Most cat owners would probably find the Chausie personality difficult if the cat is between F1 and F3 (first and third filial).
The Chausie is a rare purebred cat. The breed is a wild cat hybrid. A cross between a jungle cat (a small African wild cat) and a domestic cat, probably a purebred Abyssinian because they look like the jungle cat.
I know a married couple who owned a first filial (F1) Chausie. His name was Bushwah. They are Mr and Mrs Flick who live near Dallas, Texas. A first filial Chausie will be as pure a Chausie as you can imagine.
I think it would be fair to say that their experience of looking after their F1 Chausie was difficult. There is no doubt that as the wild element in the cat is diluted (e.g. an F5 Chausie) the cat’s personality changes and the cat becomes more like any other domestic cat.
I think Ken Flick’s comment sums it up:
“It’s the most cat you can have without a prescription.”
The impression I got from their comments about looking after their Chausie is that their cat was demanding when compared to a standard domestic cat.
It’s the wild cat element which dictates this cat’s character. The human caretaker of an F1 Chausie is required to look after a cat which is magnificent in appearance and character but nearer to the wild than a domestic cat and we know domestic cats are a whisker away from the wild.
It is the wild cat nature of the high filial Chausie which presents the challenges to the owner. People who choose a cat as a pet nearly always want to live with a domestic cat. A cat who is both somewhat independent in character but nonetheless sociable and dependent on his owner for the provision of a safe home and nutrition. The domestic cat is a nice balance between the wild nature of the cat and the sociability and neediness of a good pet.
It is arguable that the Chausie’s personality is too skewed towards the wild to be suitable as a pet, at least for the vast majority of people.
Mrs Helmi Flick’s comment:
“My husband, Ken, and I were owned by an F1 Chausie. That means our Chausie’s father was an African Jungle Cat.
I’ve never been loved so fiercely by any animal but he was jealous of my time……[I] was able to devote a large part of my day playing with him, exercising him, grooming him, photographing him ……..and cooking chicken for him.
It’s not something to be taken lightly, this having an exotic as a member of your family. He would head butt me so hard, it would put wrinkles in my cheek!”
So what is the Chausie personality? Well for a F1 Chausie (a rare cat indeed) the personality could be described as intelligent, active, demanding, exciting in addition to the usual personality traits of the standard domestic cat.
For an F5 Chausie and beyond (say to F10) the Chausie personality becomes nearer by degree to the personality of a standard domestic cat. This will vary from cat to cat obviously as individual cats have their own personalities.
