Chausie

🐾Chausie: Your New Pet

With an intense look that denotes more than intelligence, there is the Chausie, a kitten product of the cross of two different species, a domestic one, and a Chaus, also called Jungle Cat, which is a wild breed. This cross resulted in a lovely, playful, perceptive and smart pet. It is cute and well-developed, it will make you choose it above all the other cats.

The history of this kitten has a lot of gaps, partly for the time that has passed since it was created and because there has not been a correct register of its evolution in time. What is certain is that it is native to Ancient Egypt and was created by that civilization by the Nile River.

In fact, there is a controversy about its mixture since the cross has to be done by forced means between a jungle cat with wild nature and a domestic cat. This is not approved by some specialists because of the risks that it entails.

However, the result of this cross was very loved by that ancient civilization, which raised them as one of their own, getting such importance that it is one of the few breeds that are still mummified beside their masters in Egyptian tombs and that they even appear in many of their scriptures.

From there on, little is known, there are some indications due to the history that some felines in general have. It appeared again in breeding houses by the end of the 20th century, where it was acknowledged for the first time in 1995, and later in the year 2003, establishing their standard.

Its morphology is very typical. Although it is a large size and elongate cat, its constitution is muscular and athletic, also, it is well-proportioned, keeping slender and strong lines. It possesses a long tail that moves with the same lightness of its body.

Its face is much nicer than its ancestors’. It has strong features like prominent cheekbones, elongated snout, and very big eyes that contrast with a small nose and a flat forehead that finishes in big ears that make it look exotic and attractive.

Its colors present a very limited variety which makes them easy to recognize. They could be tabby in brown or gray tones or could have just one solid color in black or silver, spread over a short fur. This fur tends to grow a little more than it usually does on other shorthair cats.

Among its multiple skills, besides the traditional in most of the felines, there is the high jumps, a quality that is developed thanks to its hubby of hunt birds. Besides, unlike many other cats, the Chausie loves water, which could derivate from its development by the Nile River.

Its temperament is very mixed. With its adopting family is very sociable and loving, it loves its freedom and it is very independent. However, it develops such a strong link with its people that it becomes a loyal and unconditional cat, the reason why many owners prefer this breed than any other.

Besides, they are very energetic and they stay active for a long time. They are not so prone to live with little kids since they are not very tolerant of abrupt treatment nor they have much patience to them.

Their care is not much exigent, brushing their hair weekly and bathing them periodically will be enough, also including a dental care routine to prevent that it develops oral diseases that could affect its bite. Including a scraper is a good option and observing constantly that it does not get parasites or bacteria.

On the other hand, they are very healthy cats. They do not inherit congenital diseases, or at least any that could deteriorate their life quality. They can get to live around 16 years, and as many other breeds, they reach the old age at 10 years, a period in which you have to take extreme care of it, just like in its first years when it has to be completely immunized.

All this will also depend on the kind of alimentation that you provide them. For a rule, they are carnivorous animals that need to ingest protein to stay healthy and strong. It depends a lot on its https://dogscatsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/savannah3-1.jpgistration but it could be any good quality food, with preservatives, homemade food and even mixed, making sure that everything is prepared with the most hygiene and that it has clean and potable water.

Finally, the Chausie is not a pet of high requirements, besides basic care and a good alimentation. They only need a lot of love and patience and also, time to play with them and to adapt to their needs.

🐾History and Origin of the Chausie

The initial origin of the Chausie is a controverted story because there is evidence that it was the result of a wild cat known as Chaus or Jungle Cat, and another domestic cat from which there is not much information about, we only know that it was a pet of that period’s civilization.

Due to the extensity of the period of the Ancient Egypt era, it has not been determined yet with exactitude the date in which the hybridization was done, but it is confirmed that it happened during that period.

Besides, there are some historical facts that support the theory and that can give hints of how these kittens were treated and how important they were for this culture, being considered magical and sacred. Having a cat, although not every breed, meant being blessed with its presence.

This could make one think of the value that the Chausie could have since it was selected, formed and bred by and for them. They even have some different qualities because of their parents’ nature, but at the same time, they could have contact on a daily basis with the human family.

A proof of this is the tombs that have been discovered by paleontologists that have found various objects in which the Chausie is identified as a part of their civilization. These tell the stories of their lives and customs, and also some mummified corpses.

It is important to remember that in this ancient culture, the tomb represented another type of life and they preferred to be buried with everything valuable or with which the things they wanted to wake up in the afterlife. The fact that they wanted to take their Chausie means that these cats were really appreciated by this population.

With time, this appreciation decreased and the popularity of the kittens, in general, went to the background. It was not until the medieval when, unfortunately, the perception of their skills changed and were associated with diabolic entities.

A big part of these accusations were because naturally, cats have almost extraordinary skills, they can perform actions that other mammals cannot, but these are simply due to their physical constitution, which was not understood then, partly for the little number of scientific studies that had been done at that time and, on the other hand, the immense amount of prejudices there were about them.

Due to this, many cats were burned in bonfires and even many families with cats as pets were frowned upon and chased for having among them a member associated with Satan, thus affecting the Chausie.

Luckily, the breed was already established and there was not much risk that it could extinguish. What did decrease were the number of cats adopted and the possibility of exporting them outside Egyptian and Arabian lands for a long time.

Therefore, some Chausie had to use their gifts and survive using their skill, which explains how the specimens today can jump so high, for example, since back then they had to do it to hunt birds. Besides, strangely, they love water.

However, for a while efforts have been made to guarantee that the species is not under danger of extinction, getting excellent results. Nevertheless, it continues the controversy of whether it is prudent or not to cross a wild cat with a domesticated one, especially because it is almost forced, in addition to the fact that the Chausie males cannot breed until after four generations.

Although this, after many centuries of its existence, finally in 1995, this breed was acknowledged principally by the TICA, and it was not until 2003 that its acceptation continued on the rest of organizations, establishing its standard, thus being able to participate in beauty competitions.

Currently, the Chausie has many fans, partly for being an exotic cross that inherited the best from its parents and because, although it is a domestic cat, it has a touch of indomitability that makes it attractive.

In fact, most of the families with Chausie cats, attest to their talent and the incomparable amount of energy that makes them able to practice many routines and to adapt very well to their homes, although with some restrictions on how to treat them. Although they are kind and sweet to their owners, they are not completely sociable with strangers or with kids, however, this is not an obstacle for those who have them as pets.

🐾Breed Characteristics

If there is any domestic cat that goes out of the common, this is the species of the Chausie breed. They are cute and at the same time a bit intimidating, they reflect sweetness mixed with wild features of their ancestors, making them very garish felines.

General Appearance

They are very balanced kittens, a bit large and elongate but with strong and developed musculature that makes them look athletic and powerful. In addition, the length of the paws, ears, and tail gives them more proportion and the feeling of control.

Although their fur has no rare or extraordinary marks, it is also very characteristic. All in them makes them garish. In addition to having a smart and sweet look at the same time, it seems to contrast but it actually fits so well that looks beautiful.

Weght

The Chausie cats are is compact, tight and muscular. For their size, they can reach a considerable weight. It goes from 6 to 10 kilograms, which is pretty much for a domestic cat, but due to this, you must have control over the alimentation to help the cat keeping in the range.

Size

This is a large-sized cat breed. There is a big difference between males and females since the first are generally more muscular and taller than the females. Besides, the body of the males is more elongate and slender, however, there has not been established the difference because some specimens are taller or smaller than others, for which it was decided to place them both male and female between 36 cm and 46 cm.

Facial Region

Their face, in general, is very harmonious. The forehead and the skull look very flat, sealed by the ears. The snout is a bit longer, which fits well with the size of its eyes and combines with the small nose. The cheekbones are prominent. All this combined, makes the Chausie have an exotic face.

Nose

The Chausie’s nose has the shape of an inverted triangle but with the inferior tip a little more prominent and rounded. The windows are visible and are very small, although it is proportioned to the other features. The skin is clear or pink with a black outline on the superior part.

Eyes

Their eyes are oval and big, perfectly outlined in the exterior. They have a slightly oblique location in the face. They are green-yellowish, although you can also find them in golden tones or brown. Their expression is sweet, sharp and smart. Sometimes the Chausie cats intimidate with the intensity of their look.

Ears

These are a bit big according to the face. They are located in the high part of the face. They have the shape of a triangle with a rounded tip and the pinna looks to the front. They are very covered by short hair outside and a bit longer and white hair in the interior that protects the ear from particles.

Tail

The Chausie’s tail is very long. It can get to measure up to three-quarters of length getting to the hock joint. In fact, when the cat moves it does it with its tail curved up, on the contrary, it would drag it on the floor. It is very thin and it looks as it would not weight significantly, being able to move it freely.

The fur is short and the color varies from the base to the tip. You can see how the color of the kitten’s loin goes dark gradually to the tip. Nevertheless, it is not a degraded hue at all since many dark rings demark.

Fur

Although it is cataloged as a short-hair cat, its cloak is actually a big superior to the standard. The hair is not short or medium, besides, it is dense and that makes it look tight.

They expulse some hair when the change period approaches. You must help it with a weekly brushed and you must be very attentive that it does not lose the shine, strength or if it falls disproportionately. If it happens, you will have to take the cat to the veterinarian.

Color

We generally observe a majority of specimens with striped color tones under a brown base or under a gray base with very dark areas, almost black. The stomach is white just like inside the ears and some areas in the paws or beneath the tail. The solid black and silver colors are very acceptable too.

Movement

With a good size but managing the same flexibility as its feline family, the Chausie is a master of movement. It is agile, intrepid and does not show any signs of effort doing it. In fact, it is common that the cat stays active for the big amount of energy that characterizes it.

🐾Character and Personality of the Chausie Cat

The Chausie has a very sociable behavior, but you have to keep always in mind that they are direct descendants of wild felines, for which their physical and personality features are inherited in a shared way. This means that deep inside them, they have a bit of ferocity although they naturally do not express it.

Usually, these kittens adapt to humans and create a very close bond with their master, who is the one that feeds it and takes care of it. It is important to remember that just like any domesticated cat, the Chausie needs of care, coddles and pampering, a lot of love and good treatment.

This can be the principal key to keep its wild side controlled because they will answer in the same way they are treated. It is recommendable to take care of the cat with patience, without being too permissive, but being tolerant with its eccentricities.

They are very sociable animals and even though they get fond of their owners, they are not very impatient when they are left alone as long as you provide it all it needs to play and entertain, and as long as is not for a long time, on the contrary, it could develop a destructive attitude.

This detachment is because they are very independent kittens and do not need the approval of its owners to move where they want to. They decide on their own even when they know they could be breaking some rules. Besides, they are stubborn, especially when you warn them to not do something that they particularly like.

Due to this, they tend to get away when they want to and come back shortly after. Besides, they are smart and can figure out how to open a window or wait for the moments they know someone is going to open a door.

Their training is a bit complicated precisely for that not so docile temperament, much more if you do not have experience educating kittens with a similar character to the Chausie’s. For this, many prefer to look for the help of professionals.

Among these strategies you must use to keep the cat domesticated, there is looking for some way to waste its many energies since they are very active. If they are not in the movement they get desperate and can show signs of anguish and even aggressiveness.

It is ideal to have any interactive toy, from balls, bells and even scrapers, anything that helps your Chausie feeling inspired and that catches its attention to entertain it for a time. Playing with it is also important to keep its attachment to the family and for it to feel appreciated.

The Chausie does not get along with children, for which it is not advisable to adopt one if it has to spend time with them. It has been noticed that they do not tolerate well the fact that kids are exigent with its time or that they do not let the cat rest when it wants to, or that they touch their tail. Besides, they like neither when they cry nor scream.

Nor are they very given to share with other animals, not even with those of their same species. They especially do not like small animals like birds or rabbits, which it sees as possible prey, nor the hyperactive animals because these makes the cat uncomfortable. Dogs are not a good option either, although there are cases in which a Chausie and a dog have been together since pups and can tolerate each other very well, depending on the breed.

Based on this, it is primordial to understand that the Chausie requires having an urgent and early socialization process, right in the moment that its mother allows it. This is considering that these little animals grow up very fast and need that contact with humans and other pets is very natural.

In this sense, it is important that the puppy has a lot of contact with its adopting family, that all members of the family, without exception, pamper it and play with it since the routine will help the cat controlling that wild side that sometimes makes it not being so sociable.

On its behalf, when the Chausie has socialized well and its owners treat it well, it can create an emotional bond. It becomes a loyal pet that can even leave and come back without difficulty with the intention of being close to its owners, to whom it tends to respect and even love, coddle and take care of.

Even it has a strong character, this pussycat can become a good pet, mostly if you are not looking for a lap-cat, but a smarter, more active and independent one. The Chausie will know how to appreciate you and being loyal to you as long as it feels that it receives the attention and respect that deserves.

🐾Diet and Alimentation

Many times, we make the mistake of trying to make our pet feed exclusively the way we do it in the family thinking that it could be healthy, which is not true. The felines, especially the Chausie, that have in its constitution genes of a wild cat, need other elements like protein. Besides, common condiments used in human food are harmful to their intestine.

Therefore, it is fundamental to keep in mind that the Chausie will not always feed the same way since its maturation and growth demands another level of nutrition, thus going through different phases.

The first of them is, of course, the breastfeeding, in which the mother cat through its milk will feed the kitten during its first weeks. In fact, it is not advisable that you provide it any other food until it is prudent, which is when the Chausie is four weeks old. Then, you can start complementing its alimentation with mashed food, preferably softened with water.

After wean and when the teeth have strengthened, the cat can eat on its own, but through its first year, the amount of energy that this feline possesses will make it behave almost hyperactively. For this, it will require more caloric intake, besides, it will still be in the growth process where it must eat a lot of proteins and calcium. This last must not come from cow milk.

After the first year of life, the type and amount of food the kitten eats have to be more balanced. It can base on protein mixed with carbohydrates and vegetables, just like with dry food or mixed. You can give the Chausie some croquettes and complement them with preserves or homemade food. Besides, it is very probable that this kitten decides to add to its diet some rodent that can hunt.

When the cat exceeds ten years of age, its metabolism changes, it no longer can process food the same and the velocity of its intestine is slower. There can even appear some symptoms of obesity, so you must always take care and prevent that it does not get too fat.

There is another fact to take into consideration in this regard and is that these kittens are a bit delicate when we talk about food. If something does not smell well to them, they will not eat it, if their plate does not smell well or if they get bored of the flavor, they will not eat either, and they can even regulate their own daily portion. Therefore, one of the aspects you must be more vigilant about is the hygiene of the preparation and serving of the meals and the variety of them.

On the other hand, one thing you must always do regularly is taking the cat to periodical check-ups with the veterinarian, who will approve the menu with which you feed your pet. The vet could also suggest other components that will help the Chausie on its development, maintenance, and health.

Homemade Food for the Chausie

However strong they may look, the cats of this bred are equally sensitive to suffer from some allergies when you offer them food prepared under the same conditions in which human’s food is made. This means that is completely harmful to offer them leftovers from our plates.

Equally, the best way to serve them food is roasted or cooked, nor fried or stew, keeping in mind that the bigger proportion has to be the protein. The meat and fish must be without bones. Besides, differently than many believe, it is harmful to give them raw fish.

If it is possible, complement this with cooked sausages but do not do it usually. In the market, there is a big variety of cat products in this item that is completely healthy and that because of their considerable proportion of liquids, it will help your feline keeping hydrated.

Croquettes or Preserved Food

Evidently, this type of food is much more practical and equally functional or nutritive as homemade food and can substitute it perfectly. However, judging how the taste of this kitten’s palate varies, it is always a good option to try complementing it with some homemade product or with some canned food for cats.

Besides, when the cat has a routine based exclusively on dry food, you must procure to keep additionally a cup of clean water that the Chausie can drink whenever it wants to, because, although these croquettes are very homogeneously formed and usually proportions them a complete alimentation, it does not give them the same amount of liquid that meat in its natural state or some other homemade product would.

🐾Health

The specimens of this breed have the advantage that they have not inherited any of their ancestor’s diseases. This is because the cross between their parents have allowed them to eliminate a series of genetic factors that make the probabilities of having ill litters very low, making the Chausie a very healthy kitten.

This is a great privilege since it is almost ensured the possibility that your pet has a long existence without diseases that affect its life quality. Therefore, it will only be necessary that you dedicate to the regular aspects of your animal’s health.

In this sense, you must be vigilant of the environment in which the feline develops to prevent that it has contact with parasites or bacteria that could cause diseases. Also, you must control its alimentation through a healthy diet that will be prescribed by the veterinarian, who will evaluate the conditions of the Chausie and prevent that it does not suffer from obesity or malnutrition.

On its behalf, one of the first solicitudes that your veterinarian will ask you is to deworm the Chausie appropriately, and then, to start the process of vaccinations. This is because, after the cat weans, it loses all immunization that the breastfeeding provides it, and so they require to go through this period rigorously, meeting the indicated calendar.

As they go through their stages of maturity, the Chausie cats also get used to their diet. However, before that, they have to do tests to find the menu that it likes the most and that meet the adequate nutritional requirements.

Besides, these cats, due to their inheritance must not be exposed to a sedentary life since their organism is not adapted to it and they could develop obesity problems. For this, it is important to keep a balance between the adequate portions and the exercise.

It is important to emphasize that in general, the owners or the adopting family develop a tendency to overfeed them, which is counterproductive. It might not only affect their aesthetic aspect, but also their health by altering their blood, cholesterol and hormone values, and even their mood by decreasing the agility of their movements.

Another aspect that you have to be vigilant on is the hair loss since, in normal conditions, the Chausie changes its fur without causing visible problems of baldness, expelling the hair and replenishing almost immediately. Therefore, it is recommendable to go to the specialist if you observe irregular cases.

For this, if your Chausie starts having evident spaces of alopecia It is prudent to evaluate it in many conditions since this could not be a disease but a physical demonstration that there is something wrong in its organism that could be associated to many factors, including bad alimentation and even stress.

Therefore, when it is diagnosed, you must try to cure the original causes or you will not get a significant improvement. In fact, it is usual that the vet prescribes moisturizers that will help the cat at a topical level to prevent that the bacteria and the dryness cause severe allergic processes or that trigger worst conditions.

On the other hand, there is also a small risk that your Chausie could suffer from trichobezoar, which is a very dangerous disease, that can even be mortal, in which your kitten ingests too much hair, this sticks in its stomach and blocks its functions.

It is known that the hair is not digestible and that the cats, due to their almost obsessive habit of staying clean, they can unintentionally swallow a good part of the hair, especially when they are on the changing period in which the follicle is more sensitive to the expulsion. Therefore, it is recommendable that you brush the Chausie’s hair weekly and almost daily when the cat is changing its fur to retire the death hair before is in danger of ingesting it.

One of the conditions that you have to try to control is to regulate the temperature since the specimens of this breed are not good tolerating cold climates. Hot and tropical climates are more appropriate for them because they could even catch colds or respiratory diseases because of the low temperatures.

On the other hand, you can perform tests to the cat for when it is old it will not suffer from osteoarthritis since this is a disease that mostly attacks them at advanced ages and makes them suffer a lot of pain in their joints which waste and makes the cat lose a lot of mobility

Therefore, if you observe that your pet with time starts losing its impetus and is not as agile as it used to be, it is recommendable that you take it to vet checkups to prevent that the disease affects its life quality on its last years of life.

🐾General Care

Although this feline is considered as a domestic one, its wild ascendency makes it have some attitudes not very ideal when we talk about its maintenance. Instead of staying home and being attended by its owners, it is possible that the Chausie goes out and returns much more dirty or mistreated

This makes us consider the idea of preventing the cat from having many possibilities of going out. Although it is a very independent and smart feline, you must have all the control to prevent that it leaves for long periods because, besides getting back dirty, it could get diseases or be severely mistreated.

In addition to this, these kittens do not like water, so it is important to try to get it used to baths as soon as possible to make it easier. Also, you have to repeat the brushing routine constantly since, just as with the socialization, the more time it practices these activities, the less aversion it will have to them.

The Brushing

Although these cats do not have a very long fur, and of course, the tendency of entangles is very low, it will always be necessary to practice this routine at least once a week since untangling the hair is not the only benefit this generates.

One of the advantages you get from brushing the Chausie’s fur at least once a week, is that it helps the kitten to stay clean because it extracts any exterior element that could have stick to the fur. Although it is well known that they continually groom themselves with their tongue, they do not always get to retire everything that sticks to their hair, or even worse, they could ingest it.

Besides, with the brushing, you can decrease the amount of hair that the cat leaves around the house due to its periodical change of fur. This is because most part of the dead hair stays in the hairbrush, preventing that the cat ingests it and expose to the risk of hairballs forming inside its intestine or stomach.

Baths for the Chausie

These kittens, just as almost all cats, are very exigent when we talk about hygiene. The smells that they do not like, make them go away and they procure to be clean for longer, so you will see them licking themselves constantly. This action has as a principal purpose to remove any dirt and also refreshing the Chausie since cats do not have sweat glands that allow them to sweat, so they with their saliva try to cause the same effect.

However, it is not prudent to think that this is enough since although they are very flexible, they do not have access to all their body. On the other hand, on some occasions, for example, when they have had diarrhea or have gone through mud puddles in which it is preferable to help them with a good bath.

In all cases, it is recommendable to take some previsions. Incredibly, these kittens love water, so you can try to get it used to baths since it is little, so it will be less probable that the activity gets difficult, but you have to keep in mind that the Chausie is not the most obedient cat.

Therefore, it is convenient to establish a schedule of its baths to make them periodical, guarantying that the cleaning of your Chausie is effectively covered. Besides, you must get exclusive products for kittens, since humans’ products cause them severe allergies.

Another aspect that you must control is trying to have everything at hand and regulating the temperature of the water. Remember that the steps must be done quickly but with confidence. On occasions, you will need the help of someone else to hold the pet, depending on the Chausie’s reaction since not all cats answer the same way to baths. Some cats accept it and others not so much.

When finishing, you must make sure that there is no shampoo on the cat or that it has any moisture left so you will have to dry it very well with a towel. Besides, you must be very aware that the face or ears get wet.

In fact, there is another option that you can use once in a while without abusing it and is applying the powders that dry baths proportion. This will help it eliminate bad smells and dirt.

Mouth Cleaning

The mouth cleaning in cats is fundamental because their small teeth are very prone to get tartar, which causes some diseases that can be painful and that could make them lose their teeth prematurely.

To prevent this, you must make sure of eliminating all traces of food at least once every two days. You can choose between brushing their teeth, using dental floss or incorporating to their food special powders to clean its teeth and gum.