A solid mahogany-brown cat with green eyes and even brown whiskers, rare and devoted to its people.
The Havana Brown is chocolate brown from head to toe, right down to its whiskers, with bright green eyes. It was bred in 1950s England from Siamese and black shorthairs. Its name is a little confusing. In America it is the Havana Brown, in TICA and WCF simply the Havana. FIFe and Britain's GCCF do not have it as a breed of its own: there the same brown cat is a chocolate Oriental Shorthair. It is playful, clever and likes to be near you.
Very attached to its people and often follows you like a shadow. Some pick one favourite person.
Many like to curl up on a lap, but some would rather sit next to you.
Curious and playful, still chasing toys as an adult.
Active, but not hyper. After a good play session it usually settles down.
Not a loud talker. It chirps and trills in a soft voice, much quieter than a Siamese.
Clever and loves praise, so it quickly learns tricks and fetch.
Usually comes to check out visitors instead of hiding.
Usually a good match for children who are calm and gentle with it.
Often becomes good friends with a friendly dog.
Sociable with other cats. Often they curl up together and groom each other.
Not made for long days alone. It wants company.
Happy indoors, as long as it has enough to climb and play with.
The Havana Brown is named after the city of Havana in Cuba.
No. The name most likely comes from the brown of a Havana cigar, or from the brown Havana rabbit. Nobody knows for sure which.
It is an ancient breed from Siam.
Not really. Brown cats did come to Europe with the first Siamese. But today's Havana Brown was bred anew in 1950s England.
The Havana Brown, the Havana and the Suffolk are the same breed.
Not quite. They look alike, but the American Havana Brown, the slender English Havana (an Oriental Shorthair) and Britain's Suffolk are separate breeds with their own build.
Around 1920 the brown Siamese disappeared from the shows. In the 1950s English fanciers bred them back. In England that cat grew ever slimmer and is now a chocolate Oriental Shorthair. Cats that went to America stayed sturdier and became the Havana Brown. The breed is still rare.
Solid brown cats of Siamese type are shown in Britain and Europe, among other names as 'Swiss Mountain Cats'.
The British Siamese club decides to favour only blue-eyed Siamese. Green-eyed brown cats vanish from the shows.
A small group of English breeders crosses Siamese with black shorthairs to bring back the solid brown cat.
The female Roofspringer Mahogany Quinn goes from England to California. She is the start of the North American breed.
The American registry CFA starts registering the Havana Brown, and the breed gets its first Grand Champion.
CFA accepts the Havana Brown for championship status.
CFA closes the breed: from now on Havana Browns may only be bred to each other.
CFA has fewer than 130 breeding cats left, so limited outcrossing is allowed again.
Britain's GCCF recognises the Suffolk, a brown cat much like the Havana Brown, as a separate breed.
CFA starts a new outcross programme with selected Oriental Shorthairs, Siamese and black or blue house cats.
Medium-sized, firm and graceful, with a glossy brown coat and green eyes. Its long head with the almost square muzzle makes it easy to recognise.
The type on this page: medium-sized and sturdy, with the long head and square muzzle. Britain's Suffolk looks much like it, but is a separate breed.
Recognition: CFA calls it the Havana Brown, TICA and WCF call it the Havana.
After crosses with Siamese the English cat became slender and angular, with a wedge-shaped head and big ears. It is now an Oriental Shorthair in chocolate.
Recognition: FIFe and the GCCF recognise it as a chocolate Oriental Shorthair. In Britain that colour is often still called Havana.
Cat registries write colours as an EMS code. The letter is the colour (n black, a blue, d red, f tortie), s means silver or smoke, y golden, and the numbers tell you about white (01–09), shading (11, 12), the tabby pattern (22–25) or colourpoint (33).
Chocolate(b)
Lilac(c)Chocolate is the breed colour: a warm, even reddish brown. Lilac, a pale pinkish grey-brown, is allowed in TICA and WCF. In CFA a lilac cat does not count as a Havana Brown.
A Havana Brown is always solid, with no white. These colours do exist in the Oriental Shorthair. Kittens sometimes show faint 'ghost' stripes; these fade in the first year.
In a Havana Brown even the whiskers are brown, just like its nose.
Breeders fondly call the breed Brownies.
A Havana Brown picks things up in its paws to look at them, and taps you when it wants attention.
Brown kittens sometimes have faint tabby stripes that fade away by themselves in the first year.
It is very rare: one count in 2024 found only about 15 catteries of the American type worldwide.
No study has measured how long a Havana Brown lives. Most sources say about 10 to 15 years. No inherited disease is known to belong to the breed.
There are very few Havana Browns. In the late 1990s CFA had fewer than 130 left to breed with. When cats are too closely related, inherited problems turn up more easily. That is why CFA allows limited outcrossing again.
How it is found: No test: breeders look at the pedigree and choose parents that are not too closely related.
Red, sore gums and tartar that can make eating uncomfortable. It is said to be a little more common than in other breeds, but there are no figures.
How it is found: No DNA test. The vet checks the teeth every year; brushing helps.
Small stones in the bladder or urinary tract that make peeing painful. Some sources say Havanas may be a little prone to them. Neutered, overweight males are most at risk.
How it is found: No DNA test. Plenty of fresh water and a healthy weight help. If the cat struggles to pee, see a vet quickly.
Very little work. Once a week with a soft rubber brush, or a damp cloth over the coat, and it shines again.
Daily play and something to think about: puzzle toys, hunting games and a cat tree or shelves to climb.
It eats fast and likes to steal other cats' food. Feed several cats apart and watch its weight, especially after neutering.
Many Havanas like to nibble paper and cardboard. So put important papers and photos away.
The Havana Brown is not hypoallergenic. It sheds little, but dander and saliva can still cause allergies.
Checked on 21 October 2026
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