Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian Cat Breed Comparison

"Find similarities and differences between Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian" Compare Turkish Van and British Shorthair. Which is better: Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?

Size, Appearance and Physical Traits Special Abilities Health Characteristics and Personality Grooming Show differences only

Name	Turkish Van	British Shorthair	Abyssinian
Origins	Turkey United Kingdom	United Kingdom	Ethiopia
Cat Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Natural	Natural	Natural
Popularity Rank	77	3	10
Reviews	1	0	0
User Ratings

Other Names What other names do they have?	Turkish Cat, Swimming cat	Highlander, Highland Straight, Britannica	Abys
Price Which one is cheaper, Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian cat?	$800 to $1500	$1,500 to $3,000	$900 to $1500
Cost Of Ownership	Moderate	Moderate	High
Breed Recognition	The International Cat Association (TICA) Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe)	The International Cat Association (TICA) American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe)	The International Cat Association (TICA) Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA)

Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian Size, Appearance and Physical Traits Comparison

Size Which is bigger, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian cat?	Large The large-sized cats usually weigh 10-20 pounds and are 10-16 inches long from the nose down.	Large The large-sized cats usually weigh 10-20 pounds and are 10-16 inches long from the nose down.	Medium The medium-sized cats usually weigh 10-15 pounds and are 8-11 inches long from the nose down.
Weight Which is heavier, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	Male: 9 - 20 pounds, Female: 7 - 12 pounds	Males: 12–18 pounds, Females: 9-15 pounds	Male: 8 - 12 pounds, Female: 6 - 8 pounds
Bite Force	Average Bite Strength: Around 10-15 PSI	Strong Bite Strength: Greater than or around 15 PSI	Weak Bite Strength: Less than or around 10 PSI
Body Type	Substantial Turkish Van are large and heavy-boned with a strong, muscular build.	Cobby This body type is a mix between the cobby and foreign types.	Foreign (Oriental) Abyssinian have a slender, elongated body with a narrow chest and long legs.
Ear Shape	Large Pointed Wide-set	Medium Rounded Wide-set	Large Pointed Wide-set
Eye Color	Gold Blue	Gold Copper	Gold Green
Hair Color and Pattern	Van pattern: primarily white with coloured markings on the head and tail; colours include red, cream, black, blue, and their respective tabby patterns, as well as tortoiseshell and calico.	Wide range of colors and patterns, including solid, tabby, bicolor, and more.	Ruddy Red Blue Fawn
Coat What is the difference between Turkish Van, British Shorthair and Abyssinian coats?	Semi-long	Short Hair	Shorthair
Leg Lenght	Medium	Medium	Medium
Whisker Length	Medium	Medium	Short
Musculature	Muscular	Muscular	Lean
Head Shape	Triangular	Round	Triangular
Toe Count	5 front 4 back	5 front 4 back	5 front 4 back
Eye Shape And Orientation	Almond-shaped	Round	Almond-shaped
Night Vision
Paw Size	Medium	Medium	Medium
Nose Structure	Long and Narrow	Button	Straight
Neck Length	Medium	Medium	Medium
Fur Texture	Fine Short Silky	Soft Curled	Fine Short Silky
Bone Density	Medium	Medium	Medium
Flexibility	High	High	High
Bone Structure	Robust	Robust	Slender Fine
Tail Length	Plumed	Long and Tapered	Long and Tapered
Sleep Patterns	Moderate Sleep	Active Less Sleep	Active Less Sleep

Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian Special Abilities Comparison

Attention Span	Long, active and intelligent	Long, enjoys calm activities	Long, focused and curious
Guarding Instinct	High	High	Moderate
Protection Instincts	High	High	Moderate
Climbing Ability	High	Moderate	High
Jumping Ability	Excellent	Moderate	Excellent
Swimming Ability	Good	Poor	Poor
Water Affinity
Rescue Capability	Good	Moderate	Poor

Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian Health Comparison

Litter Size	2-4 Kittens	2-4 Kittens	3-5 Kittens
Special Needs	Active Intelligent Requires stimulation	Low maintenance Independent	Active Intelligent Requires mental stimulation
Breeding	Requires careful selection, moderate litter size	Easy to breed, large litter size	Requires experienced breeders, moderate litter size
Dietary Preferences	High protein, balanced diet	High protein, wet food	High protein, low carbs
Solo Time Tolerance	High	Medium	High
Noise Sensitivity	Low	Moderate	Low
Genetic Diversity	High	Moderate	Low
Sensitivity To Changes	Medium sensitivity	Medium sensitivity	Medium sensitivity
Food Motivation	High	High	Moderate
Feeding Schedule	Twice a day Morning and Evening	Twice a day Morning and Evening	Twice a day Morning and Evening
Maintenance Level	Moderate	Moderate	Low
Exercise Needs	Medium	Medium	High
Life Expectancy Which will live longer, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	12-17 years	12-17 years	14-15 years
Energy Level Which is more energetic, Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian cat?	The Turkish Van cat has a very high energy level.	The British Shorthair cat has a lower energy level than other cats.	The Abyssinian cat has a very high energy level.
Hypoallergenic Which cat is hypoallergenic, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	No Turkish Van cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.	No British Shorthair cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.	No Abyssinian cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.
Common Health Issues Which cat is healthier, Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian?	Low Very healthy cat breed.	Low Very healthy cat breed.	High Abyssinians tend to have more frequent health issues than other breeds.
Health Problems	Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Deafness (particularly in white cats) Ataxia	Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Obesity Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)	Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKD) Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) Periodontal Disease
Climate	Cold	Temperate	Hot
Cold Tolerance	Medium	Medium	High
Heat Tolerance	Medium	Medium	High
Breeding Difficulty	Hard	Easy	Medium

Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian Characteristics and Personality Comparison

Common Vocalizations	Energetic and loving meows	Soft and gentle meows	Quiet meows and chirps
Interaction With Other Pets	Good, but can be independent	Good, calm and tolerant	Generally good, enjoys companionship
Facial Expression	Energetic and loving	Calm and easygoing	Alert and curious
Tail Behavior	Energetic and loving tail movements	Gentle swaying when calm	Flicks tail when excited
Explorer Instincts	High	Moderate	High
Attention Needs	Moderate	Low	High
Protectiveness	High	High	Moderate
Territoriality	High	High	High
Independence	High	High	High
Response To Commands	High	Moderate	High
Adaptability To Indoor Life	High	High	High
Hunting Drive	High	Moderate	High
Play Style	Active Curious Playful	Playful Gentle Calm	Active Curious Interactive
Escape Tendencies	High	Low	High
Curiosity	High	Moderate	High
Hunting Skills	Moderate ⏺️	Moderate ⏺️	High ⬆️
Reaction To Strangers	Friendly 😊	Cautious	Friendly 😊
Stalking Behavior	High	Moderate	High
Aggression Level	Moderate	Low	Moderate
Training Difficulty	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Agility	High	Moderate	High
Travel Compatibility	Medium	Medium	High
Activity	Moderately Active	Moderately Active	Highly Active
Compatibility With Other Animals	Playful Medium	Playful Medium	High Friendly Tolerant
Household Noise Tolerance	Medium	Medium	High
Playfulness	Active Adventurer. Turkish Van are quite playful and enjoy frequent play sessions.	Balanced Playmate. British Shorthair have a balanced playfulness.	Energetic Explorer. Abyssinian are extremely playful and energetic.
Trainability	Difficult to Train: Turkish Van cat breeds are the least responsive, most stubborn, and hardest to train, often requiring professional guidance and extra effort to achieve even basic results.	Moderately Trainable: British Shorthair cat breeds require more patience, repetition, and reinforcement to learn new commands and behaviors, but can still be trained successfully with consistent efforts.	Highly Trainable: Abyssinian cat breeds are the most intelligent, responsive, and eager to learn, making them excellent candidates for training, obedience, and tricks.
Lap Cat Which cat is lap type, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	No This cat sits on its owner's lap less than other breeds.	Yes This cat loves to sit on his owner's lap.	Yes This cat loves to sit on his owner's lap.
Temperament Which one has a better personality, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	Agile	Affectionate	Active
Adaptability Which cat has a higher adaptability potential?	Turkish Van cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	British Shorthair cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Abyssinian cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Affection Level Which is the more affectionate cat breed: Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian?	High: Turkish Van cats are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate cats toward their handlers.	Average to High: British Shorthair cats are highly affectionate cats.	High: Abyssinian cats are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate cats toward their handlers.
Child Friendly Which cat is more kid-friendly, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	The Turkish Van cat is a child-friendly breed.	The British Shorthair cat is a child-friendly breed.	The Abyssinian cat is a child-friendly breed.
Dog Friendly Which cat is more dog-friendly, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	Very dog-friendly: Turkish Van owners often find that their cats get along very well with the family dog.	Very dog-friendly: British Shorthair owners often find that their cats get along very well with the family dog.	Dog-friendly: Abyssinian cats generally get on well with dogs.
Intelligence Which cat is smarter, Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian?	Outstanding: Turkish Van is one of the brightest cat breeds.	Average: the British Shorthair cat has an average level of intelligence.	Outstanding: Abyssinian is one of the brightest cat breeds.
Social Needs Which cat is more social, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	Above-average: they need more social interaction than average cats.	Average: they need as much social interaction as the average cat.	Lots: this cat breed needs lots of social interaction.
Stranger Friendly Which cat is more stranger friendly, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	Above-average: this cat breed gets on well with strangers.	Below average: this cat breed tends to have difficulty getting along with strangers.	Above-average: this cat breed gets on well with strangers.
Vocalization Which cat is the loudest, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	Frequent This cat breed meows very often.	Low Low vocalization cats are a category of cats that typically make less noise than other cats.	Low Low vocalization cats are a category of cats that typically make less noise than other cats.

Turkish Van vs British Shorthair vs Abyssinian Grooming Comparison

Seasonal Shedding	Moderate	Moderate	Low
Grooming Tools Needed	Brush Nail Clipper Comb Deshedding Tool	Brush Nail Clipper Comb	Brush Nail Clipper Comb
Dental Care	Low	High	High
Grooming Which is easier to groom, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	Low Maintenance Occasional grooming is recommended to keep the Turkish Van coat in good condition.	Low Maintenance Occasional grooming is recommended to keep the British Shorthair coat in good condition.	Low Maintenance Occasional grooming is recommended to keep the Abyssinian coat in good condition.
Shedding Which cat sheds less, Turkish Van or British Shorthair or Abyssinian?	Moderate This cat breed is of average shedding.	Minimal This cat breed sheds much less than the average.	Minimal This cat breed sheds much less than the average.

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