Havana Brown vs American Curl - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The American Curl is well known for its unusual shaped ears and for being one of the youngest cat breeds.

It developed in California. The first of these cats appeared to have been strays that arrived in California in 1981. The black female’s name was Shulamith, and she gave birth to a litter with the same curled ears, and was the ancestor of the American Curls of today.

Appearing in a cat show in 1992 for the first time, the longhaired American Curl was then given championship status by TICA and it was also admitted to the Cat Fanciers Association’s championship class in the long- and shorthaired divisions.

The rare Havana Brown cat seems to be a result of a planned breeding between Siamese and domestic black cats.

It was in the 1950s that cat fanciers in the UK became the early breeders. These breeders called themselves the Havana Group. They created the foundation of the modern-day Havana Brown cat.

These breeders managed to produce chocolate shaded kittens which became known as the Chestnut Brown Oriental. Kittens arrived in the US and were crossbred with the Chocolate and Seal Point Siamese to produce chocolate-colored kittens.

In 1964, the Havana Brown was accepted for Championship status by the Cat Fanciers Association.

The American Curl is a medium-sized cat weighing roughly 2.3–4.5kg. Its a cat that stands between 21 and 27cm in height.

It’s also a cat that takes a fairly long time to mature, reaching maturity about 2 or 3 years of age. The most distinctive feature of this cat is its unusual ears that curl backward as opposed to standing up like most other cats. At birth the ears are straight but they gradually start curling back, staying in a tight bud position.

The American Curl's coat is soft and silky and doesn’t require too much grooming. The fur comes in colors such as grey, white, apricot, black, and the coat can be a solid color or in a host of different patterns such as bi-color, triple-color, tabby, ticking and others.

The head is round, the eyes of the cat are large, giving the cat an alert, friendly look. The eyes can be many different colors from blue to green, amber, copper, hazel, and yellow.

Temperament:

The American Curl Cat loves his human family and gets on well with children too. He is an adaptable cat, settling into different lifestyles. You’ve got to watch him around small children who might manhandle him and pull his sensitive ears.

Nonetheless, he is sociable and loving. He is an intelligent cat, being active and alert and will even follow you around to see what you’re doing that he can be involved in too. He isn’t a particularly talkative breed but he loves to play and can even learn to fetch a smallish ball.

The Havana Brown is a medium-sized cat, being somewhat slender and weighing between 3 and 6kg. The body is long and muscular and the cat has a beautiful brown short to medium-length coat.

The coat color is in fact a rich reddish-brown shade. The ears are fairly large and round-shaped and the oval-shaped eyes are a beautiful green.

Temperament:

The Havana Brown is an intelligent, playful, curious cat who enjoys being in the company of its human family. They tend to gravitate towards one favorite family member.

They’re cats that don’t like being left alone for long periods of time. They get on well with children and he also won’t object to becoming friends with the family dog as well.

Friendly though they may be, they also enjoy spending some time on their own. Individual personalities vary but most are playful and talkative.

You’ll find your American Curl to be a friendly, loving cat that will easily bond with his human family. They’re adaptable cats and will happily adjust to your lifestyle.

Despite their affection, however, American Curls aren't the type of cats to want to be pampered and petted - they are quite happy just to sit next to their owner and relax, or play with their toys.

Because American Curls are highly adaptable, they're suitable for a number of different home types, and homes with other pets or children, making you a splendid feline pet and companion.

There is a good reason why the Havana Brown cat is so popular. People love the unusually rich brown coat which always has a gleam to it.

They also love that this chocolate-colored cat has a wonderful personality and can be a solid companion for humans. So long as you don’t leave him alone for a long time on his own, as that is part of his charm – wanting to be constantly involved with his human family.

This is a healthy breed of cat that with good care can reach 9 – 15 years of age.

You need to be careful with their ears – perhaps damaging the cartilage if you brush him too hard.

Like many cats, the Curl is susceptible to ear issues so always be sure to check and clean your cat’s ears weekly.

There are no known genetic diseases associated with this breed. They may have a bit of a higher occurrence of gingivitis than other cat breeds, and this thought to come from them having their Siamese ancestry.

Beware of bladder stones with your cat which can start at any age. The stones can start off small but can grow larger, rubbing against the bladder walls and resulting in inflammation.

Bladder stones can also lead to blockage of the urethra so that your cat isn’t able to urinate. There are symptoms to indicate your pet may have bladder stones and these can be straining to urinate, painful and little urination, urinary tract infections, and blood in the urine.

This is a time when you want to get your pet to the vet just as soon as possible.

Also, be on the watch for eye infections. Conjunctivitis is one of these to look out for but there are other eye infections your cat can experience. They can come about because of an upper respiratory infection that spreads to the eyes, but they can be caused by any number of things such as bacteria, parasites, and viral infections.

You’ll notice your cat pawing at his eyes and there may even be redness, discharge, and swelling. You vet will be able to treat eye infections with ointments and eye drops.

The Curl’s coat can be either short or long, but with a gentle brushing, the coat can be well maintained. The shorthaired variety sheds a bit more during the year than the longhaired variety and this is why grooming and brushing becomes necessary.

You can brush your cat’s teeth to avoid periodontal disease.

Trim your cat’s nails every other week if they don’t wear down naturally.

Check inside- and outside the cat’s ears for parasites and dirt. The cat’s ears have a unique shape and they may well be born with narrowed ear canals that can trap dirt and wax and this results in ear infections.

Like all cats breeds, your lean, muscular American Curl can be susceptible to obesity and heart disease. Speak to your vet about a special cat food for your feline friend as cat food is specially formulated to deliver the exact level of natural vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants needed. Understand the amount of food your Curl requires by checking out the feeding instructions on the food labels. Always talk to your vet if you're not sure how much and what you should feed your cat.

Remember, that if you don’t want to do these grooming routines for your cat for fear of hurting him or not doing it properly, the vet or your local pet groomer will do it for you.

Make sure to provide your intelligent American Curl with toys and exercise. You can buy toys and games that will challenge his mental and physical abilities.

With the cat’s short coat, he experiences little shedding so very little grooming is required. A gentle brush once a week will be enough. These cats love attention and submit easily to a brush and body rub with a soft rubber brush.

Check inside the mouth as periodontal disease is a problem with cats. You want to make sure that there aren’t any bad teeth as this can cause a lot of pain.

A vet can also be useful in examining your cat and pinpointing problems.

Check the inside of the ears too because they can become somewhat clogged with wax and dirt. If you don’t want to probe inside the cat’s ears with a cotton ball with warm water and apple cider vinegar, you can take your cat to the vet or to a professional cat groomer.

Keep the litter box of your cat spotlessly clean as these cats are fussy with cleanliness.