York chocolate
The York Chocolate was developed in New York State from 1983 by Janet Chiefari, who bred from farm cats after a litter produced a solid chocolate-brown longhaired kitten.
The breed was named for the state and for its colour, which was restricted to solid chocolate and lavender.
It weighed 4.5 to 7 kilograms, with a semi-long silky coat, a plumed tail and gold or green eyes. It was recognised by a small number of registries in the 1990s and reportedly had an affectionate, sociable temperament with a fondness for following people about. Breeding ceased and the breed is now considered extinct or very nearly so — no active breeding programme is known.
- Origin
- New York State, United States, from 1983, from farm cats
- Size
- 4.5–7 kg
- Lifespan
- 13–15 years
- Coat
- Semi-long and silky, in solid chocolate or lavender
- Status
- Considered extinct; no known active breeding
- Temperament
- Reported as affectionate and people-following
Related: British longhair · Domestic longhair · Havana brown · Oriental longhair
2 york chocolate photos, newest first
Living with a york chocolate
There is very likely no such cat to buy. The York Chocolate has no known active breeding programme, and a longhaired brown cat offered under the name today is almost certainly an unregistered domestic longhair — which may be an excellent cat, but should be priced and described as one.
If you want a solid chocolate cat with a documented breed behind it, the Havana Brown is short-coated and real, and a chocolate British Longhair or Oriental Longhair covers the longhaired case.
The breed's history is a useful reminder that a recognised breed can disappear within a generation when a founder stops and no one else takes it up.
For any semi-longhaired cat of unknown ancestry, ordinary care applies: brushing twice a week, neutering, vaccination, dental attention and annual checks.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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