Glossary

Van pattern

A coat that is almost entirely white, with colour limited to the head and tail and sometimes a few small spots on the body.

Also called: van cat, van coat, Turkish Van pattern, harlequin

Van pattern is the name for a white cat with coloured markings only on the head, in a cap shape between the ears, and on the tail. It is named after the Turkish Van, a breed from the Lake Van region of eastern Turkey,. Cats with slightly more colour, such as a few body spots, are called harlequins in some registries.

The pattern comes from the extreme end of the white spotting gene, which removes pigment from most of the body. The remaining colour can be any colour, including tabby, tortoiseshell or red. Eyes may be amber, blue or one of each, and white cats with blue eyes can be deaf, which a vet can test.

The van pattern is a coat type and not a breed, and it is seen in the Turkish Van, in some other breeds, and in mixed-breed cats. Mostly white cats can burn on exposed pink skin such as the ear tips and nose, so ask a vet about sun safety. Registries set their own rules on how much colour a show cat may have, as described in a breed standard.

Last reviewed November 7, 2026

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Related terms

Bicolour cat A cat whose coat combines white with one other colour, in patches of varying size, from a few spots to mostly white. Calico A cat with large patches of white, black and orange, a coat pattern that occurs almost only in females. Tuxedo cat A black cat with a white chest, belly and paws, so named for resembling a formal suit, found in many breeds and in mixed-breed cats. Tabby A coat pattern of stripes, swirls or spots with a dark M-shaped mark on the forehead, found in many breeds and in mixed-breed cats. Domestic shorthair The everyday short-coated cat of no particular breed, the most common type of pet cat in the world and in shelters.