Each is a beauty in its own right, with fluffy, white hair and captivating eyes, so it will be a tough choice for the jury to make at an upcoming beauty contest for the cats of Van province. The cats, named after the eastern Turkish province they are native to, are counting down to the pageant on March 20.

The event will be held by the local municipality’s animal care and rehabilitation center, in a bid to promote the breed, which is already famous across Turkey for its unique features but is on the brink of extinction. The most prominent contestants are expected to be cats from Van Cat Research Center of Yüzüncü Yıl University. The center is home to hundreds of cats whose genetics were studied by scientists and are given a cozy home. The center’s staff regularly groom the cats ahead of the event.

The center's director, professor Abdullah Kaya, is assured a win in the event. "We have hundreds of cats easily eligible for the contest. We just need to pick one now," he said. Kaya told Anadolu Agency (AA) on Friday that the jury would also examine the "manners" of the cats. "This is not only about their physical features. Cats have to be calm and focused and obedient to commands. We check every cat, examine everything about them, from their expressions to the shape of their tail. We have many options here and believe we will win titles in the contest," he said.

Winning cats will be awarded gold coins. Online applications for the contest are open till March 18. Only white Van cats can participate in the contest and entrants must be at least 6 months old and vaccinated with at least one shot to protect against diseases.