The Chausie is a tall, lean cat with long legs, large ears set high on the head and a short coat in black, black ticked tabby or grizzled tabby. The breed traces back to crosses between the jungle cat and domestic cats such as the Abyssinian, and TICA granted it championship status in 2013. Adults commonly weigh 8 to 16 pounds and mature slowly, often over about three years.
Cats several generations removed from the jungle cat are fully domestic. Most are active, clever and social, and they want company, so a Chausie in Newark does best with someone who's home often or a playful cat friend. Some have sensitive stomachs. Cats vary, so judge each Chausie by how it behaves, not by the breed label alone.