The Havana Brown cat has somewhat obscure origins. Its ancestors are said to have come from Siam, present day Thailand, where it is said to have been very common in ancient times and indeed even today specimens of this breed, brown with beautiful green eyes, are almost revered. In the nineteenth century it was imported to Europe where it had considerable success at feline shows, but at the beginning of the twentieth century the Siamese Cat Club decided to accept only cats with blue eyes in competitions, so our specimen with green eyes was almost completely forgotten.
It was only after the Second World War that the interest in this cat was rekindled and after several attempts to mate with other breeds such as Siamese, Russian Blue, Black Persians, around 1952, we have news of the first cat of this breed, born in England. It was a beautiful kitten with a short chocolate-coloured coat and was called Elmtower Bronze Idol, ancestor of all the Havana Browns that are still born today.
Brought also to America, these cats have undergone some changes and therefore we have two different breeds, although very similar, the English breed is a chocolate brown short haired Siamese with the characteristics of an oriental cat, while the American is more like a Russian Blue, although it still looks very much like a Siamese. Today, unfortunately, this breed is very rare. Its name, Havana, seems to come from the colour of the Havana cigar, which is the same as the colour of the coat of this cat, but some say that it comes from a breed of rabbits that have a very similar coat and are called Havana.
Character of the Havana Brown Cat
The character of the Havana Brown cat is affectionate and very sweet. It is always available for cuddles, love, affection and games. He likes to be an integral part of the family, in fact this cat needs lots of company and cuddles. It becomes very attached to one member of the family, but is also affectionate with others. The important thing is that he is not left alone for long, as he can get into mischief. He especially likes to be in the company of his humans, happily sleeping on their laps and next to them in bed, but sometimes he needs to be on his own.
He is a very active and curious animal, looking and sniffing at everything. He gets on well with other cats and also with dogs. He is very patient with children and enjoys playing with them. It suffers a little from the cold and therefore likes to stay indoors in warm and comfortable places.
With strangers they need time to accept them or not, they are rather shy and timid at first. Thanks to their intelligence, they can also learn to go out on a leash, but they like being indoors more. They are also very suitable for the elderly, as they need a lot of company and it is enough to give them a few games to pass the time peacefully.
Appearance of the Havana Brown Cat
The Havana Brown Cat is a medium-sized cat with a robust and muscular build. The male cat weighs around 5 kilograms and the female a couple of kilograms less. It is very similar to the Siamese in the physical structure.
The head is long and wedge-shaped rather than wide and with a very long nose, it has wide, well spaced and pointed ears. The eyes are very beautiful, almond-shaped and green in colour. The eyes are in fact the most striking feature of this cat, a very intense green, which stands out in strong contrast to the colour of its coat.
Its legs are long and muscular, the hind legs being longer than the fore ones. The tail is long and full, wider at the base.
The coat of the Havana Brown is medium-short, shiny and smooth and of a glossy dark brown colour, uniform over the whole body. The coat is almost devoid of undercoat, which is why it loses very little hair, even during the moulting period.
Health and care of the Havana Brown Cat
This breed is particularly healthy and has no particular pathologies. It has a fairly long life expectancy of up to 20 years. It is sensitive to the cold as it has almost no undercoat.
As far as its diet is concerned, this must be controlled as this cat has a strong appetite and would never stop eating, with the risk of becoming obese.
With regard to the care of its coat, it is sufficient to brush it once a week and perhaps every now and then clean it with a chamois or flannel glove to keep it shiny and beautiful.
