Havana Brown

In terms of history, the Havana Brown is a hybrid or man-made breed. This delightful self-chocolate cat is the result of carefully planned breeding for a specific genetic design. Documentation indicates that self-brown Siamesetype cats existed in England and Europe in the late 1800’s. The Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Edition, mentions a “wholly chocolate-coloured strain of Siamese.” One name given to these self-brown cats was “Swiss Mountain Cat.”

In the 1920’s, the Siamese Cat Club of Britain discouraged the breeding of any “but blue-eyed Siamese” and the breed was abandoned. In the early 1950’s, a group of English breeders worked together to produce a self-brown cat. The cats used were a black domestic and a seal or chocolate point Siamese. Reportedly, an occasional Russian Blue was also used. The name Havana Brown was used for the first time to describe the color genetics for self-browns.
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.

*Sources from Cat Fanciers' Association, INC