A Chausie (ˈtʃaʊsi; also known as Jungle Curl, Stone Cougar, Mountain Cougar) is a hybrid of the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) and the Jungle Cat

Jungle Cat

The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....

 (Felis chaus). Despite their wild

Wildlife

Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....

 appearance, they are domestic

Domestication

Domestication or taming is the process whereby a population of animals or plants, through a process of selection, becomes accustomed to human provision and control. In the Convention on Biological Diversity a domesticated species is defined as a 'species in which the evolutionary process has been...

.

Breeding history

Generations are identified by F1

F1 hybrid

F1 hybrid is a term used in genetics and selective breeding. F1 stands for Filial 1, the first filial generation seeds/plants or animal offspring resulting from a cross mating of distinctly different parental types....

, F2 and F3, with F1 being the offspring of the original cat and the jungle cat mating. Males in the F1 to F4 generations are usually sterile. The domestic cat breed most widely used for Chausies is the Abyssinian

Abyssinian (cat)

The Abyssinian is a breed of domesticated cat with a distinctive ticked coat. There are many stories about its origins, often revolving around Ethiopia, but the actual origins are uncertain...

, because they have the same look and active habits as a Jungle Cat

Jungle Cat

The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....

, but are much smaller. A Chausie, due to the various sizes of the parents, can weigh between 15 and 22 pounds (when full grown, the males are larger than the females). They were first bred in the late '60s or '70s to provide a safer alternative to keeping full jungle cats as pets. The breed was granted registration status with TICA

The International Cat Association

The International Cat Association, commonly known as TICA, is the world's largest genetic cat registry. Originally a North American organization, it now has a worldwide presence...

 in March 1995. In February 2001, the breed's status was changed to allow only animals three generations or more removed (F3) from the wild cat into show halls

Cat show

A cat show is a judged event where the owners of cats compete to win titles in various cat registering organizations by entering their cats to be judged after a breed standard. Both pedigreed and companion cats are admissible, although the rules differ from organization to organization...

. It was changed to Advanced New Breed (ANB) status as of May 2003 and all cats shown now need to be "C" coded which means 3 generations of breeding Chausie to Chausie.

Appearance and behaviour

Their size depends on the size of their parents; adult Chausie males typically weigh about 10-22 pounds, and females are usually smaller. They appear to be found in three colours: brown ticked tabby, solid black and black grizzled. Their ears are notably special- a large mobile-type. Individuals considering keeping Chausies should be aware of the cats' high activity level. They are very loyal to their family and do like other pets.

Digestive tract problems have been occasionally associated with this breed; some cats may be gluten-intolerant, and have trouble digesting commercial cat food which contains wheat or other gluten grains. Similar to other hybrid cats, Chausies can take up to 2 or 3years to reach full size. Chausies are known for their speed and nearly six foot vertical leap.