This is Marselle, a Turkish Van my mom saw and picked up on the street when he was yet a kitty, 5 years ago or so. Sadly, he was in a very rough shape back then: he was clean, meaning he was domestic short before we found him, but his body hurt when we touch him, he panicked at loud sounds far more than most cats (up to the point his nose would turn bluish, and the heart was pounding very badly.) We even had to assume he was beaten and thrown to streets, this poor cat. However, we took a good care of him and since then he is living his happy life with loving people around him, and he doesn't have any panic attacks anymore. When we picked him up and for many years we didn't even know for sure what is his breed, and we found it out only recently - Turkish Van, a rare breed, especially in my place.
He is smart. He has learned to open some doors and even windows. He understands what we say to him - you can tell him that you invite him to eat and he would stand up and follow you. When you go to bed and he goes into your room, he will sometimes choose to lie down on the floor or the chair instead of coming straight to you. But you can tell him: "go here", and he will go to you after a few seconds of deciding.
He is not the biggest fan of water, but he is not afraid of it either. You can wash him and he will just stand until you finish. Funnily, he tends to dislike being wiped with a towel much more than the bathing.
Marselle has been with us for five years now, and for us he is a part of family, not just a pet.
