Chausie Cat

The Chausie is a tall, statuesque cat, upright in stance, medium to large in size, and retains a strong resemblance to its ancestor the Jungle Cat.

Chausie Behavior/Personality

Do you hunger for a touch of the wild in your cat? The Chausie may be the breed for you. Picture if you can, the grace, size, and exotic aura of a wild jungle cat, combined with the temperament of a domestic cat, and you have something resembling the Chausie. The ideal Chausie has been described as "fearless, but not aggressive."

However, if you do not have the time to devote yourself to the attention and care of a large, active cat, or you prefer antique china to earthenware, you might want to look elsewhere for a cat. As with any other cat, the commitment to a Chausie should be a lifetime one.

Chausie Breed Standard/Physical Description

The Chausie's body is large, with heavy boning, full broad chest and strong musculature, with moderately long legs. Colors include black, black smoke to shade of silver, black with silver ticking, ticked golden to reddish fawn with darker markings on ears, legs and tail. Otherwise the body is virtually free of markings.

Chausie History

The first Chausies were Jungle Cat hybrids, and were bred in the late 60's and early 70's. These early hybrids were created to offer those interested in exotic cats a more reasonable alternative to the often ill-fated attempts to make pets out of wild animals. Many different domestic cats were used in the beginning, but at the current time, the only permissible outcrosses are the Abyssinian and the domestic shorthair.

The Chausie was given foundation registry status in The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1995. In February 2001 the breed was advanced to Evaluation status (effective May 1, 2002). In May 2003, the Chausie achieved 'Advanced New Breed' status and now competes in the Advanced new Breed (ANB) rings in TICA shows. ANB is the level prior to a new breed becoming a Championship Breed - the Chausie is currently working towards this goal.