (“blue”) | Standard (“blue”) | Standard (“deep blue”) | Standard (“Blue-eyed”) |
| Orange | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“copper or deep orange”) | Disqualifying (“Orange”) |
| Copper | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“copper or deep orange”) | Disqualifying (“copper”) |
| Amber | Standard (“amber”) | Standard (“amber”) | No ruling | Standard (“Light to medium amber”) |
| Green | No ruling | No ruling | Standard (“green”) | No ruling |
| Patterns | ||||
| Odd-eyed | Standard (“odd eyed”) | Standard (“odd-eyed”) | Standard (“odd eyed”) | Standard (“Odd-eyed”) |
| Color or pattern | TICA | CFA | FIFE | GCCF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pink | Standard (“pink”) | Standard (“pink”) | Standard (“pink”) | Standard (“pink”) |
| Color or pattern | TICA | CFA | FIFE | GCCF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pink | Standard (“pink”) | Standard (“pink”) | Standard (“pink”) | Standard (“pink”) |
What the rulings mean
- Standard
- Described by the club's breed standard.
- Disqualifying
- The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this colour or pattern.
- Not recognised
- The club does not accept this colour or pattern for the breed.
Color changes
How a Turkish Van's colors can change over its life.
Brownchanges toCopal
Coat · With age · from 0 to 52 weeks
Blackchanges toRusset
Coat · Progressive
Tabbychanges toSolid
Coat · With age · from 0 to 39 weeks
Whitechanges toShaded
Coat · With age
Whitechanges toChinchilla
Coat · With age
Tabbychanges toShaded
Coat · With age · from 0 to 6 weeks
Tabbychanges toChinchilla
Coat · With age · from 0 to 6 weeks
Bluechanges toTortoiseshell
Coat · With age
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · Progressive
Whitechanges toPointed
Coat · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Solidchanges toSmoke
Coat · With age · from 3 to 104 weeks
Bluechanges toGreen
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toYellow
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toGold
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toCopper
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toOrange
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toHazel
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Bluechanges toAmber
Eyes · With age · from 4 to 17 weeks
Pinkchanges toSeal
Nose · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toBlue
Nose · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toChocolate
Nose · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toLilac
Nose · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toSeal
Paw pads · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toBlue
Paw pads · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toChocolate
Paw pads · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Pinkchanges toLilac
Paw pads · With age · from 1 to 52 weeks
Sources
Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.