How now brown...cat? A guide to brown cat breeds

Ever seen an all-brown cat? Well, as it turns out, there are quite a few fascinating felines furballs that come in a variety of brown coat colors. While all cats are beautiful, with or without fur, you might be smitten with a kitten once you’ve seen these beautiful breeds of brown cats.

Popular breeds of brown cats

Havana Brown Cat (AKA Swiss Mountain Cat)

The first furry friend on our list is the Havana Brown Cat, a cat breed that only comes in with a solid chocolate brown coat color. Alongside their glossy brown coats, the Havan Cat has striking green eyes that work beautifully against its luxurious coat. These kitties are born chique and maqnificque!

They’re a relatively young breed, first appearing in England in the 1950s. It’s not completely clear where their name comes from, one idea is they’re named after Havana rabbits which share a similar coat color. 

Paw-sonality wise, these guys are affectionate, high energy, cheeky, and love being around humans. These brown cats are easy to groom and medium in size.

Siamese Cat

Speaking of medium-sized felines who are affectionate and cheeky, we can’t forget the Siamese Cat. Similar in appearance to Havana Brown Cats with their angular faces, slender bodies, and striking eye color, these elegant purr-babies can come in a variety of brown coat colors, ranging from a dusting of cocoa to a darker warm brown.

Intelligent and tolerant, these cats are great with kids and dogs, make excellent lap cats, and are superb morning alarm clocks. The Siamese Cat like their humans to know where they are all the time every day, even when they’re in the same room together.

Seal Point Siamese

Unsurprisingly, the Seal Point Siamese stems from our aforementioned feline friends above. The difference? Those ears! Seal Point Siamese appear to have their large triangular ears on the side of their head, giving them the appearance of a seal. They share all the same charming traits as their Siamese siblings and make an excellent addition to families who are often around the home.

Burmese Cat

The beautiful Burmese Cat originates from Burma/Myanmar (hence the name). Like the Havana Brown Cat, these fluffs only come in a brown coat color which is often a dark chocolate brown. Their round faces and bright eyes give off a very expressive face and one that enjoys watching their humans go about their day.

Despite the glare of judgment, the Burmese Cat is very affectionate, and relaxed and makes paw-some family felines. Their temperament often means they’re friendly to visitors while remaining loyal to their humans.

Oriental Shorthair

Another brown cat breed originating from England in the 1950s (what a decade for the UK!), the Oriental Shorthair is a mix of Siamese Cat, Russian Blue, Abyssinian Cat, and British Shorthair Cats. The result - a gorgeously silky and friendly furball in a varying shade of brown cat coats while keeping the Seal Point Siamese ears. Beautiful! Smart and people-orientated, they’ll be just as happy in sociable households as quiet ones with a human who’s regularly at home.

Bengal Cats

Often mistaken for being part wild cat, the Bengal is easy to pick out from a crowd. Not only are their brown coats a distinctive spotted pattern like a leopard, but they can often grow to weigh up to 15 pounds.

While the Bengal can be affectionate, pet parents often underestimate how active these kitties are. As well as being very smart, they require a lot of exercise and stimulation each day. Because of their price tag (around $3000 per kitten), many humans choose to keep them as indoor cats - if so, pet parents must be prepared to entertain their cats throughout the day with plenty of toys, climbing areas, and scratch posts. Otherwise, these mini-leopards become bored and destructive.

Abyssinian Cats

Another kitty with a distinctive coat, the Abyssinian has a dusty brown coat with light smudges around their almond-shaped eyes and under their chins. Abyssinian Cats can come in small and medium-sized but are packed with energy and playfulness. While they’ll need regular mental and physical stimulation, these fluffs are known to be friendly and patient kitties.

Singapura Cat

This isn’t one of our paw-some puns, this is a genuine brown cat breed. These kitties are bicolor cats meaning their fur has a sepia-tone effect. As the smallest cat breed on our list, these little fluffs pack a big personality that likes to rule the home and is not shy to ask for attention. If you’re happy to fit around their schedules, they can be very cuddly and are known to love their humans dearly.

Toyger

Again, this isn’t a putty pun or a poor spelling mistake from our copywriters, this is another breed of brown cat. However, they do resemble tiny tigers with their unusual dark stripes against warm brown fur. Like the Bengal, these felines are very outgoing and high energy so need lots to do throughout the day. While smaller and fluffier than a Bengal, they do share the same gorgeous green eyes and loud meow.

Brown Tabby Cat

This is a cheeky one as a brown Tabby Cat is not a breed, in fact, Tabby Cat only refers to a kitty’s coat type, not their breed. Arguably thought of as the quiet sensual cat coat color, the Tabby comes in a variety of colors but most commonly brown. Found in numerous breeds around the globe, the Tabby Cat is possibly one of the oldest coat patterns on a domesticated cat with origins stemming from Ancient Egypt.

Tortoiseshell Cats

Just like tabbies, Tortoiseshells or Torties are a coat type that can be found in a variety of cat breeds. These brown cats come in a distinctive mottled brown pattern which is unique to each Tortie. While this coat color can be found on many different breeds, there is a tendency for this coat to appear on smaller-sized cats, mostly because 99% of all Torties are female, and therefore smaller. 

Ever heard of Tortitude? Well, these kitties also have a reputation for being sassy and independent and like their households run in a certain way. Despite this, they are affectionate and love to chatter with their humans making them great company. 

Are you the cat carer of one of these brown cat breeds? Connect with other pet parents on our Community Forum to discuss cat antics with other feline fanatics. Or perhaps you need a cat sitter soon? Check out which cat sitters are currently available in your area who would love to care for your kitty when you’re next away from home.