Feline Fine Art,  Reviews & interviews

How To Keep A Turkish Van Indoors & Short Story

March 4, 2012 / 21 Comments
If you love cats, sharing makes us purrrr :-)

Turkish Van cat-cat wisdom 101

We’re taking a break from our usual Sunday book reviews and interviews with a guest post by author & reviewer Mayra Calvani who co-authored the recent book: The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing. Calvani poses a question for the reader: How To Keep A Turkish Van Indoors. She lives in Belgium where window screens are rare. Advice from fans of Turkish Vans are especially welcome.

Before we begin, we’re delighted to announce the winner of last week’s giveaway for a gift pack of cartoon cards by Jane Denny is Meowmeowmans. Jane Denny is an art director providing graphic design, illustration and visual identities to clients worldwide. Her firm, The Mad Hand Arts, Graphics & Design www.themadhand.com
As an extra treat, Mayra Calvani shares a suspenseful short story about cats called The Cellar
I’d like to thank Layla for having me as her guest on her super cool cat blog today. I have been considering, seriously considering getting a Turkish Angora cat for over a year now. I’ve always loved cats and in fact grew up with many cats, but haven’t owned one now for over 20 years. We do have a dog, a gentle, super intelligent, 6-year old golden retriever that we love to pieces. Yet I can’t help having this feeling, that if only we had a cat, our home would be ‘complete.’ Our golden, Amigo, loves cats and I know there wouldn’t be any problem from his side if we got a kitten. Besides, authors and cats go together like wine and cheese.
You may ask yourself: why a Turkish Angora? Well, the truth is, I fell in love with this breed 20 years ago when I visited the Ankara Zoo in Turkey. I was living there at the time. During that period, these gorgeous cats were in dangerously low numbers and the Turkish government was doing everything in their power to breed them at this zoo.
It was love at first sight. I couldn’t resist their silky white coats and sky-blue eyes (though they can also have amber or odd-colored eyes). They look like little white lions because of all the hair on their necks and upper chest. They’re intelligent, affectionate, devoted, playful and very verbal, perfect for families with kids. If you wish to learn more about these cats, please visit: http://www.catster.com/cat-breeds/Turkish_Angora
I live in Belgium, so for the past several months I’ve been in contact with various Turkish Angora breeders in France, Holland and Germany. I’ve been in closer contact with this particular breeder. If you check out her website, you can see lots of pictures http://www.vanyakamoz.nl/ This stunning female named Sparkle (pictured above) is pregnant and will give birth in April, so I’m keeping my eye on her.

Now, the problem. Turkish Angoras must be kept indoors. If they go outdoors, they could be lost or cat-napped. They’re just too gorgeous and expensive to resist! The price in Europe at the moment is about 600 euros (roughly $800). The breeder told me that once they go outdoors, it’s hard to keep them in. My house has three floors, many windows, and our living room has sliding glass doors that are open most of the time during summer. Plus, we have kids, always going in and out. What if they forget to close the door?
Right now, this is what’s stopping me, what’s worrying me. Would I be successful in keeping the cat indoors at all times, even if I put up screens in all the doors and windows? How do cat owners do it? Is it as hard as I’m imagining it—or worse?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

About the author:
Mayra Calvani writes fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. She’s had over 300 stories, articles, interviews and reviews published both online and in print, in publications such as The Writer, Writer’s Journal, Acentos Review, Bloomsbury Review, Mosaic, and Multicultural Review, among many others. A reviewer for more than a decade, she now offers numerous book reviewing workshops online. She also offers workshops on the art of picture book writing.

Visit her website at www.MayraCalvani.com

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21 Comments

  • Angora Cat

    March 16, 2012 at 11:30 AM Reply

    A photo posted in this article is not a real Angora! This cat was scientifically proven by L. Lyons being a mix of Tunisian And Egyptian Mau cats and is not related to Angora in Turkey or Angora in Ankara Zoo. A difference about appearance is also obvious. Keep in mind, that breeders of falsified Angora will not reveal the truth and will claim these cats are descended from Ankara Zoo ones, but it is false.

    The real Angora looks very similar to Turkish Van; It is a big cat with muscular body and not fine-boned, face is not slim and ears are far from each other!

    If you want to know more how real Angora looks like, you can join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ankarakedisi/

  • Mary Jo

    March 7, 2012 at 11:44 AM Reply

    I’m a dog person, but lots of friends are cat people. Since I live in the city, most have trained their cats to be indoor cats, even cats who once were on the street. Good luck!

  • rebecca

    March 6, 2012 at 4:24 PM Reply

    I have a cat and she used to love going outdoors. Then I had her spayed, ( I think that’s the correct term) and now she likes to stay inside. I have to entice her to go out.

  • meowmeowmans

    March 6, 2012 at 2:14 PM Reply

    Sorry we missed this post before, Layla! Our cats are strictly indoors. Moosey does love the water, but he has to be content playing in the tub. Haha.

    We are excited to have won the giveaway! Mailing address is coming via email shortly. 🙂

    Have a nice day!

  • Sue Janson

    March 5, 2012 at 9:05 PM Reply

    I have had cats all my life and they are always indoor only cats. It is so much healthier and safer for the cat. Open windows have never been a problem because we always have screens on them. My child was taught early on to make sure the cats were in and not by the door if he wanted to go out or come in. It is possible to let your cat experience the outdoors if you teach her from a young age to wear a cat harness and walk on a leash. There are also open air cages that you could put up next to one of your open windows where she could come and go inside and out and still be safe. Oh course spaying or neutering a cat will make it want to stay in as opposed to wanting out to roam.

  • Connie

    March 5, 2012 at 1:09 PM Reply

    I have seven indoor only cats. Cats learn as kittens what is safe and acceptable, and in my experience you only need to keep the kitty from going outside for a few months to a year before they decide they don’t really want to go out because they don’t know that it is safe and aren’t really willing to test the waters. You can also talk to the breeder about her experiences with this cat and her kittens and how she keeps them all indoors.

    yes, if you leave a door open, their natural curiosity will get to them, but usually the fear of the door being shut will keep them close to it.

    If your kids don’t remember to shut doors but are walking out them on their own, then maybe this isn’t the time to get a cat. Maybe you need to take some time talking about this with the kids and enlist them in keeping the door shut prior to getting a cat as a condition of getting a pet.

  • Missy

    March 5, 2012 at 12:29 PM Reply

    I have trained all my cats to be indoor cats, although Precious will run to the end of the sidewalk and run back if we don’t catch him first. Hence our kitten has started the same thing. They both think it is a game, but there has been a couple of times I didn’t notice (Precious is old enough to know to meow when he does this so he doesn’t get locked out, he doesn’t do this often. For Pippi (my wild child, a feral kitten rescue) we have had to resort to using the waterhose when she gets out, after a couple of good doses she runs right back to the door as soon as she sees us pick it up. She doesn’t run out as often now. As they grow up they get trained not to go out. My other 4 cats never try to run out. Make sure you have plenty to keep them entertained inside, plenty of food and they will be happy. And train your children to keep the door closed and NEVER take them out for a “look” or they will get the bug.

  • Nancy Carty Lepri

    March 5, 2012 at 11:06 AM Reply

    Myra, having been a cat owner, or should I say “a slave to cats”, I have to say that once they get a taste of freedom and the great outdoors, it will be next to impossible to keep them inside. They are curious by nature and will want to check out the great outdoors, especially if it’s off limits to them. My Tommy has been an indoor cat since we rescued him more than 10 years ago. He does seem happy to rule the household, but I can say with a lot of certainty that if he were giving the chance to get out, he would get in a flash, which is always a worry to me. I can see your concerns about keeping your intended inside, but it’s also advisable for their health and well being, so I would suggest you get some screens for your windows and keep close guard on the doors. Once your cat adjusts to his new home and the “restrictions”, he may not be so eager to explore the great outdoors. Keep us posted at to what you do and lots of luck. Cats are WONDERFUL!

  • Magdalena Ball

    March 5, 2012 at 6:17 AM Reply

    What a lovely cat. I’ve always been something of a cat person, but I have to say that my attempts at keeping them indoors (I once had a persian who left the whole house wheezing) have been unsuccessful. Good luck!

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