Chausie Cats

History

The Chausie is a hybrid, the result of a cross between the Jungle cat (Felis chaus) of southeast Asia, and a domestic cat.

The first hybridizations of this nature occurred many centuries ago without human intervention. F. chaus is thought to have crossed over into parts of Egypt, and that is where the first hybrid is thought to have appeared, during the Ancient Egyptian era.

It was only in the 1990s that breeders crossed Jungle cats with Abyssinians to produce a domestic cat combining friendliness with a distinct wild look. The breed was officially recognized in 1995, and since then the Chausie has grown in popularity across the world.

In the US, some States do not allow you to keep cats that have been crossbred with wild cats - check local laws before considering the Chausie.

Behaviour

You would never think these cats were so recently bred from wild animals, as the Chausie is amongst the most sociable of all domestic cat breeds. They love interacting with their owners, and are very playful and athletic, able to jump up to 6 ft.

Chausies don’t like to be left alone for long periods, and require lots of mental stimulation and exercise. They like to follow their owners around the house 'at heel', and have been likened to dogs in this respect. They are not recommended for first-time cat owners, though, as their very active nature can make them a bit of a handful.