Editing York Chocolate

{{refimprove |date=November 2012}}
{{Infobox cat breed 
 |name=York Chocolate
 |image=York_Chocolate.jpg
 |imagecaption=
 |altname=York<ref name="WCF std" />
 |nickname=
 |country=United States
 |ticastd= 
 |fifestd= 
 |wcfstd=http://www.wcf-online.de/WCF-EN/standard/semi-longhair/york.html
 |cfastd= 
 |ffestd= http://www.bavarian-cfa.de/data/ffe/standard/yorkchoc_e.htm
 |cccastd=
 |acfstd= 
 |gccfstd= 
 |ccastd=
 |nzcfstd= 
 |saccstd= 
 |aacestd= 
 |acfastd= 
 |cffstd= 
 |otherstd=IYCF breed club [https://web.archive.org/web/20090802010207/http://iycf.org/home/standard.htm standard]
 |note=
}}  
The '''York Chocolate''' (or simply '''York''') is an uncommon [[United States|American]] [[Cat breeds|breed]] of [[show cat]], with a long, fluffy coat and a tapered tail and most of them were mostly or entirely chocolate-brown or the dilute form of brown, known as lavender. The breed was named after [[New York (state)|New York]] state, where it was established in 1983. This breed was created by color-selecting [[domestic long-haired cat]]s of mixed ancestry.  The breed is not widely recognized by [[Cat registry|cat registries]]. It is not recognized by the major organizations such as The International Cat Association (TICA), the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA – North America) or Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe - Europe).  

As “Il Gatto Cioccolato” it found favour in Italy and the International York Chocolate Federation (IYCF) was founded there in 2003. The IYCF claimed affiliation with the German Feline Federation Europe (FFE)/Bavarian Cat Fanciers' Association (BCFA), which published a standard (minus colour information) in 2004. It also claimed affiliation with the Russian World Felinological Federation (WFF), although the latter does not recognize the York Chocolate as breed.

==History==
The breed was created by Janet Chiefari in 1983. The father was a black longhaired cat and the mother was a longhaired black and white cat.{{cn|date=February 2024}} Their [[Siamese (cat)|Siamese]] ancestors created the brown coloring in one kitten: Brownie. Brownie had a litter that subsequent summer with a black longhaired tom. There were two kittens in the litter: a chocolate male and a white and chocolate female. Upon noticing similarities in coat and body types, Chiefari began her own breeding program.{{cn|date=February 2024}}

The breed is recognized, under the shorter name York, by the recently founded [[World Cat Federation]] based in Germany, and with some differences from previously published standards,<ref name="WCF std">{{cite web |url=http://www.wcf-online.de/WCF-EN/standard/semi-longhair/york.html |title=Breed Standards: York |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by line.--> |date=January 1, 2010 |work=WCF-Online.de |publisher=World Cat Federation (WFC) |location=Essen, Germany |access-date=March 5, 2013 |archive-date=August 26, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826101122/http://wcf-online.de/WCF-EN/standard/semi-longhair/york.html }} A [[Portable Document Format|PDF]] version [http://www.wcf-online.de/WCF-EN/library/YOR_en_2010-01-01.pdf is available] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304051521/http://www.wcf-online.de/WCF-EN/library/YOR_en_2010-01-01.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }}.</ref> most of which seem to be lost.  The breed is not recognized by any major, long-established international [[Cat fancy|cat fancier]] organizations, such as [[The International Cat Association]] (TICA), the [[Cat Fanciers' Association]] (CFA) or [[Fédération Internationale Féline]] (FIFe), nor even US national groups such as the [[American Cat Fanciers Association]] (ACFA).  In March 1990, the [[Cat Fanciers' Federation]] of the [[New England]] area of the US recognized York Chocolates as an "experimental" cat breed, and allegedly gave it championship status within the group in March 1992, but publishes no breed standard or any other information about the breed today.<ref name="CFF no std">The Cat Fanciers' Federation (CFF) mentions the breed name in its [http://cffinc.org/pages/cff-breeds.php list of breeds] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100814163923/http://cffinc.org/pages/cff-breeds.php |date=August 14, 2010 }}, but provides no information about it at all, not even its status, much less a breed standard.</ref> It was supposedly granted champion status by the [[Canadian Cat Association]] in March 1995, as well,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.petmd.com/cat/breeds/c_ct_york_chocolate|title=York Chocolate|website=www.petmd.com|access-date=2020-03-24}}</ref> but while the CCA published a breed standard in 1995,<ref name="CCA std">{{cite web|url=http://www.cca-afc.com/en/BreedStandards/york%20chocolate.pdf |title=York Chocolate |date=January 28, 1995 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |work=CCA-AFC.com |publisher=Canadian Cat Association (CCA) |location=Mississauga, Ontario, Canada |access-date=March 5, 2013 |archive-date=February 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110206091321/http://www.cca-afc.com/en/BreedStandards/york%20chocolate.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> {{as of|March 2013|lc=y}}, the organization no longer advertises it, and it includes outdated wording.<ref name="CCA no std">The Canadian Cat Association (CCA) has [http://www.cca-afc.com/en/showcase/desc/york_chocolate.html a placeholder page for the breed] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070425012915/http://www.cca-afc.com/en/showcase/desc/york_chocolate.html |date=April 25, 2007 }} on their website, but it is empty of content. The PDF version, cited above, includes references to 2004 cut-off dates for outbreeding, as if still in the future.</ref>

A small [[breed club]], the International York Chocolate Federation (IYCF) was founded in Italy, but seems to have been dormant since 2004.<ref name="IYCF">{{cite web |url= http://www.iycf.org/home/Ehome.htm |title=Federation |year=2003 |work=IYCF.org |publisher=International York Chocolate Federation (IYCF) |location=Aramengo and Rivoli Veronese, Italy |access-date=March 5, 2013 |archive-date=February 16, 2009 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090216215845/http://www.iycf.org/home/Ehome.htm}}</ref> It claims affiliation with [[Feline Federation Europe]] (FFE), which since 2004 publishes a York Chocolate standard (missing the color information)<ref name="FFE std">{{cite web |url= http://www.bavarian-cfa.de/data/ffe/standard/yorkchoc_e.htm |title=York Chocolate |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=May 17, 2004 |work=FFE Homepage |publisher=Feline Federation Europe (FFE)/Bavarian Cat Fanciers' Association (BCFA) |location=Nürnberg, Germany |access-date=March 5, 2013 |archive-date=September 23, 2015 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150923182716/http://www.bavarian-cfa.de/data/ffe/standard/yorkchoc_e.htm }}</ref> and the [[World Felinological Federation]] (WFF), a Russian group, which does not recognize this breed.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|York Chocolate}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130722103004/http://yorkchocolate.org/ YorkChocolate.org], a website devoted to the breed
*[http://messybeast.com/york-chocolate.htm York Chocolate] with early pedigree and history.

[[Category:Cat breeds]]
[[Category:Cat breeds originating in the United States]]