Through the efforts to preserve the Van cat breed, known for its friendliness, white silky fur, confident lion-like stride, fluffy tail, different eye colors and fondness for water, experts continue to explore how they differ from other cats.

Experts studied the kittens of 30 Van cats under the care of the Van Yüzüncü Yıl University (YYU) Van Cat Research and Application Center in the "Cat Villa" to uncover the characteristics that make this breed truly unique.

One of their easiest-to-spot traits is their snow-white coat, which has even inspired a feline beauty contest in their hometown, Van, Turkey.

Purebred kittens are born with 10-17 black hairs on their heads, called the "Van seal."

Once thought to be a breed prone to hearing issues, a study of 300 Van cats found cats born with black hairs on their heads, called "Van seals," can hear just fine. The study found that 86% of the cats can hear very well and could hear even the faintest sounds.

Van Cat Research and Application Center Director Abdullah Kaya told Anadolu Agency (AA) that efforts to increase the population of Van cats are ongoing.

Emphasizing that the increase in the number of cats every year is a good sign, Kaya said: "This year, the first kittens of 2022 were born. We are very pleased with the increase in the birth rate so far. It is already clear that we will have more kittens compared to previous years. This makes us very happy."

Stating that the Van cat is distinguished from other cats due to its unique features, Kaya said: "Thirty mothers have given birth. Our center is full of kittens. Every step we make regarding the Van cats takes us one step further to saving the breed. Every year, the quality of kittens and mothers here increases. We want to see the 'seal' of the Van cat between 10-17 hairs, and we're starting to see it much more frequently.

"This means that we are on the right track because the black hairs indicate that there are no hearing issues. The hair means that we have an original Van cat. We are very happy when we see a black spot on their head. We know without any testing that this is the original Van cat."

Closed to visitors during the peak of the pandemic, Kaya said visitors who want to see the cats, one of the world's most popular breeds, have flooded the center following the recent steps in normalization.

"The restrictions have been completely lifted in our center. The density is increasing gradually. People who want to see the adorable newborn babies come to our center. We have become a popular place for tourists visiting Van."