The Chausie fulfills the desire for wilderness in the living room. Half of the short-haired breed has wild blood and is therefore one of the hybrid breeds.
Size: Medium – Large
Weight: female / male 6-8kg / up to 10 kg
Life expectancy: 15 – 17 years
Physique: The cat has an athletic body, long legs, and a banded, short-haired coat.
Coat colors: Banded brown, solid black, silver with tip coloring
Special features of appearance: Very pronounced cheekbones
Breed type: hybrid breed
Country of origin: United States
Recognized cat breed by TICA
Typical breed diseases: None known
The nature of the Chausie
Her character combines the loving nature of a domestic house cat with the proud demeanor of a wild cat. The Chausie is very affectionate and cuddly, but also active. She loves the presence of her owners. Hustle and bustle and action is just right for the open-minded animal. She will certainly like life in a large family. She gets along well with fellow dogs and dogs, but she will make her claims clear from time to time.
She is not only intelligent but also curious. Faucets and doorknobs will not remain a mystery to her for long. She loves exploring, whether it’s on your kitchen cupboard or in the neighbor’s garden.
She loves freedom! Her wild roots can best be guessed at in her urge to move. The Chausie cat is an excellent runner and can easily jump two meters in the air from a standing position. The very active breed loves to explore nature, where they can pursue their greatest hobby undisturbed – hunting mice and birds.
For these reasons, the Chausie is only suitable as an indoor cat to a limited extent. A large outer cage, in which she can play, climb, jump and run indefinitely, should definitely be made available to her. Ideally, however, she needs regular outdoor access.
Appearance
The Chausie has inherited many things from her wild father. Like the reed cat, it has an athletic body with long legs and a medium-length tail. Her hind legs are longer than her front legs, making her an excellent runner. It has a wedge-shaped head with walnut-shaped eyes that are set wide apart, like their ancestors. Typical of the Chausie are the strongly pronounced cheekbones, their large rounded ears and their strong chin.
The Chausie is one of the short-haired breeds. Their fur is short and dense, but can be longer than that of other shorthaired cats. Her hair is traversed by two dark bands, which is referred to as “ticking”. The cat’s belly is much lighter in color than its back. Recognized coat colors are black, brown ticked tabby and black grizzled ticked tabby. Their eye color is usually yellow or yellow-gold, more rarely brown.
History and origin
People have been longing for a house tiger with a wildcat look for a long time. This wish was fulfilled with the Chausie. It arose from a willful mating between a house cat and a cane cat. The first generation (F1) carries a 50% share of wild blood, the second generation (F2) only 25%. The further the breeding line is carried out, the lower the proportion of wild blood becomes. However, the fact that first-generation Chausie males are mostly infertile, like most males from the F2 and F3 generation, is a hindrance. This inevitably makes them a rather little represented breed, but also a “lover’s animal”. In 1995, the Chausie was officially recognized.
Health
The Chausie is an extremely resilient pedigree cat. Typical hereditary diseases have not been observed so far. However, their strong immune system does not protect them from infectious diseases.
The robust cat can live up to 16 years. At the same time, she retains her activism and perseverance into old age.
A species-appropriate and balanced diet for the cat is important for a strong immune system and a long and happy cat life. Obesity is considered to be the biggest and most dangerous consequence of poor nutrition. Also important is the annual check-up at the vet and the associated vaccinations against cat cold and cat disease. Outdoor cats should also be vaccinated against rabies and leukemia and treated preventively against parasites.
