Armenians often consider the breed to be historically Armenian , as the Lake Van area was inhabited by Armenians since antiquity until their local extermination during the genocide of 1915 . Some authors associate the cat with the Armenian people , a population of whom have historically lived in the Lake Van area , who have been said to have " revered " the cat . Prior to 1915 , the area had a large Armenian population , and the Armenian homeland is centred on Lake Van , which was important even in ancient Armenian culture . The Armenian inhabitants of Van have been said to have " loved " Van cats
genocide of 1915
Armenian Genocide
Van cat