| Havana Brown's are breeder created cats. These | | | | late 1990s, these breeders received CFA approval for |
| wonderful chocolate colored cats were bred for a | | | | outcross breeding to black or blue domestic |
| specific genetic color and design. Genetically | | | | shorthairs, or dark colored Oriental Shorthair cats; |
| self-brown Siamese cats found in England and Europe | | | | also seal point or chocolate point Siamese were bred |
| came to be known as "Swiss Mountain Cats". The | | | | with full Havana Browns. Now purebred cats must |
| Siamese Cat Club of Britain discouraged breeding | | | | come from within the self-brown gene pool with |
| anything but the "blue-eyed" variety known as, and | | | | out-breeding no longer allowed. |
| shown as, Siamese today. Still, by the early 1950s, | | | | The Havana Brown's gleaming mahogany-brown coat |
| another group of breeders worked together to | | | | is an integral part of this unique breed. Their coat |
| produce these self-brown cats. They chose black | | | | feels like luxurious mink fur. The coat lies close to the |
| domestic cats and chocolate or seal point Siamese as | | | | skin, is smooth, and lustrous; evenly chocolate brown |
| breeding partners. The Havana Brown name | | | | coloring (according to its name) is most common, but |
| described the color genetics for these new | | | | red-brown is becoming more prized. They have |
| self-browns. (Many believe the name refers to the | | | | enticing green, oval-shaped eyes giving them a |
| rich brown of Havana cigars.) | | | | sweet, alert expression when combined with large, |
| Quickly (in the 1950s) the breed migrated to America. | | | | forward pointed ears. Their bodies are firm and |
| Some American breeders added Russian Blues and | | | | muscular allowing powerful, elegant, and graceful |
| Siamese into their early breeding, but this ended | | | | movement. These cats are much heavier than they |
| when the breed closed to outcross breeding in 1974. | | | | appear due to their musculature, weighing between |
| North American breeders maintained both the name | | | | six to ten pounds according to whether the cat is |
| and conformation of the original immigrants. In the | | | | female or male. |