A rare British cat in chocolate brown or lilac, with vivid green eyes and a big heart for its people.
The Suffolk is a slim, graceful cat in solid chocolate brown or lilac, with vivid green eyes. It looks a lot like the Havana Brown, but is a separate breed. British breeders brought the old English Havana line from the 1950s back to life. Britain's GCCF accepted it as a new breed in 2014. There are still very few Suffolks, nearly all in Britain. It is cheerful, chatty and wants to be part of everything.
Very attached to its people and happiest near them all day.
Wants to be with you, but is more of a busy buddy than a cat that lies still on your lap.
Likes to play with toys and sometimes even plays fetch.
Lively and active. A sturdy cat tree to climb is no luxury.
A talker: it will happily tell you what it thinks.
Clever. Many Suffolks learn to wear a harness and walk on a lead.
Friendly with visitors and often the first at the door.
Usually plays gently, claws in, and fits well in a family with children.
Usually fine with a dog that is used to cats.
Usually gets on well with other cats.
Gets lonely on long days alone. A second cat or plenty of play helps.
A fine house cat, as long as it has company and plenty of play.
The Suffolk and the Havana Brown are the same breed.
No. They look alike, but each has its own standard. Suffolk breeders may bring in a Havana Brown, but a Suffolk may not be used to breed Havana Browns.
The Suffolk is a brand-new breed.
Not quite. Only the recognition is new, from 2014. The cat itself is an old English line from the 1950s that was rebuilt.
In Britain the Suffolk is simply called the Havana.
No. In Britain's GCCF a Havana is a chocolate Oriental Shorthair. That is why this breed got a different name: Suffolk.
In the 1950s English fanciers bred a solid chocolate-brown cat, first called the Chestnut Brown and later the Havana. In England that cat grew ever slimmer and is now an Oriental Shorthair. In America it became the Havana Brown. Early this century a small group of British breeders set out to bring back the old type. To keep enough different cats, they may bring in Oriental Shorthairs, Havana Browns, Thais and Siamese, among others. That is how the Suffolk came about.
The GCCF recognises the English brown cat under the name Chestnut Brown Foreign Shorthair.
The GCCF names that cat the Havana again. So the name is taken when the breed later returns.
A small group of English breeders starts to bring back the type of the first Havana breeders.
Around this year the real revival starts: a group focused on the old Havana forms inside the breed club.
A Havana Brown from Europe is brought into the breeding. The cats start to look more like the American type.
In June the GCCF accepts the cat as a new breed, under the name Suffolk.
The Suffolk gains preliminary status with the GCCF.
In June the Suffolk gains championship status with the GCCF: it can now become a show champion.
The GCCF registers only 62 Suffolk kittens that year, though the number is growing.
A medium-sized, graceful cat with long legs and a glossy solid coat. Slim and muscular, but never as extreme as an Oriental Shorthair.
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)A Suffolk is always solid chocolate or lilac. Pointed kittens are sometimes born in the breeding, but they do not count as a show colour. Kittens sometimes show faint tabby stripes that fade by themselves.
In 2020 the GCCF registered only 62 Suffolk kittens in the whole of Britain.
It is called Suffolk because in Britain the name Havana was already used for a brown Oriental Shorthair.
After a hot summer a chocolate coat can turn reddish in places. After the autumn moult the colour comes back.
Many Suffolks learn to wear a harness and then even go for walks on a lead.
Whether it is chocolate or lilac, a Suffolk always has vivid green eyes.
No study has measured how long a Suffolk lives. Sources differ; about 12 to 16 years lies in between. No inherited disease is known in the breed, but little has been studied yet.
A slow loss of sight in both eyes. It is named as a possible risk because the Suffolk has Oriental ancestors. No Suffolk is known to have it.
How it is found: There is no test made for the Suffolk. Ask the breeder whether the parents had their eyes checked.
A kitten with a flattened chest. Mild cases often grow out of it; in severe cases breathing can be hard. This too is only named as a possible risk.
How it is found: No test. The breeder and the vet see it in the kitten in its first weeks.
Little work: gentle brushing removes the loose hairs. Then rub a silk scarf over the coat and it shines. Many Suffolks love it.
It wants to play and climb every day. Give it a sturdy cat tree, a mix of toys and above all plenty of company.
Many Suffolks love their food. Watch the weight, especially after neutering. Fish oil with omega-3 is said to help the glossy coat.
It is fairly hardy and can cope with some weather, but should not get wet and cold. A dry, warm place to come back to helps.
The Suffolk sheds little, but that does not make it hypoallergenic. Dander and saliva can still cause allergies.
Checked on 23 October 2026
Let's swap links. We list your club here, with logo, a short text and a link. You link to this page. No costs, no contract.
Register your cat with SpotKat for free, with photos and chip number in one place.
