Is My Kitty Possibly A Chantilly-tiffany?

Desmond2017

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I came across the rare cat breed of Chantilly Tiffany. I know they are super rare and no longer recognized as an official breed but the resemblance to my Desmond is uncanny and the description of their character is spot on. He loves snuggles, is always in the same room as me or my husband, is extremely vocal and intelligent and loves to play. People are always shocked by how much of a lap cat he is. He appears to be long haired with a very silky coat with little to no undercoat, puffy fur around his chest, green eyes, long hair in his ears, dark chocolate or black coat that fades to brown and then to a cream on his tummy. He chirps at birds and loves to be carried around like a baby and scratches at the door to any room we’re in if he get shut out with in minutes of being shut out.
 

jen

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It is fun to come up with breeds our cats resemble but the fact is that the majority of cats are of no specific breed ancestry. They are just a result of generation after generation of extremely mixed breeds and their attitudes and personalities are related so heavily to how they are raised that it really doesn't play much of a factor. Your cat is stunning however! I love black cats.
 

abyeb

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Desmond is gorgeous! His coat is so shiny! I would describe him as a black Domestic Longhair. Chantilly-Tiffany cats are actually an extinct breed.

See under “history”: Chantilly-Tiffany - Wikipedia
“In 2015, Norwegian breeder gave up on the Chantilly breeding program after the death of Frosty, and fixed her female Acey. As a result of this event, as far as it is known, the Chantilly is considered extinct.”

I think Maine Coon is probably Desmond’s closest breed lookalike.
 

Sporterwatson

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View attachment 273215 View attachment 273212 View attachment 273209 View attachment 273210 I came across the rare cat breed of Chantilly Tiffany. I know they are super rare and no longer recognized as an official breed but the resemblance to my Desmond is uncanny and the description of their character is spot on. He loves snuggles, is always in the same room as me or my husband, is extremely vocal and intelligent and loves to play. People are always shocked by how much of a lap cat he is. He appears to be long haired with a very silky coat with little to no undercoat, puffy fur around his chest, green eyes, long hair in his ears, dark chocolate or black coat that fades to brown and then to a cream on his tummy. He chirps at birds and loves to be carried around like a baby and scratches at the door to any room we’re in if he get shut out with in minutes of being shut out.
You cat is beautiful.
 

Monotail

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Desmond is very beautiful cat, but as noted elsewhere, the Chantilly-Tiffany as a breed no longer seems to exist. Pity that, they were gorgeous cats. Ah well, maybe someday somebody will recreate them.
 

Maria Bayote

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Oh my heart! Can I just say that I am totally smitten by Desmond?
 

zak2273

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Desmond is gorgeous! His coat is so shiny! I would describe him as a black Domestic Longhair. Chantilly-Tiffany cats are actually an extinct breed.

See under “history”: Chantilly-Tiffany - Wikipedia
“In 2015, Norwegian breeder gave up on the Chantilly breeding program after the death of Frosty, and fixed her female Acey. As a result of this event, as far as it is known, the Chantilly is considered extinct.”

I think Maine Coon is probably Desmond’s closest breed lookalike.
This isn't true because if you continue to read this Wikipedia page it also claims that the breed is likely not extinct as you can find several images of them on the internet. Officially they are considered a rare breed or possibly extinct, but here in Canada I've seen several cats that look very similar to Chantilly-Tiffany cats and very well could be just that!
 

lutece

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This isn't true because if you continue to read this Wikipedia page it also claims that the breed is likely not extinct as you can find several images of them on the internet. Officially they are considered a rare breed or possibly extinct, but here in Canada I've seen several cats that look very similar to Chantilly-Tiffany cats and very well could be just that!
Wikipedia isn't always the best source of information... Anyone can edit a Wikipedia page. It can be useful to look at the edit history, including the source of the information, and any references backing up their claims.

In this case, an anonymous person came along in July and added two statements claiming that the Chantilly-Tiffany is "around and thriving," without any supporting evidence other than "there are many pictures still around on the internet." From the content of the edits, I'm guessing that an anonymous Illinois resident decided their cat was a Chantilly-Tiffany based on looking at pictures on the internet.

(Click on the following images to enlarge them.)

Screen Shot 2020-08-24 at 4.34.52 PM.png
Screen Shot 2020-08-24 at 4.34.32 PM.png

Previous to these edits, back in April, a different anonymous person added a statement about their cat that they assume is a Chantilly-Tiffany, again without any evidence other than their belief about their rescued cat:

Screen Shot 2020-08-24 at 5.02.58 PM.png

Most pictures on the internet that are labeled "Chantilly-Tiffany" are actually black cats, like Desmond. It's normal for black cats, especially longhaired black cats, to have a brownish or grayish appearance. People see these pictures, assume they must have a Chantilly-Tiffany, and then post somewhere that their cat is one, too... and then other people see the pictures... etc, etc.

It's also possible for random-bred domestic longhairs to be chocolate in color, as the recessive chocolate allele is present in the domestic cat population. However, chocolate color doesn't mean that a random-bred domestic longhair is actually a "Chantilly-Tiffany" or "York Chocolate" (another chocolate longhaired breed from the past). Color doesn't make a breed.
 
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Thepinch

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View attachment 273215 View attachment 273212 View attachment 273209 View attachment 273210 I came across the rare cat breed of Chantilly Tiffany. I know they are super rare and no longer recognized as an official breed but the resemblance to my Desmond is uncanny and the description of their character is spot on. He loves snuggles, is always in the same room as me or my husband, is extremely vocal and intelligent and loves to play. People are always shocked by how much of a lap cat he is. He appears to be long haired with a very silky coat with little to no undercoat, puffy fur around his chest, green eyes, long hair in his ears, dark chocolate or black coat that fades to brown and then to a cream on his tummy. He chirps at birds and loves to be carried around like a baby and scratches at the door to any room we’re in if he get shut out with in minutes of being shut out.
 

Thepinch

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Yup.

Your cat is fluffy, friendly, fun loving. And loves to roll over. She also trills, chirps, and will also teach you tricks.

But the big tell is the lighter, chocolate coloured underbelly. This is unusual in any breed, but it's characteristic of the Chantilly Tiffany. She has a long body and a long tail.

CT's are a landrace (per Wikipedia). They are indigenous to our area. Meaning that they keep popping up. Rain and snow don't seem to bother them. They can climb anything. They also make great walking cats, goading you to follow them, and vice versa.

They are almost impossible to keep indoors. They will beat up other pets if kept indoors too long due to frustration. Outdoors they are territorial, even when fixed.

However they also make buddies of friendlier cats.

CT intelligence can rival a Siamese, but are less destructive. However, because they love to get out, you are well advised to get one chipped, fixed, tick and flea treated, and with maximum shots.
 
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