Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail Cat Breed Comparison

"Find similarities and differences between Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail" Compare Turkish Van and Norwegian Forest. Which is better: Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?

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

Name	Turkish Van	Norwegian Forest	American Bobtail
Origins	Turkey United Kingdom	Norway	United States
Cat Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Natural	Natural	Mutation
Popularity Rank	77	14	74
Reviews	1	0	0
User Ratings

Other Names What other names do they have?	Turkish Cat, Swimming cat	Skogkatt, Skaukatt, Norsk Skogkatt, Norsk Skaukatt, Weegie	American Bobbytail American Bobtail Shorthair
Price Which one is cheaper, Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail cat?	$800 to $1500	$900 to $1500	$600 to $1200
Cost Of Ownership	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Breed Recognition	The International Cat Association (TICA) Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe)	Norwegian Forest Cat Club Norwegian Forest Cat Fanciers' Association	The International Cat Association (TICA) Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA)

Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail Size, Appearance and Physical Traits Comparison

Size Which is bigger, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail 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 Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	Male: 9 - 20 pounds, Female: 7 - 12 pounds	Male: 12 - 16 pounds, Female: 9 - 12 pounds	Male: 12 - 16 pounds, Female: 7 - 11 pounds
Bite Force	Average Bite Strength: Around 10-15 PSI	Strong Bite Strength: Greater than or around 15 PSI	Strong Bite Strength: Greater than or around 15 PSI
Body Type	Substantial Turkish Van are large and heavy-boned with a strong, muscular build.	Substantial Norwegian Forest are large and heavy-boned with a strong, muscular build.	Substantial American Bobtail are large and heavy-boned with a strong, muscular build.
Ear Shape	Large Pointed Wide-set	Large Pointed Tufted Wide-set	Medium Rounded Wide-set
Eye Color	Gold Blue	Gold Green	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.	All coat colours and patterns, except colorpoint, chocolate, and lilac; most commonly seen in tabby patterns.	All colors and patterns
Coat What is the difference between Turkish Van, Norwegian Forest and American Bobtail coats?	Semi-long	Long Hair	Long Hair
Leg Lenght	Medium	Large	Short
Whisker Length	Medium	Medium	Medium
Musculature	Muscular	Muscular	Robust
Head Shape	Triangular	Triangular	Square
Toe Count	5 front 4 back	5 front 4 back	5 front 4 back
Eye Shape And Orientation	Almond-shaped	Almond-shaped	Wide-set
Night Vision
Paw Size	Medium	Medium	Large
Nose Structure	Long and Narrow	Straight	Concave
Neck Length	Medium	Medium	Short
Fur Texture	Fine Short Silky	Silky Long	Short Shaggy
Bone Density	Medium	Medium	High
Flexibility	High	High	Medium
Bone Structure	Robust	Robust	Sturdy
Tail Length	Plumed	Plumed	Bobtail
Sleep Patterns	Moderate Sleep	Active Less Sleep	Average

Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail Special Abilities Comparison

Attention Span	Long, active and intelligent	Long, independent and active	Long, enjoys interactive play
Guarding Instinct	High	High	Moderate
Protection Instincts	High	High	High
Climbing Ability	High	High	Moderate
Jumping Ability	Excellent	Good	Moderate
Swimming Ability	Good	Good	Moderate
Water Affinity
Rescue Capability	Good	Good	Good

Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail Health Comparison

Litter Size	2-4 Kittens	2-4 Kittens	4-6 Kittens
Special Needs	Active Intelligent Requires stimulation	Active High grooming	Moderate grooming Playful Interactive
Breeding	Requires careful selection, moderate litter size	Requires grooming knowledge, large litter size	Requires genetic diversity, moderate litter size
Dietary Preferences	High protein, balanced diet	High protein, low carbs	High protein, low carbs
Solo Time Tolerance	High	High	Medium
Noise Sensitivity	Low	Moderate	Low
Genetic Diversity	High	High	Moderate
Sensitivity To Changes	Medium sensitivity	Medium sensitivity	High sensitivity
Food Motivation	High	High	Moderate
Feeding Schedule	Twice a day Morning and Evening	Three times a day Morning, Afternoon, and Evening	Twice a day Morning and Evening
Maintenance Level	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate
Exercise Needs	Medium	Medium	Moderate
Life Expectancy Which will live longer, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	12-17 years	12-16 years	11-15 years
Energy Level Which is more energetic, Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail cat?	The Turkish Van cat has a very high energy level.	The Norwegian Forest cat has an average energy level.	The American Bobtail cat has an average energy level.
Hypoallergenic Which cat is hypoallergenic, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	No Turkish Van cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.	No Norwegian Forest cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.	No American Bobtail cats don't do well with allergy sufferers by causing an allergic reaction.
Common Health Issues Which cat is healthier, Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail?	Low Very healthy cat breed.	High Norwegian Forests tend to have more frequent health issues than other breeds.	High American Bobtails tend to have more frequent health issues than other breeds.
Health Problems	Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Deafness (particularly in white cats) Ataxia	Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Hip Dysplasia Glycogen Storage Disease IV	Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Spina Bifida Obesity
Climate	Cold	Cold	Temperate
Cold Tolerance	Medium	Medium	Low
Heat Tolerance	Medium	Medium	High
Breeding Difficulty	Hard	Medium	Hard

Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail Characteristics and Personality Comparison

Common Vocalizations	Energetic and loving meows	Quiet and infrequent meows	Trills and chirps
Interaction With Other Pets	Good, but can be independent	Good, adaptable and friendly	Excellent, gets along well with other pets
Facial Expression	Energetic and loving	Independent and alert	Intelligent and playful
Tail Behavior	Energetic and loving tail movements	Independent and alert tail movements	Short tail, expressive movements
Explorer Instincts	High	High	Moderate
Attention Needs	Moderate	Moderate	High
Protectiveness	High	High	High
Territoriality	High	High	Moderate
Independence	High	High	Moderate
Response To Commands	High	High	High
Adaptability To Indoor Life	High	High	High
Hunting Drive	High	High	High
Play Style	Active Curious Playful	Active Curious Playful	Social Playful Energetic
Escape Tendencies	High	High	Moderate
Curiosity	High	High	High
Hunting Skills	Moderate ⏺️	Moderate ⏺️	Moderate ⏺️
Reaction To Strangers	Friendly 😊	Friendly 😊	Friendly 😊
Stalking Behavior	High	High	Moderate
Aggression Level	Moderate	Low	Low
Training Difficulty	Moderate	Moderate	Easy
Agility	High	High	Moderate
Travel Compatibility	Medium	Low	Low
Activity	Moderately Active	Moderately Active	Moderately Active
Compatibility With Other Animals	Playful Medium	Playful Medium	High Friendly Playful
Household Noise Tolerance	Medium	Medium	Low
Playfulness	Active Adventurer. Turkish Van are quite playful and enjoy frequent play sessions.	Balanced Playmate. Norwegian Forest have a balanced playfulness.	Active Adventurer. American Bobtail are quite playful and enjoy frequent play sessions.
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.	Average Trainability: Norwegian Forest cat breeds are less interested in training and obedience, but can still learn basic commands and routines with enough practice and rewards.	No data available
Lap Cat Which cat is lap type, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	No This cat sits on its owner's lap less than other breeds.	No This cat sits on its owner's lap less than other breeds.	Yes This cat loves to sit on his owner's lap.
Temperament Which one has a better personality, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	Agile	Sweet	Intelligent
Adaptability Which cat has a higher adaptability potential?	Turkish Van cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	Norwegian Forest cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	American Bobtail cats adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Affection Level Which is the more affectionate cat breed: Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail?	High: Turkish Van cats are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate cats toward their handlers.	High: Norwegian Forest cats are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate cats toward their handlers.	High: American Bobtail 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 Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	The Turkish Van cat is a child-friendly breed.	The Norwegian Forest cat is a child-friendly breed.	The American Bobtail cat is a child-friendly breed.
Dog Friendly Which cat is more dog-friendly, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	Very dog-friendly: Turkish Van owners often find that their cats get along very well with the family dog.	Very dog-friendly: Norwegian Forest owners often find that their cats get along very well with the family dog.	Very dog-friendly: American Bobtail owners often find that their cats get along very well with the family dog.
Intelligence Which cat is smarter, Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail?	Outstanding: Turkish Van is one of the brightest cat breeds.	Smart: Norwegian Forest's has great intelligence.	Outstanding: American Bobtail is one of the brightest cat breeds.
Social Needs Which cat is more social, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	Above-average: they need more social interaction than average cats.	Lots: this cat breed needs lots of social interaction.	Average: they need as much social interaction as the average cat.
Stranger Friendly Which cat is more stranger friendly, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	Above-average: this cat breed gets on well with strangers.	Average: this cat breed gets on relatively well with strangers.	Average: this cat breed gets on relatively well with strangers.
Vocalization Which cat is the loudest, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	Frequent This cat breed meows very often.	Moderate	Moderate Usually, they just meow for a reason when they need something.

Turkish Van vs Norwegian Forest vs American Bobtail Grooming Comparison

Seasonal Shedding	Moderate	High	Moderate
Grooming Tools Needed	Brush Nail Clipper Comb Deshedding Tool	Brush Comb Deshedding Tool	Brush Nail Clipper Comb
Dental Care	Low	Moderate	Moderate
Grooming Which is easier to groom, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	Low Maintenance Occasional grooming is recommended to keep the Turkish Van coat in good condition.	Moderate Maintenance Grooming your Norwegian Forest cat is an essential part of caring for their health and well-being.	Moderate Maintenance Grooming your American Bobtail cat is an essential part of caring for their health and well-being.
Shedding Which cat sheds less, Turkish Van or Norwegian Forest or American Bobtail?	Moderate This cat breed is of average shedding.	Moderate This cat breed is of average shedding.	High If you're looking for a cat that won't leave a trail of fur everywhere they go, you might want to rethink your choice of pet.

Popular Cat Compares

Despite the best intentions, there may be errors. If you find one, please let us know and we will fix it as soon as possible. Contact us here.