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Chausie
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Chausie
The Chausie (/ˈtʃaʊsi/) is a domestic breed of cat that was developed by breeding a few individuals from the non-domestic species jungle cat (Felis chaus) to a far greater number of domestic cats (Felis catus). The Chausie was first recognized as a domestic breed by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1995. Within the domestic breeds, the Chausie is categorized as a non-domestic hybrid source breed. Because Chausies are mostly descended from domestic cats, by about the fourth generation, they are fully fertile and completely domestic in temperament.
The first hybrids of the jungle cat (Felis chaus) and the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) may have been born in Egypt several thousand years ago. The jungle cat is native to a vast region spanning Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East. For the most part, it is an Asian species of wild cat that lives by rivers and lakes. But the species is found in one small area of North Africa: the Nile Delta. It is well known that the ancient Egyptians kept domestic cats as pets. Many domestic cat mummies have been found interred in Egyptian temples. What is not so well known is that one other species of cat was occasionally preserved after death via mummification; that was the jungle cat. F. chaus is not a timid species; they are known for moving into abandoned buildings and living as happily by irrigation canals as by wild rivers, provided that adequate prey and shrubbery for cover are available. Because domestic cats are likely to have frequently encountered jungle cats along the Nile and occasionally even within their owners' homes, it seems that hybrids of the two species were probably often born there.[better source needed]
A few people[who?] experimented with breeding F. chaus to F. s. catus in the late 1960s and 1970s. Their intention was to provide a sensible alternative to keeping non-domestic cats as pets. However, the Chausie breed did not truly begin until the 1990s, when a dedicated group of breeders[who?] named the breed "Chausie" (after Felis chaus) and developed a planned breeding program and goals. These breeders asked for and received registration status from TICA in 1995. The breed worked its way through the New Breed Class from May 2001 through April 2013, and became TICA's newest Championship breed on May 1, 2013. Chausies are now being bred in both North America and Europe. The breed has begun the new breed recognition process in the World Cat Federation (WCF).
Currently, most authentic Chausies produced are late generation cats with fully domestic temperaments. Their TICA registration certificates will usually indicate that they are "C" generation or "SBT," which nearly always means they are four generations or more beyond the jungle cat (F. chaus). In cases where they are "A" or "B" generation, it is usually because they have been recently outcrossed to another domestic breed to improve specific cosmetic traits, but the cats are nonetheless more than four generations beyond the handful of nondomestic ancestors.
Although the official, permissible outcrosses for the Chausie breed during early breed development were the Abyssinian and the domestic shorthair (no recognizable breed), in practice any kind of purely domestic outcross could be used. TICA rules only dictated that cats must be a certain number of generations removed from the jungle cat ancestors and have three generations of registered Chausie ancestors to be eligible for competition at shows. Consequently, a variety of breeds, albeit usually lively outgoing breeds (see below), were used to develop the Chausie breed and continue to be used occasionally as outcrosses. This has given the breed a diverse and healthy genetic foundation.
Chausies are bred to be medium to large in size, as compared to traditional domestic breeds. Most Chausies are a little smaller than a male Maine Coon, for example, but larger than a Siamese. Adult Chausie males typically weigh 11 to 16 pounds (5.0 to 7.3 kg). Adult females are usually 8 to 13 pounds (3.6 to 5.9 kg). However, because Chausies are built for running and jumping, they are long-bodied and leggy with medium boning. The torso is deep-chested with flat sides. The ears are broad, tall, and set high on the head, about two fingers apart. The cheekbones are striking—prominent, long, and angular—and the eyes are flattened on top and form a half oval below.
The TICA Chausie breed standard allows three colors: solid black, black grizzled tabby, and black (a.k.a. brown) ticked tabby. Because the Chausie breed is relatively new, Chausies are still frequently born that have a variety of other colors and patterns, but only cats in the three permissible colors can be entered in new breed classes at cat shows, and only the three colors will be eligible eventually for championship classes. Gold or yellow eye color is preferred, though yellower and lighter shades of green are allowed.
Solid black Chausies may have faint tabby markings (called ghost markings) as kittens, but usually acquire a dense, even black pigmentation with maturity. Sometimes black grizzled tabby Chausies will appear indistinguishable from solid black Chausies when the amount of grizzling is minimal. Exposure to strong sunlight, as with most black cats, can cause black Chausies to lighten slightly and appear brownish.
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Chausie
The Chausie (/ˈtʃaʊsi/) is a domestic breed of cat that was developed by breeding a few individuals from the non-domestic species jungle cat (Felis chaus) to a far greater number of domestic cats (Felis catus). The Chausie was first recognized as a domestic breed by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1995. Within the domestic breeds, the Chausie is categorized as a non-domestic hybrid source breed. Because Chausies are mostly descended from domestic cats, by about the fourth generation, they are fully fertile and completely domestic in temperament.
The first hybrids of the jungle cat (Felis chaus) and the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) may have been born in Egypt several thousand years ago. The jungle cat is native to a vast region spanning Southeast Asia, India, and the Middle East. For the most part, it is an Asian species of wild cat that lives by rivers and lakes. But the species is found in one small area of North Africa: the Nile Delta. It is well known that the ancient Egyptians kept domestic cats as pets. Many domestic cat mummies have been found interred in Egyptian temples. What is not so well known is that one other species of cat was occasionally preserved after death via mummification; that was the jungle cat. F. chaus is not a timid species; they are known for moving into abandoned buildings and living as happily by irrigation canals as by wild rivers, provided that adequate prey and shrubbery for cover are available. Because domestic cats are likely to have frequently encountered jungle cats along the Nile and occasionally even within their owners' homes, it seems that hybrids of the two species were probably often born there.[better source needed]
A few people[who?] experimented with breeding F. chaus to F. s. catus in the late 1960s and 1970s. Their intention was to provide a sensible alternative to keeping non-domestic cats as pets. However, the Chausie breed did not truly begin until the 1990s, when a dedicated group of breeders[who?] named the breed "Chausie" (after Felis chaus) and developed a planned breeding program and goals. These breeders asked for and received registration status from TICA in 1995. The breed worked its way through the New Breed Class from May 2001 through April 2013, and became TICA's newest Championship breed on May 1, 2013. Chausies are now being bred in both North America and Europe. The breed has begun the new breed recognition process in the World Cat Federation (WCF).
Currently, most authentic Chausies produced are late generation cats with fully domestic temperaments. Their TICA registration certificates will usually indicate that they are "C" generation or "SBT," which nearly always means they are four generations or more beyond the jungle cat (F. chaus). In cases where they are "A" or "B" generation, it is usually because they have been recently outcrossed to another domestic breed to improve specific cosmetic traits, but the cats are nonetheless more than four generations beyond the handful of nondomestic ancestors.
Although the official, permissible outcrosses for the Chausie breed during early breed development were the Abyssinian and the domestic shorthair (no recognizable breed), in practice any kind of purely domestic outcross could be used. TICA rules only dictated that cats must be a certain number of generations removed from the jungle cat ancestors and have three generations of registered Chausie ancestors to be eligible for competition at shows. Consequently, a variety of breeds, albeit usually lively outgoing breeds (see below), were used to develop the Chausie breed and continue to be used occasionally as outcrosses. This has given the breed a diverse and healthy genetic foundation.
Chausies are bred to be medium to large in size, as compared to traditional domestic breeds. Most Chausies are a little smaller than a male Maine Coon, for example, but larger than a Siamese. Adult Chausie males typically weigh 11 to 16 pounds (5.0 to 7.3 kg). Adult females are usually 8 to 13 pounds (3.6 to 5.9 kg). However, because Chausies are built for running and jumping, they are long-bodied and leggy with medium boning. The torso is deep-chested with flat sides. The ears are broad, tall, and set high on the head, about two fingers apart. The cheekbones are striking—prominent, long, and angular—and the eyes are flattened on top and form a half oval below.
The TICA Chausie breed standard allows three colors: solid black, black grizzled tabby, and black (a.k.a. brown) ticked tabby. Because the Chausie breed is relatively new, Chausies are still frequently born that have a variety of other colors and patterns, but only cats in the three permissible colors can be entered in new breed classes at cat shows, and only the three colors will be eligible eventually for championship classes. Gold or yellow eye color is preferred, though yellower and lighter shades of green are allowed.
Solid black Chausies may have faint tabby markings (called ghost markings) as kittens, but usually acquire a dense, even black pigmentation with maturity. Sometimes black grizzled tabby Chausies will appear indistinguishable from solid black Chausies when the amount of grizzling is minimal. Exposure to strong sunlight, as with most black cats, can cause black Chausies to lighten slightly and appear brownish.
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