CFA Breeds
Abyssinian
American Bobtail
American Curl
American Shorthair
American Wirehair
Balinese
Birman
Bombay
British Shorthair
Burmese
Chartreux
Colorpoint Shorthair
Cornish Rex
Devon Rex
Egyptian Mau
European Burmese
Exotic
Havana Brown
Japanese Bobtail
Javanese
Korat
LaPerm
Maine Coon
Manx
Norwegian Forest Cat
Ocicat
Oriental
Persian
Ragdoll
Russian Blue
Scottish Fold
Selkirk Rex
Siamese
Siberian
Singapura
Somali
Sphynx
Tonkinese
Turkish Angora
Turkish Van
Related Links
Havana Brown Breed Standard
Havana Brown Grooming Tips
Breed Article: The Havana Brown: A Brown Delight - Cat Fanciers' Almanac June 1998
Breed Rescue Groups
|
|
Breed Article:
Havana Brown
The Havana Brown: A Brown Delight and an Endangered Species
by Richard C. Bilello
I first became interested in this breed some eight years ago when I saw the
cover photo of a Havana Brown on the May 1991 issue of the CFA Almanac. At
the time, my wife Lori and I had been breeding and showing Russian Blues.
The Havana Brown in the cover photo was GC, NW Kapalua Lady In Brown of
Heirbourne, and I was awestruck by this mahogany beauty with brilliant
green eyes. After reading every word of the article and reexamining the
photo several times, I showed my wife the picture. I was excited and said
something like, "Look at this magnificent cat. She is like a Russian Blue
with a rich, red-brown coat and the same brilliant green eyes." Good
specimens in both breeds have awesome color, and green eyes complete the
look.
I immediately set out to purchase a show quality Havana Brown and quickly
found out how difficult it can be. There simply were not many breeders to
contact. With some measure of difficulty, I acquired a female kitten and
entered her in the Invitational Show. It was out of town, in winter and
very cold. I just had to see other Havanas from around the country so that
I could develop an eye by comparison.
Our kitten didn't make any finals, but was the best and only Havana Brown
kitten entered. We did have the opportunity to meet a small group of Havana
breeders and exchange telephone numbers.
ORIGINS
At this point, for those who are not familiar with the history of this
breed, I will provide a brief overview of the highlights. It has been
documented that self-brown cats were known and shown in Europe in the
1890s. One of the names given these cats was "Swiss Mountain Cat." These
cats disappeared until the post World War II period, most likely because
the Siamese Cat Club of Britain issued a statement around 1920 that, "the
club much regrets it is unable to encourage the breeding of any but
blue-eyed Siamese." As a result, all solid-brown cats with non-blue eyes
were excluded from Siamese classes at shows; and that was the end of brown
cats as the early breeders knew them.
In the early 1950s, a group of English fanciers collaborated to
systematically isolate the genetic design of a self-brown cat. Early
experiments produced a chestnut brown male kitten named Praha Gypka, the
result of mating a black shorthair and a chocolate point Siamese. However,
it should be noted that a year prior to this planned breeding, an
accidental breeding between a black shorthair and a seal point Siamese
produced a self-chocolate male kitten named Elmtower Bronze Idol, the first
Havana Brown to be registered in England and the forerunner of our present
day breed. The sire of the black shorthair, also accidentally bred, was a
black domestic, while the dam was a seal point Siamese.
To clarify the breeding:
Sire: Parkhill Tritone (seal point Siamese)
Sire: Elmtower Tombee (seal point Siamese)
Dam: Tsiu Chow (seal point Siamese)
Elmtower Bronze Idol (first registered Havana Brown male)
Sire: Pickles (black DSH)
Dam: Elmtower Susannah (black SH)
Dam: Tsiu Chow (seal point Siamese)
Careful studies of pedigrees and written accounts of the founders' original
work show that the cats producing the early parentage of the present breed
contained almost no Russian Blues and a small number of chocolate point
Siamese. The most successful and most often used combination was that of a
black shorthair and a seal point Siamese carrying the chocolate gene.
INTRODUCTION TO NORTH AMERICA
In the mid-1950s, Mrs. Elsie Quinn, Quinn Cattery, imported the very first
Havana Brown from England, a female named Roofspringer Mahogany Quinn. She
was bred to Laurentide Brown Pilgrim of Norwood, also an import, and
produced the very first Havana Brown to achieve grand champion status in
CFA (in 1959): Quinn's Brown Satin of Sidlo. All of the Havana Browns in
North America today can trace their heritage to this cat.
By the time the breed had received recognition in English cat registries,
the breed name had been changed to "Chestnut Brown." In North America it is
not only the name Havana Brown that has been retained, but also the
distinctive type of the cat. In England, breeding back to Siamese has
continued; therefore, the original look of the cat has been lost. A
Chestnut Brown of today would resemble our chestnut Oriental Shorthair in
type. In North America, we can proudly say that the breed has retained its
original look - a moderate cat with a distinctive head, an elegant coat and
a personality that will melt your heart.
PERSONALITY
The Havana Brown has not only a unique appearance, with it's rich mahogany
brown coat and brilliant green eyes, but also a truly unique personality. I
refer to Havana Browns as the puppies of the cat fancy. This breed is
outgoing and playful and they love to follow you everywhere you go. While
most cats scatter at the sound of a sudden crash, Havanas run toward the
sound to see what caused it. Even after they are several years old they
still enjoy a good round of tag, and they will play with a simple toy just
like kittens. Havanas also like to make biting marks in paper or cardboard,
so you must be careful not to leave important documents or photos lying
around. One of my cats actually goes into my wife's pocketbook and removes
papers, business cards, money, etc.
The only thing they seem to take seriously is eating. If you have other
breeds of cats, you may have to feed them seperately. Havanas will eat all
of their own food in seconds and then proceed to eat any other cat's food
if they can.
GROOMING
Since Havanas are a shorthair breed, routine grooming is kept to a minimum.
However, if the cat is being shown, it is important to bathe it several
days before the show. Use any good feline shampoo (the Ring 5, Burnished
Bronz Shampoo seems to work very well), and after thoroughly soaping the
cat, rinse with warm water for two or three minutes. Make sure all the soap
is gone; this is very important. Towel dry and then let your cat finish the
job in a warm place. After the coat is completely dry, brush gently and use
a coat gloss to restore the luster. Finish up with a chamois or soft cloth.
Remove any stray white hairs.
A BREED ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION
How, then, is it that so few of these cats and breeders remain? There are
several reasons, but I will simply mention the most obvious:
- Havana Browns are a breed exclusive to North America. As mentioned
previously, the Chestnut Brown, the European version of the Havana Brown,
is the equivalent of the chestnut Oriental Shorthair in CFA.
- The breed was closed to outcrosses too early and with too few lines
established initially. The first Chestnut Brown, Roofspringer Mahogany
Quinn, was imported from England in 1956. The Havana Brown was accepted for
championship competition in CFA in 1964. Outcrossing/cross-breeding was cut
off in 1974.
- With too few breeding lines in existence, new breeders were and are
discouraged by the difficulty of obtaining unrelated breeding stock. There
are too few cats and they are too closely bred.
Please note: Breeding is the process of selecting the most desirable
partners for a mating with the anticipation of showing an improvement in
the offspring in terms of health, temperament, and adherence to the
established breed standard.
This breed, for the past several years, has struggled simply to exist. No
selective breeding has occurred beyond that of choosing parents which are
not too closely related. In many cases a breeder has, at most, fewer than
four choices. A review of Havana Brown pedigrees would shock most veteran
breeders.
THE BREED'S ONLY CHANCE: EXTINCTION OR DISTINCTION?
Approval of an outcross program carefully monitored and evaluated by an
independent, expert geneticist is a must - in short, correcting a past
program error. Today's knowledge of genetics and advances in technology
provide us with the tools to determine the degree of genetic diversity
currently existing in a breed, and periodic evaluation can determine when
outcrossing is no longer necessary.
Fortunately, immediate action to outcross this breed can work wonders.
Experimental outcrossing to both a black domestic shorthair and an Oriental
Shorthair have produced healthy, solid brown kittens in the first
generation. Second and third generation kittens are currently on the ground
and exhibiting good type. The introduction of this new bloodline to the
beautiful Havana Browns still remaining is producing offspring beyond our
expectations. The vigor can, and will, return to the breed, and so will a
new generation of breeders eager to produce and promote this unique breed.
Leslie A. Lyons, Ph.D., Senior Staff Fellow, Laboratory of Genomic
Diversity, National Cancer Institute, submitted a proposal to The Winn
Feline Foundation concerning the evaluation of the health, genetic
diversity and long-term consultation to manage the Havana Brown gene pool.
Her proposal has been accepted by the Winn Foundation and we look forward
to her contribution.
In April 1998, Havana Brown Breed Council members again voted on a proposal
regarding outcrossing this breed. The CFA Board will decide at the June
1998 board meeting whether or not to approve this proposal. This decision
should be based on the scientific and statistical data presented. I have no
doubt that this process will set a precedent on how these decisions are
made in the future. Every breed recognized by CFA has its own history, and
has developed in its own unique way. Any problems faced by a particular
breed need to be recognized, defined and substantiated. Consultation with
genetic experts and other professionals should then be brought to bear and
all proposed solutions considered by the breed council members and the CFA
Board of Directors. This process should yield decisions resulting in high
quality specimens with regard to meeting the breed standard, general health
and temperament for future generations.
WHERE IS THE BREED TODAY?
It is estimated that there are fewer than 1000 Havana Browns alive today,
under 130 unaltered Havanas, and only approximately 12 active CFA
catteries. The statistics for the breed, thru 1997, are as follows:
Award Number of Cats Period
Distinguished Merits 8 1964-1997
(The first DM was recorded in 1988.)
National Winners 5
GC, NW Aragon's Tia Maria 1976
GC, NW Kapalua Lady In Brown of Heirbourne 1990
GC, NW Heirbourne's Winds Aloft 1992
GP, NW Timberwild Mr Bold of Serendipity 1996
GC, NW Bundash Levi Garrett 1997
Regional Winners 24 1991-1997
Grand Champions 100 1991-1997
Grand Premiers 45 1991-1997
This is not a bad showing given the size of the breed.
Please note that in 1997 only 36 Havana Browns were registered in CFA, the
smallest number in any breed.
The author gratefully acknowledges his sources of reference as:
- "The Havana Brown... The Felicitous Feline" by Annette Bittaker and Norma
Placchi, 1982 CFA Yearbook.
- "The Havana Brown - The Cat in a Not-So-Plain Brown Wrapper" by Norma
Placchi, Cat Fanciers' Almanac, May 1991.
- Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. Central Office for statistical information
provided.
|