These disappeared until post-World War II, with the most likely explanation that the Siamese Cat Club of Britain discouraged their breeding.

The breed continued to develop in the UK and became known as the Chestnut Brown Oriental and retained the Siamese conformation.

It became necessary to utilise other breeds for genetic outcross and the phenotype began to evolve and develop into a different look than what the original breeders in England had intended.

Soon, the Chestnut Brown cat was being produced in many colours, known just as Oriental with a numeric system to designate the coat colour.In the US, the imported kittens continued to be crossbred with the chocolate and seal point Siamese, producing only chocolate or pointed offspring, with the breeders selectively breeding for only self brown kittens.

This American bred version was moderate in every way, with a rich, warm mahogany colour that consistently produced like offspring.

In 1964, the Havana Brown was accepted for Championship status in the world's largest feline registry, the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA).

The Havana Brown is a well balanced, moderately sized, muscular short-haired cat with a body of average length.

The Havana Brown is an intelligent cat that often uses its paws both to examine objects and to communicate with its owners.

It is not unheard of for a Havana Brown to place paws on someone's thigh and offer a meow of introduction.

On the other hand, many Havana Browns prefer to ride on the shoulders of their human and help with daily activities.

They love to play in and groom hair - it happens so frequently that there are Havana Brown owners who don't even notice their cat doing it until it is pointed out by an observer.

Many owners also find it surprising how easily they can travel with their Havana Brown without the cat's objection.

A gentle brushing and wipe with a damp cloth once or twice a week, along with a good quality diet, will suffice for Havana Browns.