In Europe, the United States, Australia, South Africa and everywhere else but in Turkey, Armenia, Iran and Irak, a "Van-cat" is a white longhaired (in Europe semi-longhaired) cat with an auburn tail and auburn markings (now also accepted in other colors, such as cream/white, black/white, blue/white, tortie/white) with either auburn, blue or odd (one blue, one auburn) eyes, but not in Turkey and the bordering countries.
A "Van-cat" in the Van area is a pure white semi-longhaired cat or also a shorthaired cat with odd eyes. This cat is a "holy" cat, as the myth says that Kemal Ata-Turk will be reborn as a odd-eyed white "Van-cat".
So... here is the confusion now...
If you tell a Turk you would like a "Van-cat", then you would get a pure white cat! And not the "Van-cat" we know.
The Turkish Van, we know, is called "Kinali kedi" (kedi=cat, kitty). "Kinali" means "henna colored" and is a sort of "normal" domestic cat, but very rare and you will only find them in private houses/homes.
Again, the Turkish Van or Kinali kedi is very rare and already extinct in Armenia. The Ankara Zoo has a breeding program for the Turkish Van to avoid extinction.
Maybe an old kurdish tradition is the key to the import of the auburn/white cat: presents and gifts (also brides) are decorated to make them even more special and valuable, so henna is applied to them. If a white "Van-cat" is given as a gift, it will be decorated with henna... red markings on the head and a red tail...
Maybe the auburn/white cats were given to Mrs. Lushington as a special and valuable gift?!? A VERY SPECIAL GIFT!!!
