Swimming cats

Everyone knows that cats hate water but today I read that cats that come from the area around Lake Van in Turkey actually like swimming. They are known as Turkish Van cats. I don't know whether this is true or not. It seems odd for a cat to like water. Maybe that is a cat myth not a cat fact! Could there be something different about their fur? 

Turkish Vans are large white cats with coloured markings around their face. They also have colour on their tails. Their fur is long and soft.