Cat breed
The Havana Brown is a pedigreed domestic cat breed with a solid chocolate short-haired coat. The breed resulted from a planned breeding between chocolate-carrying Siamese and domestic shorthair black cats, by a group of British cat fanciers in the 1950s.
The term Havana Brown is used by cat pedigree registries to refer to cats of two different body type; a more extreme Oriental-type (solid chocolate Oriental Shorthair) and a more moderate USA-type, specifically in North America.
Behaviour: Havana Browns become very attached to their family and do not thrive when left alone for long periods. They are curious and interactive and need to be a part of daily activities. It is common for the Havana Brown to become best companions with the family dog. Many owners also find it surprising how easily they can travel with their Havana Brown without the cat's objection.
Appearance: The Havana Brown is a well balanced, moderately sized, muscular short-haired cat with a body of average length. Sterilised animals can tend to become larger and somewhat chubby. They are a moderately active breed, compared to other short-hair cat breeds. The coat colour must be warm brown, typically reddish-brown, with no obvious tabby markings (note that kittens will always show markings but they resolve as the cat ages and dissolve completely by one year). Whiskers must also be brown and the eye colour green. The head should be slightly longer than wide, but should never appear like a wedge. In profile, the nose/muzzle should have a distinct stop and change in direction at the eyes. Paw pads must be pink or rose coloured but should never be black. Ears tend to be moderately large. A Havana Brown should have no extreme features; specimens should be attractive and moderate. Males tend to be larger than females and are average in weight compared with other breeds.
The Havana Brown is an intelligent cat that often uses its paws both to examine objects and to communicate with its owners. Curiosity brings them to the door as visitors arrive rather than preferring to be hidden as many cats will do. It is not unheard of for a Havana Brown to place paws on someone's thigh and offer a meow of introduction. It is playful and curious, but rarely destructive unless left without companionship. While many are 'lap cats', a few are more content just to sit quietly beside their human companions. On the other hand, many Havana Browns prefer to ride on the shoulders of their human and help with daily activities. They love to play in and groom hair - it happens so frequently that there are Havana Brown owners who don't even notice their cat doing it until it is pointed out by an observer. It is an odd trait that most Havana Browns share.
Health: Very little grooming is required. A gentle brushing and wipe with a damp cloth once or twice a week, along with a good quality diet, will suffice for Havana Browns.
There are no known genetic diseases associated with this breed. They may have a slightly higher occurrence of gingivitis than other breeds, this being attributed to their Siamese ancestry.