The Van Cat is a breed named after its origins in the Van Lake region of Turkey. Known for being excellent swimmers, these cats typically have blue or green eyes — or heterochromia, with one eye blue and the other green.

Van kittens often have one or two black spots between their ears.

In the Republic of Turkey, the Van Cat is recognized as a national breed.

Purebred Van Cats are completely white. One of their most remarkable genetic traits is their mismatched eye color. The most highly prized members of the breed have one amber-green eye and one blue eye. A key distinguishing feature of Van Cats is the presence of 10–17 black hairs on the top of the head in newborn kittens, a mark referred to as the “Van seal.” This feature is considered unique to Van Cats among nearly 50 known white cat breeds, and studies have shown that cats with this marking do not suffer from deafness, a common issue in other white cats.

To protect the genetic, morphological, and physiological traits of the breed, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University established the Van Cat Research Center (VKAM) in 1992.

It's important to note that the Van Cat and the Turkish Van known in the Western world are different breeds. While Turkish Vans are also good swimmers and have three possible eye color types, they are not the same as the native Van Cat. As this distinction has become more widely recognized, the purebred Van Cat has begun to be referred to in Western literature using its original Turkish name — either "Van Kedisi" or "odd-eyed white cat" — to differentiate it from the Turkish Van.