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If you're interested in attending a Cat Show in your area,
check out CFA's Show Schedule:
http://www.cfainc.org/exhibitors/show-schedule.html
Important!
If you are shopping for a kitten, make sure you read "Acquiring
a Havana Brown Kitten"
as it has
important tips you should know before you commit to
acquiring any kitten.
Sections:
•
History
•
Personality
•
Acquiring a Havana Brown
Kitten
Preface
Another breeder best
described the personality of a Havana Brown as that of an Abyssinian that's
gone to finishing school. They are not a hyperactive breed
that does "back flips" or jumps around like a "jumping
bean". If someone describes the aforementioned as
normal behavior for a Havana Brown; they are
misrepresenting the breed. This breed is moderately
active and is described as such in an excerpt from the CFA Havana Brown
Breed Profile below.
"The Havana
Brown has a charming, playful manner and a soft, intimate
voice. They often extend a paw as a means of contact or
attempt to gain the attention of passersby as well as using
their paws to investigate curiosities by touching and
feeling. A people-oriented breed, they quietly demand human
companionship and adapt to most situations. This is the
perfect cat for the person who wants a sociable,
affectionate and intelligent feline friend. A cat who is as
sweet in appearance and color as…chocolate."
There are forty-one different cat breeds represented in The
Cat Fanciers' Association. Most people can only name a
few and the Havana Brown is virtually unheard of.
When my husband and I are exhibiting at cat shows it's not
unusual for a spectator to notice our "Havana Brown" sign
and assume it's our cats name. They often remark, "Oh,
Havana Brown...but what
breed
is it?" Of course we tell them it is the
breed. Another question we're often asked is,
"Are they from Cuba?" The Havana Brown is
totally an American breed but the breed was born in England.
We hope you are here because
you're interested in learning more about this beautiful
breed or perhaps you are interested in adopting a Havana
Brown kitten. Whatever your reason, we have provided
information which
briefly covers the
"history"
as well as the
"personality"
of the Havana Brown. We have paid particular attention
to the last section "Acquiring
a Havana Brown Kitten"
and have provided information which thoroughly explains the
difference between a reputable breeder and a backyard
breeder as well as what you should know before you begin the
search for your Havana Brown kitten. After you finish
reading the information provided, you will understand what
it means to be a reputable breeder, why they exhibit and
title their cats, and why you should acquire your kitten
from them. You will also learn which questions to ask
(and why) so you can avoid backyard breeders and acquire a
healthy and well socialized kitten from a reputable breeder.
History
Although brown cats were known and occasionally
exhibited in cat shows in the United Kingdom as far back as
1894, they lost favor with English breeders during the
1920's and breeding ended shortly thereafter. Then in
the early 1950's, five Siamese breeders in England began
working with cat color genetics and as part of their
experiments, undertook the development of a brown cat with
an elegant foreign type Siamese body. Early in their
success the name "Havana" was first used. When they applied for official
recognition in 1958, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
(GCCF) voted to register their newly created breed as Chestnut Brown Foreign
No. 29 rather than Havana. Although disappointed,
the breeders continued (for 13 years) petitioning
for a name change. Their efforts were finally rewarded when
in 1971 approval was finally granted
by the GCCF to
officially change the name to "Havana".
In 1956, two years
prior to the breed being officially recognized
in England, the first pair of Havanas were exported to the
United States. They went to Mrs. Peters of Norwood
Cattery and Mrs. Elsie Quinn of Quinn Cattery (both in
California) and they were registered as Havana Brown
in The Cat Fanciers Association. Over the next
few years, only a
small number of Havanas were
exported from England and during that
time Havana Browns were exhibited in non-championship
status here in the United States. A
few American breeders took notice and fell in love with this
beautiful new breed and slowly more Havana Browns
began to appear. Championship status was finally approved by
CFA on July 1, 1964; eight
years after the first Havana touched American soil.
Every Havana Brown breeder today can trace the ancestry (via
pedigrees) of each and every cat they own, back to the
original Havana Browns that arrived from England in 1956.
When the five founding breeders began their selective
breeding experiments back in the early 1950's, the majority
wanted to create a solid brown cat that basically looked
like a Siamese. The earliest Havanas
produced from their recorded breedings looked quite
different than what they were
aiming for, so selective breeding continued. By
the time the breed was recognized in 1958, Havanas in
England had begun to evolve from the
earlier versions of Havanas that were exported to America. When you
look at the two kitten photos below, you can see that American breeders
kept the same look of the earliest kittens produced in
England.
Two early kittens
produced in England (1954) Two Havana Brown
kittens in America (2005)
When you compare
the additional photos below you can clearly see how the Havanas
in England have evolved and how much they've changed from
their
original look, whereas the Havana Browns in America remain
virtually unchanged from the earliest Havanas produced in England.
Governing Council of the Cat Fancy
(United Kingdom) Cat Fanciers
Association (United States)
Havana - Breed No 29 Havana Brown
Profile
of Havana - Breed No 29 (United Kingdom) Profile
of Havana Brown
(United States)
The
difference between these two breeds is obvious when compared
side by side and in profile.
The head of the English Havana has a long straight line from
the top of the head to the tip of the nose whereas the head
of our American Havana Brown has a distinctive "stop" at the
level of the eyes. Their Havana has ears that are
strikingly large, pointed, and set wide at the base as
opposed to the ears of our Havana Brown which are large,
round-tipped, cupped at the base, and tilted forward. Their
Havana also has a long neck and a tubular body like a
Siamese or Oriental Shorthair whereas our Havana Brown has a
medium neck and a medium muscular body type. Again, the
distinction between these two breeds is clearly seen when looking
at the pictures shown above.
(Click
here to see the Havana Brown Breed Standard)
There are two ideas as to how our breed got it's name.
Some articles support the idea that it was taken from a
brown rabbit in England known as a Havana. Others support the idea it was named for the color of
a fine
Cuban (Havana) cigar. Most breeders, myself
included,
prefer the latter theory.
You don't often see a Havana Brown at cat shows because the
breed is quite rare. There are only about 1000 Havana
Browns (including pets) presently in North America and a handful of reputable
breeders. If you plan to attend a cat show hoping to
see one, you may be disappointed because there are so few.
There are usually less than 25 Havana Browns being exhibited
Nationally in any given year so you may want to check with
breeders to see if they will be exhibiting in your area. We saw our first Havana Brown while attending
a cat show as spectators. There was "one"
being exhibited and when we saw this beautiful, graceful, and
simply exquisite cat, we knew we were hooked and had to own one.
What we didn't know at the time, was that this wonderful
breed would instead own us!
(Click
here to see the CFA National Show Schedule)
Personality
Their personalities are the best to be had. Ours
often help us while we're at our computer (they are
quite gifted) and you won't have to worry about getting cold while lying on the couch, as they are excellent
substitutes for a blanket. They consider 'us' their
favorite pillows. They are moderately active which is
a definite plus and means you won't have to child-proof your
home or put away all your breakables. Their voice is
softer than a Siamese yet has a deeper resonance than most
breeds which is very pleasing to the ear and they
usually aren't talkative unless it's dinner time.
This gentle breed has a charming personality and they quietly demand attention and affection from their people. One of our
Havanas even likes to play fetch and their inquisitive
nature makes them so pleasurable to watch. Their favorite
place is in your lap or close by as this breed
does not like to be left alone. The best way to
describe their personality would be as "dog like" because
they are very interactive with people and truly depend on their
companionship. If you are a busy professional who
spends lots of time away from home for days at a time,
perhaps you should consider a different breed. I
cannot overemphasize how dependant they are on their people
for companionship and they will not thrive if left alone for
extended periods of time. We are totally enamored with
this breed and although they may not look as "flashy" as some breeds, they have a simple elegance that cannot be
denied. Sort of like a woman's simple, but stunning, black
dress. This is a perfect breed for someone who is looking
for an interactive, intelligent, and extraordinarily beautiful cat to love
and admire.
We always recommend you have a second kitty (which doesn't
have to be a Havana Brown) in order for your kitty to be
truly happy. After all, it's always
better for any cat to have a buddy and this helps to ensure they
are never lonely and they get
the proper exercise and play. Any beloved pet
deserves a companion to interact with while you
are at work, on excursions, or
on vacation. An empty house can be a lonely place for
this breed.
(Article
about one cat vs two)
(Second
opinions about one cat vs two)
Acquiring a
Havana Brown Kitten
Acquiring a Havana Brown is not always easy. When we were
looking for our first, we found it very difficult to find breeders and waiting lists were not uncommon because there
were so few kittens available due to the limited number of
reputable breeders. Fortunately, the
internet makes it easier to locate breeders... but buyers
beware! Not everyone found on the internet will be
reputable. Finding a
reputable breeder can be a challenge and most people are
left to navigate their way without any guidance or helpful
tips. Several people we have spoken with over the years
have asked, "How does one know the difference between a
reputable breeder and one that is not?" We also received a recent kitten inquiry
where the person wrote,
"My
impression from your website is that your breeding program
is targeted towards developing show quality cats, however I
am writing to inquire about the possibility of adopting a
kitten that will probably never see a show ring."
These types of questions and inquiries
motivated us to provide the following information.
The goal of a reputable breeder is to create show quality
kittens but that does not mean every
kitten is a show cat. In other words; every reputable
breeder should be trying to achieve show quality
kittens in every litter they produce because this is the essence of what defines a reputable breeder.
They may keep the best kitten as a show
candidate or place one with another reputable
breeder but the majority are placed in
pet homes and will never see a show ring.
It's regrettable the term "breeder" should need to be
defined but in order to protect people
who are looking for a well socialized kitten that has the
personality traits and temperament that define the breed, we felt it had to
done. We all
know that having a litter of kittens could be
accomplished by anyone... but does that mean they are a
breeder? Of course not, but there are those out there
posing as breeders for every single breed available. The worst and most
despicable offenders are the people selling
*moggies they are passing off as pedigreed kittens of various
breeds. These kittens cannot be registered by any
legitimate registry because their ancestry
and pedigree are unknown. In the case of Havana
Browns, someone could be selling any "brown" colored kitten
of unknown ancestry and take advantage of unsuspecting
people by passing them off as Havana Browns. Kittens that are brown in color
pop up from time to time but the color "brown" does NOT mean
the kitten is a Havana Brown. Brown colored kittens
that are being passed off as Havana Browns will not have
the true look or personality of a purebred because they are not Havana Browns. The people selling them don't know
the first thing about the breed and their ONLY interest is in
making money.
These backyard breeders
often sell their kittens by the use of online classified
advertising (no reputable breeder would ever use this type of advertising)
and if
you buy a kitten from them, you'll
probably pay more than the cost of a purebred kitten and end up with something
virtually no different than any mixed-breed kitten you could
adopt at a shelter.
These
charlatans will be here today and gone tomorrow, so please check with
reputable breeders before you take them at their word.
*
Moggy or moggie (plural: moggies) In England, is an affectionate
term for a domestic cat, but is also used as an alternate
name for a mongrel or mixed-breed cat whose
ancestry and pedigree are unknown. Because of this mixed ancestry and
free-breeding, a moggy can be genetically unsound and
sickly.
We recently came across something on the internet that was
most disturbing. Some
unscrupulous entrepreneur found a way to make easy money
by using the internet to start an online business they are
calling a feline registry. They named it "Rare and Exotic
Feline Registry" and anyone with a credit card
(via this website) can register any mixed breed of cat and
call them anything they wish (even an established breed)
without certified pedigrees from any nationally recognized
registry. It's inconceivable but apparently anyone who
pays the fee could obtain a registration
certificate from this bogus registry for any moggy they create and then claim that
kitten is a registered breed. What is worse, is that the
average person would not know that this registration
certificate is meaningless and isn't worth the paper it's
printed on!
The only way to contact this phony online registry (although
they never responded to my email inquiry) is via a Yahoo
email address. They don't provide a contact phone
number nor do they have a physical address listed. The
one thing it DOES do very well... is provide an easy way for
"backyard breeders" to pay for bogus registrations via
PayPal. What is most alarming is that this "internet
entrepreneur" has TOTAL ANONYMITY to carry on this deceitful
business which assists backyard breeders to continue indiscriminant breeding and basically rip-off people looking for purebred
pedigreed
kittens. If you come across someone whose
kittens are registered by the aforementioned bogus registry
or any other bogus online registry, I can assure you their
kittens are not real Havana Browns.
There are only two registries (listed below) that reputable Havana Brown
breeders use to register their kittens.
If you come across someone claiming to have Havana Brown kittens
for sale that are registered in any registry except the two
listed below, you should consider
looking elsewhere.
The Cat Fancy is made up primarily by two
large world registries for pedigreed cats.
(The UK uses the GCCF)
-The Cat Fanciers' Association
(CFA) founded in
1906 -
Largest registry of pedigreed cats in the world.
-The International Cat Association (TICA)
founded in 1979 -
2nd largest registry of pedigreed cats in the world.
The most important thing
about nationally recognized registries is they ALL have the
following in common whereas bogus registries do not.
1. They are a structured
recognized organization in
the Cat Fancy for registering pedigreed cats.
2. They govern and license clubs that produce cat shows
AND they officiate and license their own judges.
3. They have a Board of Directors, elected board
members, and a Constitution & By-Laws which governs them.
4. They regulate and have the power to revoke any privileges
they provide if rules are not adhered to.
5. They have a Headquarters to
house and maintain records and have employees to manage this
data.
6. They raise money to fund feline education and
health research through fund raising and donations.
7. They have strict registering criteria which must be met
before any cats are registered.
8. They have established Breed Standards for every breed
they recognize.
The other type of
"backyard breeder" you need to be aware of are those who
have managed to acquire two or more pedigreed Havana Browns
but really know very little about the breed. They may
attend an occasional cat show but their only purpose for
attending is to obtain the lowest possible title (Champion)
and use that title to mislead pet buyers about their cats.
This type of backyard breeder is also only interested in
trying to make money. They often over-breed their
females in an effort to mass produce kittens and have little
concern about
their quality of life. Those females often spend their entire
lives in the confines of a cage with the babies and their
only interaction with people is when they are fed and
their litter boxes are cleaned. The kittens are not handled or socialized and therefore
never develop a bond with people. Simply put; this type of
backyard breeder is merely running a "kitten mill" and one should
seriously question the health and temperament of the kittens they sell.
Now that you know about the two types of backyard
breeders out there, we will focus on the type of titles you
should look for in a Cattery who registers and exhibits in
The Cat Fanciers Association and why those titles are
important. Earning the appropriate titles on the majority of
breeding cats in a Cattery is the first priority for any reputable breeder and is an
absolute "must" before any breeding occurs. All the books
available about breeding pedigreed cats make this crystal clear.
If you come across someone who has virtually no titles higher
than "Champion" on their cats, then their lines are not
"proven" and they should not be breeding.
You may ask, "Why should I care about titles when I'm only interested in a
pet?" Titles are important because it is
the only way you'll know that health, temperament, and
quality are bred into the lines of the kittens who may be
sold as pets.
If you come in contact with a breeder that tells you they
have many "Champions" in their CFA Cattery, this
may sound impressive to the average person but the title of
Champion in CFA
means a great deal less than it sounds. Backyard
breeders are well aware the public isn't knowledgeable about titles and they
use this to their advantage. CFA cat shows have anywhere
from six to eight rings for judging at each show. The title of Champion
only
signifies the cat has been judged in six different rings
(six different judges) and
been awarded six "winners ribbons" (one by each of those
judges) which makes it
eligible for
the title of Champion. Put another way; being judged
by those six judges is just a way to "screen" a cat to
determine if it has any physical abnormalities that would
disqualify it from competition based upon the breed standard.
Each "winners ribbon" basically means "no faults found" and
a cat needs six of them to apply for the title of Champion. This is why the title of
Champion in CFA actually means much less than it sounds and is often
obtained by attending only one cat show. The real competition begins
after this "screening process" because now it must defeat
200 other Champions in open competition to earn the title of Grand
Champion at CFA cat shows. At a minimum, you should look for a Cattery
where several of their breeding cats have attained the
title of Grand Champion because this is what signifies
excellence in CFA and indicates the cat has all the
qualities that are desirable about the breed.
Most importantly, those same desirable qualities will be
passed on to the kittens which will be placed in future pet homes. Now
we hope you understand why the "appropriate" titles are so
important.
••The International Cat Association (TICA) has different
titles and criteria for earning their titles but you'd want to see
several
of their breeding cats with the title of "Supreme Grand
Champion" at a minimum in a Cattery who exhibits and
registers in TICA.
*Supreme Grand Champion in TICA
is equivocal to Grand Champion in
CFA.
If you are interested in adopting a Havana Brown kitten,
without question it should be from a reputable breeder whose
Cattery has earned the "CFA Cattery of Excellence" stamp of
approval.
These breeders exhibit the majority
of their cats, are currently exhibiting their cats,
have attained the appropriate titles and
have their Catteries
annually inspected by a licensed veterinarian and
meet the highest standards set by CFA
for breeders. This is very important for several reasons.
-
If a
Cattery is producing Havana Browns that can attain the
appropriate titles, you know their cats not only meet the
breed standard but in most cases are excellent examples
of the breed.
Desirable titles in CFA: Grand Champion (GC), Breed Winner (BW),
Regional Winner (RW), Nat'l Winner (NW) & Distinguished
Merit (DM)
-
You know the temperament is acceptable because only
cats with acceptable temperaments will allow a judge to
handle them and not display *vicious
behavior.
*Any
cat who displays vicious behavior should never be used in a
breeding program because bad temperament can be passed on to their offspring.
-
You
should only deal with a breeder that has experience
exhibiting the breed and attaining the appropriate
titles because you'll know you are dealing with someone
that's knowledgeable about the breed and
understands the importance of socializing their kittens from
birth, thus enabling them to develop into loving adults with
the proper Havana Brown personality.
-
These Catteries are annually inspected by a
licensed veterinarian and must meet the highest standards
set by CFA for their animal husbandry techniques.
In your search for the ideal kitten, the
very best advice we can offer you is to acquire your kitten
from a breeder whose Cattery is a CFA Cattery of Excellence
or from a breeder that is recommended by one. In order
for a Cattery to become a "CFA Cattery of Excellence", it
must pass a rigorous annual inspection by a licensed DVM. This inspection covers the cleanliness of the Cattery, if
there is adequate space and ample light for each cat, if the
animals receive adequate human interaction, the type of food
used, the general condition of their cats as well as their
health, and other general animal husbandry techniques used
by the breeder. In addition, they monitor the number of cats
to ensure it's not excessive for the given space in the
Cattery. It is the highest rating that CFA can award to a
Cattery.
**In some cases, even when earning top
titles, a Cattery may opt to avoid inspections. In
this situation, we would certainly wonder why any reputable
Cattery would opt to avoid annual inspections...
particularly when the cost is minimal?
Does that Cattery have less than desirable conditions... too
many cats... are the majority caged? Any of the
aforementioned can have a huge detrimental impact on a cat's/kitten's
health and/or personality and often
times can actually change the typical personality of a
Havana Brown into
something atypical and undesirable.
(Several Catteries that we
highly recommend)
If you are considering acquiring your kitten from someone
other than the breeders we recommend, we suggest you
visit the Cattery before committing to acquire a kitten.
Any reputable breeder would welcome a visit from a serious
buyer and this would allow you the opportunity to observe the
following:
1- The
health and condition of their cats/kittens
2- The cleanliness
of the Cattery
3- Their cats' temperaments
4- Whether or not they cage the majority of their cats
5- The parents of the kitten
6- If there were too many cats living in one group or too many cats
period!
7- If
their cats show signs of hyperactivity
(which can indicate they are
primarily caged or not given adequate human attention)
We know many reputable breeders of various breeds and they
ALL encourage Cattery visits from serious buyers. After all; what's to hide?
If a breeder offers every kind of excuse under the sun to
avoid a visit from you and insists you meet elsewhere for
the "kitten delivery", it should raise a "red flag" and you
should cross them off your list!
When we bought our first Havana Brown kitten, even though at
the time we were not yet exhibiting or breeding, we traveled
the distance so we could meet the breeder, see the
environment in which their kittens were raised, and were able to
see for ourselves the temperaments of the adult cats in
their home. After all, when buying a purebred
pedigreed kitten (as with any pet you acquire) it's a huge
commitment for you and your family. Wouldn't you want to see for yourself if
that particular Cattery was "up to snuff" and
their cats were social and affectionate (not hyperactive) before you made
the financial and emotional investment?
We would also advise you to steer clear of any breeder that
works with several unrelated breeds unless
they are a CFA Cattery of Excellence
or you can get good
recommendations from other reputable breeders.
Another thing to be wary of is if you find a breeder
that seems to care more about "making the quick sale" as
opposed to "doing adequate screening of potential adoptive
parents" for their kittens. If a breeder asks very little
about you, gives the impression they will sell to anyone,
and routinely places their kittens under 16 weeks of age... then we would be very skeptical about
this breeder and whether they'd stand behind that kitten if
something went wrong down the road.
You should also request a copy of the breeder's "Kitten
Contract" so you have the opportunity to read it thoroughly
and I cannot overstate the importance of making sure they do
not place their kittens prior to 16 weeks of age except in
extenuating circumstances. It is true that kittens are
old enough at 12 weeks to have had the proper
inoculations... but reputable Havana Brown breeders need the
additional time to evaluate their kittens as potential "show
candidates" and it also allows
for additional socialization.
When a kitten is ready for their new home, they should go
with the following:
n
The series of
FVRCP vaccinations
(Rhinotracheitis-Calicivirus-Panleukopenia) aka: Distemper
vaccinations.
n Rabies vaccination with the Rabies Certificate and
Tag (required by the USDA for shipping in most
states)
n Documentation of a Feline Leukemia (FeLV) negative
test on the litter.
n Kitten Registration Form from CFA or TICA which will
verify the litter was registered and it's a purebred kitten.
n Health Certificate** from a
DVM. **Only applicable if the kitten is being
shipped.
In conclusion, please bear in
mind that your new addition will be with your family for
many years. All kittens typically exhibit playful behavior...
however once they are
adults, they may not grow into the "lap kitty" you desired
if
(as kittens)
they were not properly socialized
and taught to bond with people at a very young age.
Everyone expects their new kitten will grow into a loving
adult with the appropriate "Havana Brown" personality and if you acquire your kitten from a reputable
breeder, your expectations will
be realized and your kitten will be a healthy,
affectionate, and
beautiful Havana Brown.
A reputable breeder's passion is
their love and commitment to the breed...
We hope this information helps
you avoid a "less than ideal" kitten adoption. Please feel
free to email us should you have any additional questions or
need help finding a reputable breeder... as we only recommend
breeders that we would acquire a kitten from or
have acquired a kitten from.
Our email address is listed under "Contact".
Mokolea Cattery is a CFA Cattery of
Excellence
Ed & Diane at Mokolea
Cattery
are
members of the CFA Havana Brown Breed Council.
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