Our two cats are Turkish Vans, a semi long haired breed... and the long haired part goes for the fur between their toes too :-D We always laugh when we notice how long their tufts really are. One of the purposes of these long tufts are to protect the sensitive skin on the pads from frozen ground and snow.
The Turkish Van cat is a solid and natural breed that originates from the area surrounding Lake Van in Turkey. They have been domesticated there for hundreds of years but haven't really been known outside Turkey up until after 1955. The Turkish Van is also an unusual breed since they are well known for their love for water (they are also known as "the swimming cat").
