Havana cat

Havana
Default: CFA TICA (PDF file; 20 kB) GCCF FIFe
Shoulder height
length
Weight	Male: Ø 3.5 kg. Cat: Ø 2.7 kg
allowed colors	chocolate
colors not allowed	all other
permitted coat drawing	monochrome (non-agouti)
List of cat breeds

The Havana is a human breed of cats . It is one of the oriental shorthair cats and is usually listed in this category at European cat clubs. Like the Foreign White with the Siamese , however, it has long been listed as an independent “ breed ” by many breeding associations , and this is still the case with some American associations.

history

Havana has been known in Europe since the late 19th century. In the 11th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica it is also referred to as the Swiss Mountain Cat . From the 1920s, the breeding of the "not blue-eyed Siamese", so the OKHs, was undesirable in Great Britain. Therefore the Havana was no longer bred. It was not until the 1950s that English breeders started working again on breeding a “brown” cat (meaning chocolate). It is reported that a black house cat , a seal or chocolate Siamese and possibly also a Russian blue were used in this breeding program. Here the term Havana Brown was first used to describe the color genetics of the brown (chocolate) cat. Where the term comes from is controversial. It could be derived from a rabbit color as well as from the Cuban cigars .

The Havana Brown didn't come to the United States until the mid-1950s, but was accepted as a breed by the CFA as early as 1959. However, she did not receive champion status until 1964. Old pedigrees show that American breeders also had Russian Blue and Siamese in their breeding programs at the beginning. In 1974 this practice was stopped as outcrosses were no longer allowed.

Since the number of Havana breeders in the USA fell sharply in the 1990s and the gene pool threatened to become too small, outcrossing with black or blue domestic cats and OKHs with certain colors was allowed again in 1998.

Appearance

The glittering mahogany shimmering fur is striking. It's soft, shiny, snug, and feels like a mink fur . An even, warm chocolate brown, which may also tend to reddish brown, is desirable. The head is slightly longer than it is wide. The cat has a visible stop between the eyes. Highlighted whisker pads, together with a strong chin, form a slightly rounded snout. Green eyes in conjunction with the ears turned forward contribute to a watchful impression. If you pick up a Havana, it is surprisingly heavy. The medium-sized body must be strong and muscular, convey a feeling of strength, but also of elegance and grace. Hangovers are usually bigger than cats.

Essence

Havana is a charming, playful cat with a soft voice. They often use their paws to attract passers-by or to investigate interesting things.

literature

• Susie Page: The Complete Cat Owner's Manual. Fog City Press, San Francisco CA 1997, ISBN 1-875137-84-X .

Web links

Commons : Havana Cat  - Collection of Images

• Norma Placchi: The Havana Brown: The Cat in a Not So Plain Brown Wrapper , Cat Fanciers' Almanac (May 1991)
• Richard C. Bilello: The Havana Brown: A Brown Delight and an Endangered Species

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Havana breed profile of the CFA ( Memento of the original from June 12, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.