Havana Brown vs Chartreux - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Hailing from France, the Chartreux cat is a rare cat breed but is still recognized by a number of cat registries around the world.

It’s not a new breed of cat, and in fact, the Chartreux is mentioned for the first time in 1558 in a poem and later on in paintings. There are quite a few legends as to the origins of the Chartreux and while some believe that the cats were brought to France by monks others believe that the Chartreux's ancestors were feral mountain cats from Syria.

European breeders kept the breed from extinction, especially after the 2nd world war, and the first Chartreux were brought to the United States in 1971. In 1987 the Cat Fancier’s Asociation advanced the Chartreux breed to championship status.

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 Chartreux is a large, strong, stocky, muscular cat that can weigh anything between 4 to 7kg while some can weigh as much as 9kg.

He has short legs when compared to the large body. He is known for his blue-like, silver-gray coat. In fact, the color can be any shade in the region of blue-grey. The coat is short, dense and double-coated and he has gold or copper-colored eyes.

People who have owned these cats say that they can take 3 to 4 years to reach maturity. Some people get mixed up and think this cat is very similar to the British Blue but they are two different breeds altogether.

Temperament:

The Chartreux is a real lap-cat just loving being able to settle down into his human owner's lap. It’s a cat with a 'smiling’ face because of the structure of his muzzle.

He is a very affectionate cat and will follow his people much like a dog. He is very intelligent and quiet and adapts well to a new situation. It's a cat that loves to climb so you will need to invest in a climbing tree for him as well as a scratching pole.

He is a good cat for first-time cat owners as well as being a good friend in homes with well brought up children. He is able to be friendly with other pets in the house.

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.

Although this is a large, strong cat, he is actually a gentle feline in nature and he doesn’t like being part of any bickering among his human family, preferring to run away. He also doesn’t like being spoken harshly to when he has done something wrong.

This cat isn’t an extrovert by any means but he isn’t particularly shy either and enjoys spending time with his human family.

He isn’t a demanding cat but is easy-going, just wanting to get on in life and he promises to make you a steady, loyal 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.

These cats are particularly prone to dental problems. The reason for this is that their incisors are closely set together and small.

Because of the heaviness of this cat, the Chartreux is also prone to a disease known as patellar luxation or kneecap displacement. This problem can eventually lead to lameness. One way to avoid this particular problem is to rather get your kittens from reputable breeders.

These cats are much inclined towards weightiness so you have to be watching his diet carefully, more so because the cat is prone to patellar luxation.

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.

Your Chartreux cat’s dense, double coat will require brushing once or twice a week, especially in the cat’s seasonal shedding period.

This cat doesn't take well to changes in his diet, particularly when he finds a type of food that he likes, then he wants to stick to that. You want to feed your cat a top-quality food to encourage good health but you want to avoid overfeeding as obesity in cats comes with lots of problems. A cat is a carnivore and you therefore need to feed your cat a diet rich in protein. Speak to your vet or another cat expert who can advise you on feeding your cat if you are in any kind of doubt. Make sure your kitty kat has a never-ending supply of fresh, cool water.

Always make a point of checking inside your cat's ears as well as inside his mouth for bad teeth. Bad teeth can cause terrible pain and your pet has no way of communicating this to you.

Have your cat neutered or spayed if you don't want your cat to have kittens.

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.