CHAUSIE BREED HISTORY
What is a Chausie?
What is a Jungle Cat?

The Chausie, pronounced "Chow-see" is a fully domestic breed derived from the Jungle Cat. It is a statuesque cat: tall, upright, medium- to large-framed, and regal in stance with the musculature of an agile hunter. Males are proportionately larger than females. The breed retains a strong resemblance to its wild ancestor, but is good-natured, loyal, intelligent and affectionate, as you would expect in a domestic cat. It is a highly active breed, and loves to play with toys or other cats. It retains this quality into adulthood.

Chausies come in three colors: brown ticked tabby, solid black and silver-tip, which are a color unique to this breed. The coat is short to medium, dense and relatively coarse. The tail is 3/4 to full length, and the ears are large, mobile, and can be lynx-tipped. The body is long and slender, and the legs are long, with small feet.

When people get their first glimpse of a Chausie, especially one striding along in slinky, liquid motion, they tend to be immediately struck with its elegant grace and agility. This breed is built for hunting, running and jumping, and exudes the essence of "catness" which makes felines such intriguing companions.

BREED 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.

 

 

The first historical record of the Jungle Cat was found in ancient Egypt, where both the Jungle Cat and the African Wild Cat were used for hunting wild waterfowl. Mummified Jungle Cats have been found in Egyptian tombs, attesting to the high regard in which they were held. Some say that the statues of the goddess Bastet were modeled after Jungle Cats and we can certainly see the resemblance in her long, slender body and large ears!

The name, Chausie, is derived from the Latin name for the Jungle Cat, Felis chaus, which occurs widely from the Nile Valley north to Turkey and the Caspian Sea, and eastward through South Asia as far as Vietnam.

Jungle Cat is a generic sounding term, and people sometimes assume it refers to any wild cat whose habitat is jungle or forest. However, the Jungle Cat is a distinct species, with 9 subspecies, and is one of the largest of the small cats (genus Felis). In the wild, Jungle Cats have been reported ranging from 18 to 30lbs. However, the Chausie, although resembling the Jungle Cat, will be quite a bit smaller than this.

The chief habitats of the Jungle Cat are wetlands and river valleys. It preys on rodents and other small animals, but occasionally will eat the young of larger animals as well.

This cat also flourishes in proximity to humanity, attracted by the rodents, which congregate in irrigated fields. In India, Felis chaus has been found nesting in abandoned granaries and houses. Probably because of this flexibility, Felis chaus populations are stable and the species is not considered endangered.

Felis chaus is closely related to Felis sylvestris, which is widely considered to be the ancestor of modern domestic cats, and for this reason it is able to interbreed with domestic cats.

Jungle Cats are exotic wild animals and as exotics they require special permits (in some areas), special diets, housing to maintain, and a commitment for the lifetime of the animal as many exotics do not re-home well. The TICA Chausie Breed Committee does not recommend Jungle Cats or any wild animals as house pets which is why we strive to recreate the elegant beauty of the Jungle Cat in the domestic Chausie.

Chausies: From Ancient Egypt, A 21st Century Breed Like No Other. 

 

 

In Egypt, more than three thousand years ago, two species of wild cat found their way into Egyptian homes. One was Felis lybica, and the other was Felis chaus. Felis chaus, also known as the Jungle Cat, was relatively tame in temperament from the start, with more than usual potential for domestication, but so was Felis lybica. Whether it was chance or there were other reasons, the Egyptians ultimately developed the domestic cat from Felis lybica. 

 

Nonetheless, they loved the Jungle Cat, enough to honor them occasionally with formal funeral rites, such as mummification -- enough to take them hunting and paint them into scene after scene in murals. Some say that the statues of the goddess Bastet were modeled after Jungle Cats and we can certainly see the resemblance in her long, slender body and large ears!

 

Occasionally, members of Felis chaus mated with domestic cats. From North Africa to India to Southeast Asia, there were reports dating back centuries of cats that seem to have been Felis chaus hybrids.

While we cannot know for certain, the "Saem Sawet" described in the 700 year old Siamese cat poems may also have been a Jungle Cat hybrid. Jungle Cats are common in Thailand.

 

In the late 20th century, cat fanciers in the U.S. gained experience in developing purely domestic breeds from selected species of wild cat." The process involves mating a few members of one carefully chosen small wild cat species to a great many domestic cats. In the late 1990s, a group of breeders decided to apply this new expertise to develop a breed from Felis chaus. 

 

The Chausie, pronounced "chow-see," is a fully domestic breed that strongly resembles the Jungle Cat, Felis chaus. The Chausie, is a medium to large size feline that is tall and long-bodied, with a rectangular torso, deep chest, and flat sides. The Chausie is tall, statuesque, and  shorthaired. The head is relatively long, with a full muzzle and deep chin. This gives the Chausie a cougarish look. At the same time, the ears are erect and large; they are both tall and wide, placed far enough apart to just corner the top of the head. The ears sometimes have tufts on the tips. The Chausie comes in three color-pattern combinations: brown ticked tabby, solid black, and black grizzled tabby. 

 

The grizzled tabby pattern came originally from Felis chaus and is unique to the Chausie breed. No other domestic breed of cat occurs in that pattern. Imagine a tabby with a very dark background to its black markings. It's so dark you almost can't see the markings because they are all nearly the same shade of black. Then imagine a sprinkling of white bands scattered randomly across the coat. It's a bit like the Milky Way on the coat of a black cat, but with hints of tabby pattern visible here and there. The tips of the hairs are black. The white occurs only as bands in the middle of the black hairs. That's the grizzled pattern.

 

The Chausie is even more striking in motion. The Jungle Cat, which the Chausie closely resembles, is built for hunting, running, and jumping. The Chausie is all slinkiness and loose-limbed, lanky grace.

 

Common personality traits in the breed are their activity level, they are thieves, they are loyal and bond tightly to their person - they can learn to open doors and cupboards and love to get into things - they are thought of as the "supervisor" as they want to be in the middle of whatever is going on, they are curious and intelligent.  They need stimulation and interaction....they are not a breed that does well by themselves if a person is gone all day.

Early generation cats will punish by forgetting what a litter box is when their environment is disturbed or their routine is disturbed.....they do not like change - especially the earlier generation cats.

 

If you are looking for a couch potato this breed is not for you!

 
 
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Text and photos provided by the TICA Chausie Breed Committee (c) 2009