Chantilly-Tiffany
A semi longhaired chocolate cat that was declared extinct twice and brought back both times. Quiet, and it chirps rather than meows.
Overview
The Chantilly has been declared extinct twice and is still here, which is the most interesting thing about it. It began with two chocolate longhaired kittens bought in New York in 1967, was written off in the 1970s, revived, written off again, and persists in very small numbers.
It is a semi longhaired cat with a silky single coat, traditionally chocolate, with gold eyes that deepen with age. It is unrelated to the British Tiffanie despite the name overlap.
Temperament
Quiet, gentle and devoted. Chantillies are affectionate without being demanding and they communicate in chirps and trills rather than meows.
They attach strongly to their people and are reserved with strangers. They are moderately active, they enjoy company, and they do not do well left alone for long stretches.
Care and grooming
The single silky coat has no undercoat, so it does not mat and a weekly comb is enough.
The real issue is the gene pool. A breed this rare, revived twice from tiny numbers, carries the risks that go with that, and there is not enough population to have produced good data on breed specific disease. That uncertainty is itself worth knowing.
Living and exercise
A quiet household where somebody is usually home. They are indoor cats and they want company.
Eleven to fifteen years is the usual expectation. Availability is the practical obstacle: there are very few breeders and the waiting is measured in years rather than months.
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