Anyone else unknowingly adopt a Turkish van from a rescue? I found this guy at the SPCA.

I adopted this boy from the SPCA in April. I was immediately struck by his unusual looks and outgoing personality. He was dumped there after hours along with a kitten so we have no information about his background. He’s likely a few months old. I posted a picture of him to the main cat subreddit asking how to describe his coloring. Someone commented that he looked like a Turkish van.

I had never heard of the breed before but he matches so many of the characteristics. It explains a lot actually. Lol. He is the smartest, most athletic, curious, social, and naughty cat I’ve ever had. We had to AirTag him. He can easily scale the 6ft. patio fence and he likes to find crazy hiding places. If you open a cabinet or closet he’s right there climbing inside.

He also acts like he’s going to get in our small pool. He sits on the edge and dips his paws. His meow is very chirpy and unusual. My favorite thing about him is that he’s completely unbothered by the noise and activity level of our 5 year old son. It almost seems like he likes it. He’s always hanging out with us. Whereas our orange tabby has pretty much avoided him since he was born.

Has anyone else adopted one of these cats without knowing what it was? How the heck do rare cats like this end up dumped in a shelter? Has anyone done DNA testing to confirm their suspicions about having a Turkish van? And any advice from seasoned owners of these cats for a newbie?