York Chocolate Cat Breed Information

Group

Short Haired

Weight

4.5-7.25 kg

Length

20.32-25 cm

Lifespan

13-15 years

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About the York Chocolate Cat

Reviewed by:

Dr. Cristina Alice Vulpe

Veterinarian

York Chocolate Cats were a show cat breed that has been considered extinct for several years. 2016, the last registered breeder, Debbie Reber, decided to give up her breeding status.

Named in homage to New York City, York Chocolate Cats gained limited popularity in the U.S. and Italy, known as Il Gatto Cioccolato. Despite this, the breed was never widely recognised.

The cat’s deep brown fur resembled chocolate (hence the name), and their coats were extremely fluffy. Although you may not be able to find an official York Chocolate today, it is possible to find similar cats that have come about through random crossbreeding. This breed guide will tell you everything you need to know about this former feline rarity.

What Is the History & Origin of the York Chocolate Cat?

York Chocolates originated in Grafton, New York, where they were invented by Janet Chiefari, a goat farmer, in 1983. She created a litter of cats from two long-haired cats, one with black hair and the other with black and white hair. It is thought that one of these cats was of Siamese ancestry, which explains why one of the kittens came out chocolate brown: Brownie.

The following year, Brownie produced their own litter, and the York Chocolate breed was established. Chiefari began her own breeding program, and others around New York and elsewhere in the U.S. followed. This led to the Cat Fanciers’ Federation of New England accepting York Chocolate Cats as an ‘experimental breed’ in 1990.

Throughout the 90s, the cat received other small recognitions, including the German World Cat Federation in Germany, which recognised the breed simply as ‘York’. Despite the attention the breed received, it was never recognised by any major international cat fanciers, such as the International Cat Association.

The breed also went international through the 90s, which saw the forming of the International York Chocolate Federation (IYCF) breed club in Italy. This breed club has been inactive since 2004 as interest in the chocolate brown dog began to wane.

The last registered breed club has been inactive since 2016, leading many to consider the breed to be extinct, although some surviving York Chocolate cats may remain.

What Is a York Chocolate Cat Breed?

York Chocolates were known for being lap cats who had a lot of time for their owners. They were also known for their mouse catching capabilities, and a lot of their energy was spent keeping homes vermin-free.

Who Is a York Chocolate Cat Best For?

If you live in the countryside and mice frequently visit you, a York Chocolate would have been a good choice to keep your house free from vermin completely.

Like most cats, they thrived most of all when their owners were home, so they preferred stay-at-home parents to parents who went out to work every day. However, they didn’t require their owner’s undivided attention and had an independence streak.

They were also a good choice for those who already have a number of other pets, as York Cholates displayed no real jealousy when another cat was getting attention.

Although they required a lot of exercises, it wasn’t down to the owner to provide them with constant entertainment, walks, and playtime. They could easily burn off all the energy they had on a cat tree. For this reason, they were a good breed for stay-at-home workers who can’t commit to a daily walk.

What Does a York Chocolate Cat Look Like?

York Chocolates had a muscular build reminiscent of a farm cat. They had particularly long bodies for being the offspring of two short-haired cats, potentially due to their Siamese ancestry. They were pretty big cats with a body size of somewhere between medium and large. York Chocolates also had a notably short neck, a rounded chest, and heavy bones.

They had a medium-sized tail, medium-long coat, large eyes (typically of a gold, hazel, or green hue), and long hind legs. Their ears were pointed, large in size, and tilted towards the front of their head.

Coat

York Chocolate cats had fluffy coats that were medium-long in size. These coats had a soft texture and were often described as being silky. The length of the coat made their upper legs, sides, and back particularly hairy.

Colours

Most York Chocolate cats came in a rich dark chocolate colour, which sometimes was so dark that it appeared black. Their coats also sometimes came with hints of lavender and white, combining to make unique shades.

You would rarely find a chocolate brown kitten; their coats took a while to mature and started a lot lighter in colour.

Patterns

York Chocolate cats almost always came in a solid chocolate colour, but you’d sometimes find some with pure white bellies.

York Chocolate Cat Grooming & Shedding

Their long coats could easily get entangled in several places if left alone for long enough. For this reason, it was recommended that owners comb their York Chocolates 2-3 times per week, depending on the cat. All long-haired cats shed somewhat, but not as much as other pets.

How Do York Chocolate Cats Behave? A Look at Their Temperament and Personality

York Chocolate Cats were described as being an even-tempered breed that would spend just as much time relaxing as they would climbing and running at top speed.

Like a lot of cat breeds, a York Chocolate Cat would grow more reserved the older they got. When young, they were really high energy and keen to play with their owners. As they grew older, they had less interest in play.

Living Needs

Being hunter cats, York Chocolates enjoyed a large garden most of all. Generally, they thrived mostly in bigger spaces than small ones and needed plenty of free space to run and play.

What Are Common Habits and Activity Levels of York Chocolate Cats?

Habits

Although they were great for pest control, York Chocolate cats would run after any small animal that they came across. This meant that they were somewhat of a threat to other smaller pets; this habit could be controlled through positive reinforcement. If you encouraged a York Chocolate Cat not to chase smaller pets, they would eventually learn to stop.

A lap cat by nature, York Chocolates would quickly get into the habit of crawling up on their owner’s lap whenever they felt sleepy. Owners would also find often York Chocolates cuddled up beside them in the mornings.

Lastly, York Chocolates also liked to follow owners from room to room and monitor what they were doing. They seemed to derive some level of pleasure from just watching your complete simple routine tasks!

Activity Level

They enjoyed independent exploring, especially if this exploring involved climbing. A York Chocolate only really needed a decent sized cat tree to blow some steam on. York Chocolate cats also liked playing with owners and were particularly fond of chasing lasers.

Vocalness

York Chocolate cats were particularly vocal in a company that they were familiar with. If they were in a good mood, they’d purr quite a lot and meow occasionally. Their vocalness was only minimal and wasn’t irritating for owners.

What Is the Weight, Height, and Size of a York Chocolate Cat?

Height

The average height of a York Chocolate cat was between 20.32cm and 25cm.

Weight

A healthy weight for a York Chocolate cat was between 4.5kg and 7.25kg.

Size

The body size of a York Chocolate cat was medium-large.

Are York Chocolate Cats Easy to Train?

Training a York Chocolate cat was noted to be more difficult than with other cat breeds, mainly due to their independent nature. Although intelligent, they weren’t too attentive to what you were asking them to do, and the timeframe necessary to effectively train them took longer.

Although it was possible, they were a distinctly difficult dog breed to train.

Does the York Chocolate Cat Have Any Common Health Issues?

Given the short period they were bred for, main breeding clubs, like the International York Chocolate Federation, we’re unable to identify any distinctive or unique health issues. Given that they came from two longhaired black dogs, it makes sense to assume that York Chocolates inherited the same good health and genes as their ancestors.

Long-haired dogs don’t suffer from any health issues in particular but could still suffer from common cat health issues such as arthritis, cancer, and upper respiratory infection.

What Is the Lifespan of a York Chocolate Cat?

If a York Chocolate ate well and received plenty of exercises, they could live between 13 and 15 years.

How Much Does a York Chocolate Cat Need to Be Fed?

Like most cat breeds, York Chocolate cats were natural carnivores and required a steady diet of meat in the form of both wet and dry meals. Two meals per day kept them going strong, with the portion sizes dependent on the size of the cat itself.

How Much Can You Expect to Pay for a York Chocolate Cat in Australia?

Finding a York Chocolate cat in Australia can be quite challenging, as this breed is relatively rare and primarily bred in the United States. Consequently, there are limited registered breeders locally. Given their scarcity, you should be prepared to budget at least $1,000 or more if you do come across one for sale.

York Chocolate Cat FAQs

Are York Chocolate cats a rare breed?

Given that there are currently no registered York Chocolate cat breeders anywhere in the world, finding a cat that matches their description would be incredibly lucky. The existence of the York Chocolate cat breed today would be the result of random crossbreeding.

How do you identify a York Chocolate cat?

If you believe you’ve come across a York Chocolate, you can mainly use the fur to determine what breed it is. A York Chocolate coat is chocolate brown, lavender, or a mix of both colours, appears glossy, and feels plush to touch.

Are York Chocolate cats hypoallergenic?

York Chocolate cats would shed their fur somewhat, meaning that they were not hypoallergenic. Like all cats, they also produced Fel d 1 in their saliva.