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Our study found that Laurentide Areeto Pearl, a black shorthair female resulting from a breeding between a chocolate point Siamese male, Briary Saccharin, and a black shorthair female, Laurentide Ephone Jet, had a Russian Blue in her background. Apparently, Ephone Jet was the product of a Russian Blue and seal point Siamese cross. Laurentide Areeto Pearl produced Havana Brown cats when bred back to her sire, a chocolate point Siamese. She was also bred to Havana Browns developed by other breeders which did not carry any Russian Blue and these crosses also produced brown kittens.

It has been documented that several breeders in the United States also introduced Russian Blues into their lines; however, for whatever the reasons, these particular lines were not continued. To the best of our knowledge, most of the Havana Browns of today do not have any Russian Blues in their backgrounds. Mrs. Elsie Quinn, Quinn Cattery, El Monte, California, imported the very first Havana Brown from England in the mid 1950’s — a female named Roofspringer Mahogany Quinn. She was bred to Lauren- tide Brown Pilgrim of Norwood, also an import, and produced the very first Havana Brown to achieve Grand Championship status in CFA in 1959— Quinn’s Brown Satin of Sidlo. All of the Havana Browns in this country today can trace their heritage back to this cat.

By the time the breed had received recognition in English cat registries, the name had been changed to “Chestnut Brown.” In this country, not only the name Havana Brown has been retained but also the type of the cat. In England, breeding back to Siamese has been continued, therefore the original look of the cat has been lost; a “Chestnut Brown” of today would resemble our chestnut Oriental Shorthair in type. Here in the United States, 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.

There are several theories on how the breed got its name — some historians insist it was named after the rabbit breed of the same color; however, the one most Havana Brown devotees choose to believe is that it got its name “because it was the color of rich Havana tobacco.”

This picture, with caption was found in "Our Cats" magazine,
July 1960.

This is the Sidlo Cattery CFA Year Book Ad in 1962.



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History of the Havana Brown