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Question
Hello Ali, I work in a SPCA as an animal health technician and have been attempting to find an article or book that describes cat coat colours and patterns. I have been fostering a cat with the unusual colour that a friend has described as "Van". With attempting to find something suitable to order online has led me here. Pictures would be most helpful. I was thinking I may have to resort to putting together a piece by piece layout and making a poster out of what I can find for representation. Though so hoping you could point me in the right direction. Looking for the tabby patterns and the various pointed colourations, are my two biggest goals with this. A book with all of these within would be most ideal. Not so particular with specific breeds but more so of the varying colours cat may have.
Sandra,
To be honest up until I received your email I'd never associated the term Van with a coat color or pattern, instead I was under the impression that a purebred kitty called a Turkish Van was what folks referred to when they talked about a Van kitty. According to the websites I've been able to check out the term van when you're talking about coat color/pattern refers to a mostly white kitty with colored patches on his/her head/tail. While I'm sure that many complete cat breed books and kitty encyclopedias you could purchase at your local bookstore or online would have information about the purebred Turkish Van I did manage to find a few websites that you might find useful. The websites are as follows:
- http://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/coatcolorcat.php
(The "Van" information can be found under the 'Spotting' heading on this site.)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Van
- http://www.thecatsite.com/Snips/106/Cat-Coat-Colors-and-Patterns.html (this site does contain photos of various color characteristics and explains various common coat patterns for cats)
- http://www.thecatsite.com/general/colors.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicolor_cat
- http://www.iams.com/iams/en_US/data_root/html/cat_breed/photo_html/turkvan__lg.h... (photo of a kitty classified as having Van markings)
- http://cat-chitchat.pictures-of-cats.org/2008/02/cat-coats-solid-and-white.html
Hopefully this information sends you off in the right direction for your project. I wish you the best of luck. If there's every any other cat related question that you have please feel free to contact me again and I'll do my absolute best to help you out to the best of my ability.
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Answers by Expert:
Ali
Expertise
I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.
Experience
I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.
Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.
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