Collection: Personalised Chausie Gifts

The Chausie is an unusual breed that’s a cross between the wild jungle cat and the domestic Abyssinian. Full of beans, this is an exotic-looking and charismatic cat, large and handsome with a reasonably placid nature. The breed name comes from the Latin for ‘jungle cat’ which is ‘felis chaus’.

The Chausie is a relatively new breed created in France in 1990 when a jungle cat was crossed with a domestic cat. The idea was to create a new breed which had all the characteristics and tractability of a domestic cat but with the physical appearance of a jungle cat. This is a popular concept and has been attempted before in different countries around the world.

The jungle cat used to create the Chausie is native to the Nile Valley and has ancient antecedents with their mummified remains found in the tombs of the Pharaohs. Unofficially, it is thought that the jungle cat has often mated with domestic stock but it was only in the 1990s that a concerted breeding programme began to create these beautiful and distinctive animals. The Chausie was awarded full championship status in 2015.

The Chausie can have a very exuberant and playful streak bordering on the wild so they are not usually recommended for homes with small children as they can often be too rough. However, they can make good companions for cat-friendly dogs.

Despite their physical potential and athletic ability, the Chausie is quite laidback as a breed. However, they do really love human company and interactions so dislike solitude. Good at game playing, they can exhibit other dog like tendencies and some are happy to be walked on a lead. Their relaxed and docile nature makes them a suitable pet for a variety of different homes.