Havana Brown

Did you know that the color "Brown" is one of the rarest colors and most difficult to achieve...

Formerly known as the Swiss Mountain Cat, the Havana Brown is rightfully named for its outstanding rich chocolate or mahogany brown coat. Not only is their striking coat a beautiful color, it is equally shiny, smooth and utterly lustrous. Perhaps the unique Havana Brown is one of the Cat Fanciers best kept secret.

In the early 1800s solid brown and pointed pattern Siamese cats were very popular. They were originally transported from Siam to Britain and originally described as Siamese with coats of burnished chestnut and greeny-blue eyes, but then in the early 1920s the Siamese Cat Club decided to prohibit the breeding of anything but blue-eyed Siamese.

Similar to many other cat breeds that nearly died out during the struggle of World War II, the Havana Brown needed reviving. A group of British women in the early 1950s worked together in interest of this beautiful brown cat and carefully worked to produce a self-brown cat. Using black domestic shorthairs and chocolate point Siamese cats in order to produce their desired solid brown coat, the ladies were successful in their restoration. The ladies credited with this effort include Mrs. Armitage Hargreaves of Laurentide Cattery, Mrs. Munroe-Smith of Elmtower Cattery, the Baroness Von Ullmann of Roofspringer Cattery, Mrs. Elsie Fisher of Praha Cattery, and Mrs. Judd of Crossways Cattery.

In the mid 1950s the first Havana Brown was brought to North America where it was bred with another import. Her name was Roofspringer Mahogany Quinn and to this day every Havana Brown can be traced back to this cat. Still the Havana Brown has only a small gene pool and is a rare and difficult breed to get a hold of.

The rich chocolaty brown coat is just one of its awe-striking features. This exotic fur is matched with enchanting green eyes and covers an elegant medium sized body just shy of the slenderness of that of a Siamese. One of the most noteworthy features of the Havana Brown is the shape of its unique head. It is the only cat accredited to have a longer face than it is wide, while the nose has a distinct stop at the eyes. Staring into the face of this gorgeous cat is breath-stopping. The Havana Brown is also the only cat that is required to have a particular whisker color (brown or lilac-in the case of breeding with a Russian Blue).

Past its fabulous looks, the Havana Brown is just as delightful when it comes to charm. Gifted with intelligence, this cat is known to use its paws for discovering and also communicating to its owners. Unlike most cats that quickly dash away at the sound of a crash, the Havana Brown will rush towards it in curiosity as to what caused the noise. Similar to the doting love of a puppy, the Havana Brown shows an outgoing personality that is playful and closely following the footsteps of its owner. They enjoy toys, whether meant for them or not; so be careful with important documents, papers, pictures etc. or you may find teeth marks in them if they are left lying around. Away from their loving, playful temperament, the Havana Brown shows a serious side only when it comes to eating. It may be necessary to feed this one separately if you have other cats because she will eat all of her food within seconds and then quickly move on to the next bowl. Being short haired, this cat is low maintenance, as long as you can keep your personal items safe from playtime.

There are so many amazing attributes distinctly attached to this cat. There is no question that the Havana Brown is an impressive breed that showcases unmatched beauty, incredible uniqueness, and a behavior to boot. So then, it is all the more upsetting that this breed, with such a small gene pool to begin with, is on the brink of extinction. Because the breeding was cut off so early, with so few lines, it is struggling to grow. The Havana Brown should be a highly considered choice for any fanciers interested in breeding, in hopes to saving the lineage of this gem. It is just as equally an awesome find for those solely interested in keeping their treasure to themselves.