Havana Brown

The Havana Brown is a medium-sized cat developed in the United Kingdom during the 1950s with a solid mahogany-colored short coat.

A circle of English breeders, including Miranda von Ullman and Anne Hargreaves, crossed chocolate point Siamese with solid black domestic shorthairs to produce a rich self-brown cat. Elmtower Bronze Idol became the first registered specimen in 1952. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy registered the type in 1958 as the Chestnut Foreign Shorthair. North American imports established lines that earned Cat Fanciers' Association championship recognition in 1959. The International Cat Association recognized the breed in 1979 and accepted lilac varieties in 1983.

Adult males weigh 4-5 kg (8-10 lb) on a moderately long, muscular frame held high on slender limbs. Large forward-tilted ears frame a distinctive head that narrows forward to a rounded, pinch-muzzled profile often likened to a corncob. The short, lustrous coat displays deep warm brown shades with rose-toned paw pads and green oval eyes. Breed standards describe the temperament as friendly, inquisitive, and deeply affectionate. It uses its forepaws to inspect strange items and gently touch human companions for companionship.

Coat upkeep involves weekly rubdowns with a rubber brush or damp chamois cloth to dislodge shedding hair and maintain glossy hair shafts. The Havana Brown has a small breeding registry worldwide, which historically required carefully monitored outcross programs to maintain genetic diversity. Documented clinical conditions include upper respiratory infections in younger kittens, chronic renal disease, dental tartar accumulation, and calcium oxalate bladder stones.