"Wildkatz Sarobi" female Chausie 8 months, 14lbs.

Imagine if you could take the magnificent grace, size, and exotic aura of a wild jungle cat and combine it with the loving temperament and eating habits of a domestic house cat, what a fabulous pet this combination would make! That is precisely what this new, fascinating breed of cat called the Chausie was designed to be. Chausies are the results of cross breeding a wild Jungle Cat with a domestic cat. The Jungle Cat is the larger in the small type wild cats, weighing in between 16 - 35 pounds. The breed name Chausie was derived from the scientific name of the Jungle Cat, Felis Chaus. The Chausie is an effort to preserve the stunning wild look by reproducing it in a friendly, domestic cat.

The Chausie is a developing breed. It has been foundation registered with TICA (The International Cat Association) since May, 1995. We will be presenting the Chausie to the board of ICE (International Cat Exhibitors) at the January Pet Show and hope to be approved at that time.

You may already know the Chausie as a Nile Cat. I started breeding these cats, calling them Nile Cats, in 1990. The breed name Chausie did not come to be until 1995 when a woman who obtained a kitten out of my silver-tip melanistic Jungle Cat, Sir Sidney, registered the breed with TICA. It will be sometime before you see a Chausie in the show hall, as they must be at least four generations bred away from the Jungle Cat in order to be showable. At this time, most breeders are working into the third generation. However, there are quite a few breeders serious in seeing them. Chausies are a large cat, standing anywhere from 12 - 16" at the shoulders. They have a long, rectangular body, with long legs; their hind legs rise slightly higher than the front. They have a modified wedge head, medium in size with high, strong cheekbones. Top this off with extremely large ears with small lynx tufts ! This is a shorthaired breed. I breed for the three colors of the Jungle Cat--golden, melanistic (black) and silver-tip melanistic (black with silver running throughout, quite striking). Males range between 16 - 30 pounds, females 12 - 24. The Chausie is as heavy as a two-year-old child.

"Wildkatz Savannah" 5 month old female golden Chausie

Chausies are extremely intelligent, almost dog-like, and highly active. They love to play in water, take walks on a leash, and play fetch with their favorite toy. If you are looking for a lazy, low-key, mellow pet, the Chausie is not for you! Their muscular build and wild ancestry enable them to be quite athletic and fast. Long-jumping 12 feet is a simple task; jumping straight up in the air, 10 feet, from a sitting position, is as easy as jumping to the table. Yes, the Chausie is very agile! The Chausie is also a loyal, devoted, loving cat with their companions. It is imperative the Chausie kit be properly socialized as a young kit, as they may be leery of strangers. They get along exceptionally well with other cats.

Although many people would like to own a wild cat, it is just not feasible for many because of the permit requirements, special housing and diet, etc. The Chausie is the next best thing to owning a wild cat. The size, wild look and walk of the Chausie tells you this is no ordinary housecat!

Please stop by and see our Chausie display at the January Pet Expo, in the ICE Cat Show. We love to talk Chausie.

Sandra Cassalia, a resident of Florida, has devoted the last nine years to creating and improving upon this new breed of cats. For more information about this exciting new breed, you may contact her at (954) 966-0406.