Havana Brown Cat: Breed Info, Pictures, Temperament & Traits

The Havana Brown is a stunning cat with its chocolate-colored coat and unique head shape. There’s more to this breed than just their beautiful appearance, though. Havana Browns are a charming and mischievous cat breed that bonds deeply with its human family members. They’re easy-going, and intelligent, and are a great pick for households with other animal species, too.

Breed Overview

If you’re curious about the Havana Brown cat and want to know more, keep reading. We’re going to go over their personality traits and specific needs so you can decide if this is the right breed for your family.

Havana Brown Cat Characteristics

Havana Brown Kittens

Havana Browns are a very rare breed as you’ll soon learn, so finding one will prove not only to be difficult but expensive, too. The price will depend on several factors such as its age, the breeder, where it’s located, markings, and its quality.

Mixed-breed Havana Browns can be found at a much lower price point from local shelters.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Havana Brown Cat

Havana Browns are extremely friendly and outgoing cats. They love their humans and will follow them throughout the house. They always want to be a part of the action but are okay to climb into a lap at the end of a long day for a nap, too.

Don’t be surprised if your cat climbs up onto your shoulders and demands to be a part of your daily chores. He just loves you so much and wants to be with you at all times. It’s not unusual for this breed to play in and groom hair, so if your kitty is bathing your hair, consider it an act of love.

Since they have Siamese blood in their ancestry, you can expect Havana Browns to be a bit demanding of your attention. They’re also known to be talkative, though their voice is much quieter than their Siamese ancestors. You might hear them chirping or trilling more than you’ll hear them meowing.

Havana Browns are very adaptable and agreeable. They’re easy-going and can adjust easily to situations that other breeds might find stressful. They are fantastic travelers, so if you do a lot of road-tripping, take your kitty with you to keep them happy, content, and in your presence.

Cats of this breed are highly intelligent and attention-seeking. They will play a good game of fetch with their owners, retrieving toys and other stray objects in their mouths. They also can get into thievery, so if you even find yourself missing a sock or two, check their favorite hiding spots to see if your cat has claimed it as his own.

Havana Browns often use both of their paws to examine things in their environments and also to communicate with you. They’re curious creatures who aren’t afraid to come to the door to greet strangers.

As you might have already been able to deduce, this breed thrives best when they’re with their humans. They do not do well when left alone for long periods as they need human companionship.

Are These Cats Good for Families? 👪

Havana Browns are great family pets. They are highly human-oriented so they have a strong desire to spend time with their people and get involved in anything they’re doing. They’re a playful and smart breed, so they’ll get along great with children who make time to play with them and treat them nicely.

Havana Browns tend to bond very closely with one member of their family. They’ll attach themselves to that person and stick by their side. It’s important for your children to understand that and not to push any boundaries if your cat decides that someone other than the child in their household is ‘their person.’

A Havana Brown does best in households that make a lot of time for him. If you and your family travel a lot or work long hours, you might consider adopting a cat that’s less people-oriented.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets?

Havana Browns get along swimmingly with other pets. In fact, they seem to thrive in multi-species households. They do well in homes with other cats and cat-friendly dogs thanks to the breed’s amiable disposition. It’s essential to introduce new pets slowly, however, not to overwhelm and stress out either of the animals.

Things to Know When Owning a Havana Brown Cat

Now that you know more about the intelligence and temperament of Havana Browns, let’s dive a little deeper into their food, exercising, grooming, and training needs.

Food & Diet Requirements

As with most domestic cats, a Havana Brown cat’s nutrition needs to be controlled to prevent feline obesity. Since cats are obligate carnivores, your Havana Brown will need a high-quality protein-filled diet and access to fresh water every day.

How you choose to feed your cat will depend on your lifestyle and your cat’s needs. Some people prefer to feed their cats at specific times throughout the day. If your lifestyle doesn’t allow set meal times, you might consider leaving a bowl of food out for your cat all day long. You will need to approach this feeding method with care, however, as some cats aren’t grazers and will instead eat their entire food bowl and beg for more.

You should consider feeding your cat a diet of both wet and dry food as they both provide benefits.

Exercise 🐈

Havana Brown cats need a daily dose of exercise as well as plenty of mental stimulation through play and human interaction.

Cat scratchers and interactive toys will keep your kitty busy for hours, but nothing will replace one-on-one playtime with their favorite human. Invest in some toys the two of you can use together. Try tossing a ball to them to see if they’ll return it or dangle a feather wand in front of them.

Puzzle toys are a great investment, too. These toys will not only provide enrichment for your Havana Brown, but they’ll also test their intelligence.

This breed is known for its agility and energy levels. Be sure to provide several high places for them to climb. Vertical space is non-negotiable for Havana Browns. If you don’t provide a cat-friendly and cat-safe place to climb, you might find your kitty trying to entertain himself by going places he shouldn’t go.

Training 🧶

Havana Browns have high intelligence levels and love nothing more than pleasing their owners, so they’re often very open to learning tricks. Try teaching them how to play fetch. You’ll not only be exercising their body and mind with this game but training them too!

Use positive reinforcement during your training sessions as most cats won’t respond well to harsher training techniques or yelling.

Grooming ✂️

Havana Browns are actually one of the easiest breeds to care for in the grooming department. They have very soft and silky coats that don’t shed a lot. They’re simple to maintain with weekly brushings.

Don’t forget to pay close attention to your cat’s nails, ears, and teeth. You should make it a regular practice to brush their teeth every day (or at least once or twice a week). Nail trims should occur every few weeks, but you can go longer between clippings if you provide a scratching post for your kitty to do his nail care on.

Don’t forget his eyes and ears. Use a soft and damp cloth to remove any eye discharge. Use a separate cloth every time. Check their ears every week. If they look dirty, use a soft damp cloth with warm water to clean them. Don’t use cotton swabs as they can cause damage to the interior of their ear.

Health and Conditions 🏥

Havana Browns don’t seem to be genetically dispositioned to certain health conditions. The conditions listed below aren’t breed-specific but are health concerns that cats of any breed can develop. It’s best to keep up with regular visits to your vet to prevent any diseases and to catch developing ones early.

Male vs Female

As with most cat breeds, male Havana Browns tend to be larger and heavier than their female counterparts. Female legs will often be slimmer and daintier, while the males’ legs will be more powerfully muscled.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Havana Brown Cat

1. Havana Browns Are Exceedingly Rare

If you’ve fallen in love with the idea of having a Havana Brown to call your own, you might already know how difficult it is to find breeders. Estimates suggest that there are only around 1,000 Havana Browns left in the world. In fact, this breed is considered to be endangered since the breeding pool is so small. In the late 90s, there were only 12 registered Havana Browns in the Cat Fanciers’ Association catteries and less than 130 unaltered cats.

The good news is that their numbers seem to be on the rise. As of 2015, there are roughly twice the number of Havana Brown catteries and breeders throughout the world with most of them located in the United States and Europe.

2. They Are the Only Cat Breed with Brown Whiskers

As their name would suggest, Havana Browns are brown. In fact, they’re one of the only cat breeds that are entirely brown. It’s not only their fur that is the deep mahogany color, though. Havana Browns are the only cat breed that sports brown whiskers. They must sport these brown whiskers in any professional cat show to be considered for contention.

3. Creating an All-Brown Cat Was Difficult for Breeders

Professional breeders have been trying to create an all-brown cat since the late 19th century. It proved to be more difficult than initially expected, however. The first possible Havana Brown didn’t come to be until the 1930s in Great Britain. It’s suspected that the breed began when breeders paired a Seal Point Siamese with a black short-haired cat.

Final Thoughts

Havana Browns are a stunning breed with a lot of incredible personality traits. Not only are they beautiful with their slick mahogany-colored coats, but they’re intelligent, loyal, and friendly, too. What more could a prospective cat parent ask for?

Remember, this breed does not do well when left alone for long periods. If you love traveling or are away a lot for work, you might want to consider a breed that doesn’t bond so closely with its humans.

If you’re seriously considering adopting a Havana Brown, make sure you’re working with a reputable breeder. They should provide you with detailed reports, including any reported diseases or illnesses in the kitten’s family tree as well as records to prove the kitten has been tested for infectious diseases.

• You may also be interested in: York Chocolate Cat

Featured Image Credit: Joan Wozniak, Shutterstock