MyCatBreeds
Turkish Van is originated from Turkey but Safari is originated from United States. Both Turkish Van and Safari are having almost same weight. Turkish Van may live 5 years less than Safari. Both Turkish Van and Safari has same litter size. Both Turkish Van and Safari requires Low maintenance.
Hailing from Turkey, the Turkish Van was brought to the UK in 1955 by 2 British women, Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday.
These cats were used as the foundation stock of the breed. They were brought to the United States in 1982 and accepted into championship with the Cat Fanciers’ Association in 1994.
They are a very rare breed and no other breed is allowed to be mixed into the cat's breeding schedule. All registered Turkish Van cats can have their ancestry traced back to the imported cats of Laura Lushington.
The Safari Cat, hailing from the USA, is one of the rarest breeds of cats. There are only about 70 of these cats registered at the International Cat Association.
The Safari cat is a mix of a moggy and Geoffroy's cat. At first, the cat was used for research purposes by Washington State University but then cat breeders took over the development of the breed.
The name ‘Safari’ was chosen because of its wild look.
This is a medium to large-sized cat weighing roughly 3 to 8kg. It’s a semi-long-haired domestic cat breed that was actually developed in the United Kingdom with a selection of cats from Turkey.
The breed is distinguished by the Van pattern where the color is restricted to the head and tail. So the cat is white with color on the head and the tail. The Turkish Van has no undercoat and the cat has a sleek appearance.
The cat is quite long and its back legs are slightly longer than its front legs. The paws are large and they are strong jumpers.
These cats are playful, active, and independent and they are also excellent hunters. They are affectionate and form strong bonds with their human families.
They get on well with kids as well as with other pets. Energetic and agile, they love to leap up onto high places. For a cat, they also have this fascination with water and may well follow their human into a swimming pool or lake.
The hybrid Safari cat is a medium to large-sized cat that at first weighed in the region of 15kg, but the cat now weighs roughly 11kg.
Its body is much like that of the wild parent, the Geoffroy – muscular and compact. The ears aren’t particularly large and are smallish, rounded ears with a fairly broad head.
It has a typical wild cat look and is a spotted or rosetted cat breed. Below the spots, the coat is a silvery grey shade.
The coat which is short actually comes in a variety of colors that come from both cat breeds. The eyes of this cat are either yellow or green. The Safari cat certainly has a wild cat appearance, because of the cross-breeding. This is a rare cat and because of this, there is no breed standard for it.
They can live to be between 17 and 20 years of age.
Even though one of the parent breeds is a wild cat, the Safari cat is described as an easy-going cat that can make a good pet.
The cat is very intelligent and playful and will enjoy swimming and climbing. It is for this purpose that he needs to have quite a large outside enclosure with a pool of sorts so that he can paddle.
There isn’t much information on their interaction with children and other pets in the home. While they are quite likely to make good pets where there are children, there would have to be supervision where there are small children. During play, these cats can bit. It would be extremely important to teach children to respect any animal and to be gentle and kind to them.
Lively, social, and intelligent, the Turkish Van is going to make you a wonderful pet and companion.
He is an active cat and will require you to play with him and provide some form of exercise for him.
He likes to leap up onto perches so getting him a climbing tree will serve him well as he is a cat that loves perching on high up places.
These cats are also low maintenance which simply adds to them being such perfect pets for single people, couples, families and seniors, just so long as he is provided with lots of love and care.
As a hybrid cat, your Safari is interesting alright, but unfortunately, you can’t ever be 100% sure of a hybrid cat. It needs careful consideration before you bring one into your home.
Apart from coming into the home from time to time, hybrid cats need an outside enclosure too that is securely fenced and gated and with a roof.
You made a decision to buy a cat with a wild side. It may live up to all your expectations but it may not either.
When you do research you find that the biggest number of behavioral complaints from owners of hybrid cats are about aggression issues and the refusal to use a litter box when indoors.
There is still a raging debate going on as to whether hybrids make suitable pets, but when you bring any animal into your home, as a responsible adult it is your job to provide well for it to ensure its happiness.
Your Turkish Van counts on you to ensure his health and wellbeing. This will ensure he lives a long and healthy life.
Obesity is a major disease that contributes to many illnesses in cats. Excess weight is one of the factors for the development of arthritis and diabetes as well as some life-threatening diseases.
All kinds of parasites can invade your Turkish Van’s body. . Many types of parasites can be detected with a fecal exam, so a trip to your vet may be necessary.
The Safari cat isn’t a particularly well-known breed so there isn’t much information on their health. They can suffer from the same illnesses as non-hybrid domestic cats.
Certain hybrid breeds, such as the Safari, can sometimes have issues with reproduction as some cats are infertile. Domestic cats and wild cats have a different number of chromosomes and this results in reproductive problems, and stillbirths are quite common.
One of the most important things with a cat is diet. The cat is a carnivore. Watch his diet, and make sure he gets plenty of meaty food.
Check with your vet if you aren’t sure how to feed your cat. There must always be a constant supply of fresh, cool water available and both food and water bowls must be washed regularly.
Regularly brush your cat’s coat gently and at the same time check the body over for any unusual lumps. If you discover a new lump, get your cat to the vet.
Be sure to schedule in your cat’s vaccinations as without these your cat can die from some of the more dangerous ones.
Another wise move, if at all possible, is to sign up for pet health insurance as then you won’t dread it financially when your vet requests medical tests be done on your cat.
There are simple things you can do to ensure the longevity of your beloved cat. Good food, exercise, fresh water, and plenty of love and attention.
Turkish Vans can have problems with their teeth. Teeth brushing can be massively traumatic and uncomfortable for your pet, but the best diet and vet care will ensure healthy teeth.
Cats are meticulous about hygiene so ensure the litter box is kept clean. Remove the cat’s feces every single day.
It is recommended that you brush this cat each week. He isn’t a big shedder but the brushing once a week keeps the fur in good condition, removing loose hairs and dust.
A high protein diet is imperative. Cats are carnivores and a meat diet is imperative. You can speak to your vet or a cat expert about feeding your Safari cat. Certainly, they need to be fed high-quality cat food. These foods are available in wet and dry form.
He will definitely need some raw meat. Make sure you understand the ingredients in some low- quality cat foods as corn for cats can be a problem for them, hard to digest and it could cause intestinal problems.