Cat Research and Application Center

Van Cat Villa, a sanctuary dedicated to preserving the unique Van cat breed, is celebrating the birth of its first kittens of 2024 as two mother cats give birth to a total of five healthy kittens, marking the start of the breeding season at the facility.

 The 4th Van Cat Beauty Contest was held by the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYU) at the weekend as part of a shopping fest in the city. A Van cat named Spak was the winner of the contest. YYU Van Cat Research and Application Center Director Professor Abdullah Kaya said the event was held to promote Van cats and create awareness of this species of cats.

A cat at Yüzüncü Yıl University's (YYU) Van Cat Research and Application Center has given birth to three kittens through caesarian section. 

The center started using the practices of caesarian section for Van cats, with distinctive white fur and two eyes of different color, that cannot give birth naturally for various reasons. 

Experts at a university center in the eastern province of Van are attempting to preserve the famous Van cat breed by implementing a new chip system that will facilitate the tracking and maintenance of the all-white felines.

The Van Cat Track System was initiated last year by the Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYU) Van Cat Research and Application Center to ensure the cats' pedigree.

Van cats, which are the most important living cultural beings of the eastern province of Van, have received great interest for their white fur and eyes of two different colors. 

The famous cats of the eastern province of Van appear set to escape extinction thanks to the efforts of the Van Cat Research and Application Center, which was formed under the auspices of Van Yüzüncü Yıl University in the 1990s.