York Chocolate

A relatively new breed of cat, York Chocolate cat was discovered as early as 1983. It has been named after the state of New York, where it was first bred, and chocolate, the most common color of its coat. Boasting of a long, fluffy coat and a plumed tail, the cat was created by color-selecting domestic longhaired cats. Having a friendly and even-tempered nature, York Chocolate cat is liked by those who have a big family. They approve good companions and love to be pampered and petted by their owners.

History
York Chocolate cat has a recent history and traces back its origin to America. In 1983, Janet Chiefari's farm cat (longhaired and black and white in color) gave birth to a litter, after mating with a black longhaired cat, which included one brown kitten, named Brownie. Brownie had a litter the next summer, with black longhaired cat, which included Minky, a longhaired black male. In 1985, Brownie and Minky were mated and they produced two kittens - one of them was a chocolate male and the other was a chocolate and white female.

Janet noticed a consistency in the body and coat of the two kittens (of Brownie and Minky) and initiated a breeding program. Soon, she named the breed as York Chocolate, York after her home state of New York and Chocolate after the breed's characteristic coloring. In March 1990, the Cat Fanciers Federation (CFF) and the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) recognized York Chocolates as an experimental cat breed. The breed was given Championship status by CFF in March 1992 and by Canadian Cat Association (CCA) in March 1995.

Appearance
York Chocolate cat is medium to large in size, with a rounded head. It has a big-boned and muscular body. Its muzzle is moderately long, while the neck is also long and the ears are large and pointed (tilting forward). The eyes are almond-shaped and big in size, with the color being either green or gold. York Chocolate cats have big fluffy tails. Their feet are tufted and, at times, you can find them with a modest neck ruff as well. The fine coat is semi-longhaired and is solid chocolate, solid lavender, white and chocolate or white and lavender in color.

Personality
York Chocolate cats are energetic and full of life. They are curious by nature and display an intelligent disposition. They constantly monitor the activities of their owners and also like to be held and cuddled. In fact, they can easily be categorized as lap cats. These cats are known to have a fascination with water. York Chocolates are quite sociable and do not lose their temper easily. They bond well with humans and can often be seen following their owner around the house, at time looking for some mischievous activity to indulge in. These cats display companionable characteristics and are known to be good hunters.