House Cats Central  

Complete Domestic House Cat Encyclopedia

 House Cats Central was created for the domestic house cat owner

The first Havana Brown was imported into North America in the mid 1950’s. The breed was accepted for registration by CFA in 1959 and was granted Championship status in 1964. Records and old pedigrees reveal that some North American breeders introduced Russian Blues and Siamese into their early breeding programs. This practice came to an end when the breed was closed to outcross breeding in 1974. In England, the Havana has tended to follow the type of the Siamese and the word “brown” has been dropped from the breed name while breeders in North America have maintained the name and the look of the early imports.

What makes a Havana Brown cat unique? The first thing an admirer notices is the glistening mahogany-toned glossy brown coat. The coat is smooth, lustrous, close lying and feels like a luxurious mink. A rich, evenly colored shade of warm chocolate brown tending more to red-brown is desirable. Havana Brown's other incomparable feature is the distinctive head that is slightly longer than it is wide. In profile, the prominent broad nose has a definite stop at the eyes. A pronounced whisker pinch combined with the strong square chin forms a somewhat rounded muzzle on this domestic house cat. Viewed from above or felt with the fingertips, the pronounced break in the bone structure behind each whisker pad is evident in good specimens. The enticing green, oval-shaped eyes in combination with large, forward tilted ears contribute to the alert sweet expression on the Havana brown domestic house cat.