The picture of feline grace, the Havana Brown is a gentle creature, rather shy but very loving to its owner. Breeders worked long and hard to achieve this all brown cat, the challenge being met in different ways in Britain and the USA.
Did you know that the Havana Brown Cat possible got its name because its coat is like the color of the Havana cigar.
History
Although breeders had been trying since the 1890s to develop an all brown cat, it was not until the early 1950s that crosses in Britain between a seal point Siamese and a black shorthaired cat with Siamese forebears produced the desired result. These cats, previously known as Chestnut Brown Foreign, are the Havana Brown’s foundation stock, but subsequent development in Britain and the U.S. took different paths. The first Chestnut Brown Foreigns were obtained by American breeders in the mid 1950s and the Havana brown descended from those animals is now a much sturdier cat than the British Havana Brown. The breed was recognized for championship competition in Britain in 1958 and in the U.S. in 1959, under the name Havana Brown.
Description
These cats differ markedly in body type in the USA, Britain and other countries. In the USA, the Havana has a moderate sized, well muscled body, striking a balance between the cobbiness of the Exotic Shorthair and the svelte length of the Siamese. The head is angular, longer than it is wide and in profile has a distinct nose break. The head of the English Havana is more like that of a Siamese. The head is longer than it is wide, narrowing to a rounded muzzle with a pronounced break on both sides behind the whisker pads. The somewhat narrow muzzle and whisker break are distinctive characteristics and must appear in all show specimens. When viewed in profile, there is an obvious stop at the eyes and the end of the muzzle appears almost square, making the profile quite unmistakable.
The oval eyes are set wide apart and there should be no sign of squinting. They are brilliant and expressive, in a vivid shade of mid green. The eye color develops slowly as the animal matures, and deeper shades are preferred. The ears are large with rounded tips, and they tilt forward. The legs are relatively long compared to the body, the legs of females being slim and dainty, the slenderness and length of leg will be less evident in a more powerfully muscled, mature male. The oval paws are compact and have either brown or rose pink pads.
The short to medium length coat is smooth, lustrous and needs only to be combed about twice a week with a fine toothed comb. To bring up the gloss, simply rub a damp chamois over the coat.
Varieties
The Havana Brown comes in only one color, brown. It is best described as a rich and even shade of warm mahogany throughout, the color tends toward red rather than black. The coat should be free of tabby markings and the whiskers must also be brown. The nose leather is brown with a rosy flush.
Temperament
From their mixed ancestry, these cats have picked a grab bag of traits to charm their owners. They are very curious and characteristically use their paws to investigate, touching and feeling anything that intrigues them. They are people oriented and crave human championship.
Havana Brown Cat
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