October’s Eight : Chantilly-Tiffany

Our favorite cat is a long-haired black cat that looks downright brown in the spring. She isn’t brown, not in the way that the Chantill-Tiffany was brown. But every time I see her in the sun, I think of how wonderful it is that Adelaide has a kind of brown long haired cat.

The Chantilly-Tiffany cat – a now extinct breed - was a long haired all brown cat with yellow to orange eyes. The breed was created by a woman in an undisclosed New York State town and was mostly found on the east coast. Known for its amicability, the Chantilly-Tiffany had a reputation for being a good cat all around.

Due to low population, the Chantilly-Tiffany lost recognition by the ACA in the late 80’s and was no longer maintained as a breed after that.

One the episode of Cats 101 where we learned about the Chantilly-Tiffany, one owner stated that their cat just walked up the driveway to the front door and made himself at home. What a lucky family.

While there’s no replacing the Chantilly-Tiffany, at least Adelaide has her own version, something that ties her to all of the Chantilly-Tiffany owners of yore. Something that says, “you too are a rare bird.”