The Van Cat, with one blue eye and one amber eye, fluffy tail, and pure white fur, stands out with its distinctive features. The efforts to protect the Van Cat species are being carried out at the Van Cat Villa, where the new guests arrived this year. The carefully cared for cats have given birth to the first kittens of 2024.
The first batch of Van Cat births has begun, with 5 new members joining the cat family so far. Prof. Dr. Abdullah Kaya, the Director of the Van Cat Research and Application Center at Yüzüncü Yıl University, stated that they are conducting synchronized births. This means that in each batch, 30 female cats are bred with male cats to have kittens. Two to three months later, another batch is bred in the same way. The birth times are awaited, with the cats that were bred two months ago starting to give birth now.
The mother cats never leave the side of their new kittens. Kaya emphasized that cats never allow anyone else to touch their offspring, so it is crucial to provide a special area for each mother cat to care for its kittens for two and a half months. Therefore, they allocate a special area for each mother cat that is about to give birth.
The Van cats also make a significant contribution to the tourism of the city. With their unique features and popularity, the Van cats attract tourists and enthusiasts from all around the country and beyond. The Van Cat Villa and the ongoing efforts to protect the Van Cat species continue to be a point of interest and importance for both locals and visitors alike.
