York Chocolate
Country of origin
United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Breed standards (external links)
CCA

The York Chocolate Cat is a new American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 breed of show cat

Show cat

A show cat is one that has been judged to be close to the physical ideal for its breed standard at a cat show...

, with a long, fluffy coat and a tapered tail and most of them are chocolate. The first part of its name is taken from New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

 state, where it was bred in 1983. This breed was created by color-selecting domestic longhaired cat

Domestic longhaired cat

A domestic longhaired cat is a cat fancy term used to describe a cat with medium or long fur that is not a pedigreed member of a recognized breed. Domestic longhairs come in all the standard cat colours including tabby, tortie, bi-colored, smoke etc...

s, and as the name suggests, all members of this breed are solid chocolate or lilac, chocolate and white, or lilac and white (see bicolor cat

Bicolor cat

A bicolor cat has white fur combined with fur of some other color, for example black or tabby. There are various patterns of bicolor cat. These range from Van pattern through to solid color with a throat locket...

). The breed is not yet widely recognized by breeders and the Cat Fanciers' Association

Cat Fanciers' Association

The Cat Fanciers' Association was established in the United States in 1906 and is the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats and the predominant pedigreed cat registering association in North America...

.

Description

The York Chocolate cat is a medium to large cat with a rounded head and a moderately long muzzle. They have large, almond-shaped eyes that are either gold or green. Their bodies are slender and mid-way between the Oriental and foreign types, with long necks. The cats have full, tapered tails, tufted feet, and sometimes ruffs. The coat is semi-longhaired and very fine. It is either solid chocolate, solid lilac, white and chocolate, or white and lilac. The kittens are much lighter, and tabby markings and tipping is acceptable until the kitten reaches eighteen months of age.

Personality

The York Chocolate Cat is a very friendly, even-tempered breed that is very content as a lap cat. They love to be held and cuddled. The cats are intelligent, energetic, and curious, happily following their owner around. They are good companions and good hunters. They seem to be enamored with water.

History

The breed was created by Janet Chiefari in 1983. The father was a black longhaired cat and the mother was a longhaired black and white cat. Their Siamese

Siamese (cat)

The Siamese is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Oriental cat. The origins of the breed are unknown, but it is believed to be from Thailand. In Thailand, where they are one of several native breeds, they are called Wichian Mat...

ancestors created the brown coloring in one kitten: Brownie. Brownie had a litter that subsequent summer with a black longhaired tom. There were two kittens in the litter: a chocolate male and a white and chocolate female. Upon noticing similarities in coat and body types, Chiefari began her own breeding program.

In March 1990, the Cat Fanciers Federation and the American Cat Fanciers Association recognized York Chocolates as an experimental cat breed. In March 1992, the breed was also given CFF Championship status. It was granted Champion status by the Canadian Cat Association in March 1995, as well.