Chausie Description

The Chausie should present a picture of a wild jungle cat or a cougar. It is not a small cat, ranging anywhere from 15-30 pounds. The head of the Chausie is a modified wedge, medium in size with a long sloping forehead and high cheekbones that meet a strong muzzle and chin. The eyes should be medium in size, slightly flattened and oval. Eye color should be yellow or gold, though hazel and light green are allowed. The ears should be tall and large, set close together on the top of the head with small tufts. The body should be long, lean and muscular. This is an athletic cat and it should be seen in the build. Legs should be moderate in length; well-muscled, with medium boning and built for running and leaping. Feet should appear small in proportion to the rest of the animal. The coat should be an agouti or ticked coat, long enough to accommodate at least two bands of ticking. It should be dense, with a soft undercoat and coarse overcoat. The only coat colors permitted are black, brown ticked tabby, and black grizzled tabby.

Chausie Temperament

The Chausie is an incredibly active and athletic cat, known for being loyal. They will bond closely to the person they pick as their own. Intelligent and curious, they will get into everything and anything possible. From standing, a Chausie can leap up to heights of six feet, so it is wise to keep breakables locked away. They love to be in the middle of things, supervising from the center of activity. They are not a breed that does well alone. When provided outlets for energy, the Chausie is a loving and enjoyable breed.

Chausie Care

The Chausie is a large cat that requires space and activity. They are also prone to digestive problems and some may be gluten-intolerant, requiring special food. Regular check-ups are a good way to make sure any such problems are kept under control.

Chausie History

The Chausie (pronounced Chow-see) is a hybrid of the domestic cat (Felix silvestris catus) and the Jungle Cat (Felix chaus). They have retained the look of the Jungle Cat worshiped by the ancient Egyptians. The breed was started in the late 1960's as an alternative for those who had an interest in exotics and were attempting to raise dangerous breeds, such as tigers, in their homes. In the beginning a number of domestic breeds were used as outcrosses, but TICA now only accepts those outbreed to Abyssinians and domestic shorthairs. Generations from the original pairing are marked as F1, F2, F3, F4, etc. The offspring of a Jungle Cat and domestic short hair are F1. Males from cross-genotype breeding tend to be sterile, but females are bred to domestics and create the F2 generation. This will continue till the male sterility is over come, usually by the F4 generation, and two Chausie can be bred together to create the truly domestic animal with wild coloring. The breed is not recognized by the CFA, but Chausies may be shown in the Advanced Breed category of TICA.