Chausie cats: description and features of the content

Cats today are one of the most popular pets and are widely spread throughout the world. At the same time, globalization leads to the fact that people and their hobbies are becoming more and more similar, and it is becoming more difficult to stand out from the gray mass, therefore unusual breeds of pets that can surprise are in great demand. These are the Chausie, who are ranked among the most expensive cats in the world - instead of such an animal, it would be quite possible to buy a car.

Most of the famous and famous breeds have a rather long history, numbering at least several decades. The same cannot be said about Chausie yet - this breed is not very well-known and certainly not old, with which, perhaps, the insane high cost of its representatives is connected - there are simply not many such cats so far.

Humans have long liked small wild cats - many find them more sophisticated and attractive than ordinary domestic tetrapods. It is not very convenient to have a truly wild animal at home - sometimes it is protected by law, sometimes it just behaves inappropriately for a resident of an apartment. Another thing is a cross, which can arise if a domestic cat in certain regions is allowed to get acquainted with wild relatives.

The jungle cat is still found today in many regions of Asia - for example, it can be found on the Caspian coast of Russia, and it was this animal that gave the wild part of the blood to modern pets.

The goal was peculiar: the end result was to look like a savage and have the same temperament, but at the same time be sweet and homely. It turned out well, because in 2003 the breed was officially recognized, receiving the name in honor of the jungle cat, which is scientifically called Felis chaus.

At the moment, in America, Chausie can no longer be called a great rarity, but they reached the post-Soviet space literally in the form of single specimens. This not only allows you to stand out with your own originality, but also allows you to make good money on breeding such animals.

Seeing the mention of a cat as a semi-wild creature, not every cat lover will express a desire to get acquainted with this breed. However, the children of the jungle cat are not as scary as one might imagine.

The main characteristic of the representatives of the breed is that visually, they should significantly resemble their wild ancestors... In particular, the breed standards prescribe that the head of an animal, set on a short, but very powerful neck, should be small, with angular cheekbones and a powerful chin, it is decorated with an elongated straight nose. The top of the skull is decorated with erect ears with tassels. The shape of the predator's eyes resembles those of the cougar - the cut is also slightly slanted, the eyes themselves are amber, although yellow, green and any mixed tones are also allowed.

The body of the predator has an elongated graceful shape with a deep chest. The massive torso rests on long and strong legs with widely spaced toes - this provides the animal with good stability. The cat is crowned with a tail, whose length is almost equal to the length of the body.

At the same time, the size of the female is noticeably smaller than that of the male, but at the same time she is more active and mobile.

The wild origin affects the woolen cover of the animal - it is very thick, but at the same time short, that is, it saves from the cold, but when moving, it simply cannot catch on obstacles. Chausie fur shines, combing or any other shaping is difficult.

The true representative of the breed comes in only three colors - black a la grizzly, as well as ticked silver or tabby. Such a cat simply cannot be completely monochromatic, if this is so, then you are being offered a fake. In this case, the ear brushes and the tip of the tail will in any case be black, and the pattern is clearly visible only on the tail, paws and muzzle, while in other places it merges.

In fairness, it should be noted that Chausie's appearance is greatly influenced by how much "wild" blood it contains, but we will consider this aspect in detail a little later.

Chausie behavior is an absolutely incredible mix of domestic and wild habits, so inexperienced cat lovers will certainly be shocked by some of their unusual pet's antics. However, this is only more interesting. Do not worry, in general, it is all the same affectionate domestic cat that becomes attached to its owner and wants attention from him. Wildness is manifested in something else, and it is worth warning potential owners about this.

Also, representatives of this breed are interested in any hills from where it is convenient to observe the surrounding area, so do not be surprised if the pet regularly climbs onto the closet or mezzanine, choosing a place under the very ceiling.

Another "barbaric" habit of the animal is that it stores food for a "rainy day". The fact that you feed your pet at the same time every day and diligently adhere to the chosen schedule does not affect the situation at all - this is an instinct, the cat just wants to be confident in tomorrow's house.He will try to hide his supplies so that no one finds them, but in the apartment, of course, sooner or later you will find them.

An interesting feature of the breed is amazing sociability of these animals. This is absolutely not the kind of pet that normally perceives loneliness - the Chausie really needs someone's company, and if the owner gets lost, the animal will try to make friends with at least someone, even if it is a dog.

In addition, the inquisitive mind of a predator needs periodic logical problems, so the pet will not mind at all if you sometimes teach him various tricks - especially if you reward him for his diligence and understanding.

When purchasing such a baby, immediately think about where there will be a spacious enough place for his games - Don't risk turning your entire house into a feline training ground. In general, experienced cat lovers are inclined to think that for such a semi-wild creature it will be much more comfortable to live in a private house with a large backyard territory, but in an apartment it will be cramped.

Chausie is a holistic breed; some smaller breeds are not distinguished among its representatives. At the same time, the population of these animals is heterogeneous, since in fact they are hybrids of a wild jungle cat and a domestic cat. In the overwhelming majority of cases, of course, the animal has more "home" blood, but in general the classification of varieties is made precisely on this basis. Naturally, the differences between different varieties of Chausie are obvious - some of them are almost ordinary pets with a slight touch of wildness, others are a wild predator with a minimal touch of manners.

In general, there are five classes of representatives of this breed:

• F1 - at least half of the animal's blood is "wild", such pets are obtained if one of the parents was a purebred jungle cat, or when two pets of the same class were mated;
• F2 - such a cat had only a grandfather as a purebred "savage", such pets appear when mixing an animal of class F1 with a cat of any other breed;
• F3 - the blood of a jungle cat is no more than 1/8, such pets are already in many ways ordinary domestic cats, only affected by unusual wild impurities;
• F4 - 1/16 of the blood of a wild ancestor;

• F5 - 1/32 of a savage origin, for such an animal it is almost impossible to determine that it is thoroughbred and has characteristic roots.

In many ways, Chausie is so expensive also because it is very difficult to breed them. The fact is that in most cases male kittens in the upper classes (primarily F1 and F2) are sterile from birth.

For this reason independent breeding, and even in our conditions, where Chausie is practically not found, can be considered a matter of the greatest difficulty... The most that can be done is to breed a high class cat with ordinary domestic cats, producing kittens of class F2 and below. In general, the mating procedure is completely similar to a similar procedure for any other breeds, only it should be borne in mind that a semi-wild animal can offend a too timid and domestic cat.

If you have a Chausie cat of a high enough class and you nevertheless decided to cross it with other breeds, please note that to preserve the color and most other breed characteristics, it is necessary to carefully choose a mating partner. The best contender is the representative of the Abyssinian breed, since it was he who was usually taken by breeders for crossing with jungle cats. As a possible, but still not the best alternative, Bengal cats and representatives of some short-haired breeds can act.

Another big problem is that the “wild” genes in lower-class cats are no longer dominant, so most kittens look completely ordinary at all, so they have to be carefully selected.

As it is clear from the above, having such a pet is not all, it is necessary to provide him with the correct conditions of detention, since a semi-wild four-legged may need a completely different approach than that which is needed by a typical domestic cat. If you, by all means, decide to acquire a chausie, you should first inquire about how to properly maintain this miracle.

In the wild, for a predator, not only strength, speed and dexterity are important, but also a developed mind that helps to build a strategy for catching prey. A real Chausie is distinguished by excellent intelligence, therefore, representatives of this breed are often praised for the ease of training - the pet understands the owner at a glance, easily catches the relationship between executing commands and receiving a reward, and then just makes a living. For this reason, it is necessary from the very first day of stay in the house to clearly explain to the kitten where is the cat's toilet, and where is the scratching post.

If you have doubted for a long time who is better to have a cat or a dog, then Chausie is probably the best solution for you, because the intelligence of this breed is enough to learn the typical commands for dogs. A well-trained animal not only knows how to sit down and lie down at the request of the owner, it also meows, gives a paw and even “dies” in a spectacular way at the command of the owner. Rumor has it that such pets even know how to find and bring slippers to the owner - since the representatives of the breed are not too modest in size, this is not a problem for them.

Unlike many other animals, Chausie in the process of training are not lazy at all - on the contrary, they like the company of the owner and communication with him, they try their best to please him, and a sharp mind only helps them in this. The mustachioed predator is very persistent, and it is possible that he wants to learn a new trick even more than you would like to see him.

The wild origin for the owners of such cats turns out to be very useful - in nature, animals somehow do without human help, which was passed on to the domesticated version. In general, of course, you can and should take care of your pet's health and appearance so that it looks good and feels the same way, but this is certainly no more difficult than with any other domestic cat.

For example, a pet's dense coat needs weekly brushing - this will make the animal look more attractive.

Naturally, when the animal molts, and this usually happens in the summer, it is necessary to comb it out more often, because otherwise the predator can unceremoniously scratch about everything it sees.

As stated above, Chausi is not afraid of water and sometimes he himself would like to swim, which greatly simplifies hygiene procedures. People who have experience keeping such animals at home say that you can bathe an animal quite often - usually it is only glad to have the opportunity to swim.

The only thing worth worrying about is that during the drying period after the bath, the pet does not get into a draft. In general, of course, this should not be a problem, because in the wild no one hides jungle cats from drafts, but this is your favorite - you should not risk his personal health just because for someone it would not be a problem.

If you strive not only to let the animal swim, but also to thoroughly wash it, use specially produced shampoos of soft consistency... It is not worth replacing them with "human" means - practice shows that from ordinary shampoos the fur coat of a cat loses its brightness and weakens.

In all other respects, caring for the predator is simple: it is necessary to check for the presence of sulfur in his ears at least once a week and remove it. If necessary, a similar procedure is performed with the eyes - if mucus accumulates there, it should be removed as a medium for the potential multiplication of pathogens.

Ideally, the animal should be taught from childhood to daily brushing of teeth, or at least to regular examinations of the oral cavity for various dental injuries and ailments. Finally, no scratching post on its own can cope with the rapidly growing pet's claws, therefore, periodically they need to be cut off with a special pruner - usually this need is brewing about twice a month.

Speaking about the fact that the Chausie is a semi-wild animal, it must be remembered that for classes F1 and F2 this is not an exaggeration at all. Such pets are almost always kept not in the house, but in a special spacious aviary on the backyard, since the habits of the animal may be too incompatible with home living. If there is not so much wild blood in the pet's body, a spacious apartment will be enough for him, but only on condition that the owners regularly walk him down the street - with a collar like a dog.

Feeding a Chausie is much more difficult than caring for him in general - too many people mistakenly believe that a semi-wild beast has a universal stomach that can digest absolutely everything, which, of course, is not true. It is possible that in the wild, the jungle cat does not eat balanced or properly, but there it is not fed with various harmful products that he himself would not find, and even wild individuals usually do not live as long as well-groomed pets.

Due to the fact that the wild roots of the Chausie are not so deep, the animal has a specific, purely predatory intestinal tract of a relatively short length - such a structure is completely unsuitable for digesting fiber in particular and plant food in general. In this regard, representatives of this breed are even more vulnerable than any other domestic cats - even the vaunted premium dry food for them is not considered good enough food.

In order not to be mistaken with the selection of the diet, it is best to focus on what a jungle cat would eat in the wild, that is, raw meat. Representatives of this breed are very approving of rabbit meat, and there are also no objections to beef, although cows in the wild are unlikely to become prey for such small predators. Small birds such as chickens or quails can also be well accepted, but cat nutritionists generally advise against putting too much pressure on these ingredients.

The wild jungle cat swims well and is able to hunt in the water, therefore, unlike many purebred cats, chausie not only can, but sometimes need to be fed with fresh fish. Canned food is also suitable as an alternative, but if you are feeding an unusual product for the first time, it is better not to give too much of it - it is better to check if the animal is allergic to any components of such food.

Most other foods, many of which often end up in a cat's bowl, are highly undesirable or completely prohibited for Chausie. So, salty, fried and pickled are too unusual dishes for a wild cat's stomach, such food will only cause indigestion, and salt will also provoke tissue swelling.

Sweets are also undesirable for such cats. - pets easily gain weight from them, which has an extremely negative effect on the cardiovascular system. For the same reason, the representatives of the breed are usually not given any form of pork, and tea and especially coffee have a negative effect on the heart due to its stimulating effect.

Contrary to popular belief, milk that cats supposedly love is undesirable for adult animals - as they grow older, they lose the ability to digest lactose, and when it gets into the body, it only provokes an upset stomach. Plus, just about any plant-based food, including potatoes, legumes, nuts, and even mushrooms, is completely redundant on the cat's menu.

There is not so much food in the wild, and you first need to get it, because representatives of this breed, when they get to food, tend to eat as much as possible, so control the portion sizes, otherwise the animal will inevitably get fat. Chausie are fed less often than other mustachioed pets - even babies are fed only twice a day, and for adults, even once is often enough. Moreover, the cat at the age of over a year, it will sometimes be useful to arrange a fasting day, when she will be left without food at all or food will be unusually small.

The wild ancestors of the Chausie were not pampered pets, therefore they passed on severe immunity to their offspring, capable of defeating almost any infection on their own. The big problems for the representatives of this breed are usually only obesity and problems with the digestive tract, and both threats are caused not by infectious reasons, but by unhealthy diet. If you also took care of the timely vaccination of your pet, then there is little doubt that it is completely invulnerable to ailments of any kind.

The grafting scheme is completely similar to that used for cats of other breeds. At the age of two months, the baby is usually vaccinated against rhinotracheitis, calcivirus and panleukopenia, after a month the procedure is repeated, after which it is recommended to repeat the vaccination annually. In addition, you need to protect your pet from rabies - for this it is vaccinated twice during the first year of life.

Vaccination usually involves a little preliminary preparation, which consists in the fact that the animal needs to remove the worms. For this purpose, there are anthelmintic drugs, which are produced separately for kittens - it is necessary to introduce a similar agent into the baby's diet about a week and a half before the date of vaccination.

The specific way of life of such a cat is reflected in other areas of care for his health. So, representatives of this breed need regular walks in the fresh air, where they certainly collect ticks and fleas. Even if the pet is, in principle, not allowed into the house, and because of the predatory nature of a purebred animal, you are not in direct contact with him, this does not mean that the problem can be left to chance.By treating your cat's fur with special products from a veterinary pharmacy, you will ease its suffering and show you care.

We have already figured out why the Chausie breed is so rare, now it remains to understand where to get kittens. The best seller is a certified American nursery, but one should mentally prepare for the fact that in rubles the amount will turn out to be at least six figures and will not start from one.

Slightly more often, a thoroughbred animal can be bought from owners who breed animals themselves, there the price will be "only" five-digit, but be prepared that there is no certification, which means that a deception is likely. In addition, private breeders, of which there are no more than a few dozen with official status in the world, live mainly in the West, and those of our compatriots who want to consider themselves as such, at best, will sell you an F3 class animal.

By the way, many of our compatriots are greedy for sudden and unreasonable discounts, therefore nothing bothers them in the phrase about an elite, but inexpensive animal. There are quite a few cases of fraud, cunning businessmen use the gullibility of inexperienced buyers, so be careful.

Ordinary murkas sometimes have a rather predatory appearance, but sooner or later the deception will reveal itself, therefore, with a significant amount required, be sure to insist on obtaining documents confirming pedigree and admission to exhibitions.

It is best to acquire such an animal at the age of 3 months, when it is still small, but already quite independent.... A healthy baby, who is not worried about anything, is distinguished by normal childish playfulness, he is active and curious. If the kitten is not sick with anything, it should have a pleasantly shiny coat, and there should not be any foreign discharge from the nose or eyes.

Buying a baby at the age of 3 months, you have already missed the stage when the kitten needs to be vaccinated - which means that this obligation was laid on the shoulders of the breeder. If he is conscious and did everything on time, let him show the relevant documents, but if the vaccinations were not done in a timely manner, think about the expediency of the purchase.

For more information on Chausie cats, see below.