Chausie Cat Breed Description

Active: Chausie cats are highly active cats that will keep you on your toes. They love to use their athletic bodies to run, jump, and play.

Size: Chausie cats are large in size, ranging in weight from 15 - 25 pounds.

Characteristics: Chausies have an incredibly athletic and muscular build. That, coupled with their large bodies make them look like their wild ancestors, ready to prowl the jungle and pounce at a moment's notice. Their deep chest and long, rectangular body is lithe with flat sides. Their long and strong legs make them quite adept at running and leaping. Chausies, with a wedge-shaped head and square muzzle, paired with high pronounced cheek bones and prominent chin, the striking facial features are sure to draw attention and intrigue anyone. The Chausie breed has wide-based ears that are quite prominent. They sit upright and taper to make slightly rounded points. Their coat is only recognized in three colors: brown ticked tabby, solid black, and black grizzled ticked tabby. The hair shaft itself is banded, starting lighter closer to the skin and gradually getting darker.

Temperament: Chausie cats descend from wild roots and that can be seen in their temperament. They are very active, love to play, are very friendly and apt to socializing. They do form a tight bond with their owner and prefer to spend their time with the ones they love most but are happy to meet new people as well. While Chausies may demand attention they also freely give out love and affection. They love to be in an active home but a home with small children may not be ideal without lots of supervision because they may not love the rough play that young children can sometimes bring to the table. They are very smart and while they are wild at heart, they like learning new tricks like playing fetch or being trained to walk on a leash. You will be more than happy to lavish love and attention on them which is good because they thrive on it, not doing well when left alone for long periods of time.

Care: Because of their short coat, Chausie cats only need brushing weekly to stay looking their best. A special note of care: Chausies are prone to digestive issues and many do best on a gluten free diet.

Coat: The coat of the Chausie is short to medium in length. The undercoat is short and dense while the top coat is coarse - designed to withstand the jungle's harsh elements.

Origin: While you may not be as familiar with the Chausie cat breed as other cat breeds, it has actually been around for centuries. The ancestors of these majestic cats were wild Egyptian Jungle Cats. Egyptian Jungle Cats are said to have been highly revered cats and were even worshipped by Egyptians at the time. To this day, mummified Egyptian Jungle Cats can be found in the tombs of their royal family members because they were such well-respected animals. Hybrids between domestic and wild Jungle Cats have been around for quite some time but the Chausie breed that we know today began in 1990 when the first breeding of a domestic and wild Jungle Cat was officially recorded. Breeders became interested in furthering the Chausie breed and, through continued development of the breed, the Chausie breed was given registration status by TICA (The International Cat Association) in 1995. In 2013, TICA granted Chausies their official Championship status and the breed continues to pursue being accepted by more organizations and associations today.