A rare, richly coloured semi-longhair known for its gentle nature and soft, trilling 'conversation'. The Chantilly-Tiffany bonds deeply with its family and prefers calm company to high-energy chaos.
- Origin
- United States
- Category
- longhair
- Lifespan
- 14–16 yrs
- Size
- Medium
- Weight
- 3.5–5.5 kg
- Coat
- Semi-long, silky single coat with no undercoat
- Colours
- Originally chocolate; now also lilac, blue, cinnamon and fawn
😺 Temperament
🏡 Best suited to
📊 Personality ratings
📜 History & origin
The breed began in 1967 when a New York couple acquired two chocolate-coated longhaired kittens of unknown origin. For decades it was confused with the Burmese-derived 'Tiffany' and nearly died out, before dedicated breeders revived it under the combined name Chantilly-Tiffany. It is now one of the rarest cat breeds in the world, with only a small number of breeders maintaining the line, and is not recognised by most major registries.
🧼 Care & grooming
The silky, undercoat-free coat resists matting and needs only weekly brushing to stay glossy. Chantilly-Tiffanys are sensitive, people-oriented cats that dislike being left alone for long periods and thrive with steady companionship or a second pet. They communicate constantly with soft chirps and trills, and reward gentle attention with intense loyalty.
🩺 Health notes
With a small but carefully managed gene pool, the Chantilly-Tiffany has no widely documented breed-specific hereditary diseases and is generally long-lived and robust. As with any rare breed, working with a responsible breeder, keeping vaccinations and parasite control current, and monitoring dental and weight health are the keys to a long life.
📸 Chantilly-Tiffany photos
Photographs from Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences.