GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Chausie should resemble its non-domestic ancestor, Felis chaus. Accordingly, the Chausie is a tall, long-legged, lean and supple cat. It is built for running and jumping over water, reed beds, and other obstacle-filled terrain. Like a basketball player or an Olympic long jumper, the Chausie is ectomorphic, with musculature and lanky body low on bulk, built with the limberness and reach for a log stride and lightning pounce The breed has a deep chest for lung capacity, but flat sides for light weight and flexibility. Like Felis chaus, Chausies have large, upright, preferably tufted ears, a long forehead and muzzle, and a slightly short tail. The eyes are flattened above and rounded below, above exotically slanting high cheekbones. Temperament is predominantly domestic. Chausies are good-natured, loyal, highly intelligent and trainable. They are active,
curious, playful cats that require stimulation and company.

HEAD: 40 points

Shape: Modified wedge, medium in width from frontal view. High, angular, long cheekbones create a change of direction at the muzzle. The long muzzle balances the cheekbones and ends in smooth, full contours, a full chin and puffy nose leather.

Eyes:Medium to slightly small in size. Bottom is a half oval that slants toward the outer base of the ear. Top is a markedly flattened, horizontal half oval. Gold or yellow eye color preferred, hazel to light green allowed.

Profile: Long, sloping forehead ends in a gradual, slight convex bend over the eyebrows. Just above the eyes, the profile descends in a gentle concave curve to below the eyes. The nose rises near its end to form a slight bump above the convex nose leather.

Ears: Tall, large ears are set at a slight outward angle on top of head, about two fingers apart between the inside bases. The ears are fairly wide all the way up with rounded ear tips. Ear tufts preferred; lack of tufts not a penalty.

Neck: The neck is of medium length and thickness.

Muzzle: Long to balance the cheekbones, ending in full slightly rounded contours, full chin and puffy nose leather.

Chin: Full, both in profile and frontal view, and of medium depth.

Nose: Medium to wide, slightly broader between the eyes. Nose leather is convex and full.

BODY: 40 points

Torso: Long, lean, flat-sided, and deep chested. The large rectangular body is firm, but not broad or bulky.

Legs: Long, with medium boning.

Feet: The feet are medium in size and oval in shape.

Tail: Slightly short, medium width, with slight taper and fully articulated.

Musculature: Long and lean rather than bulky.

Boning: Long legs with medium boning that complement a deep chested torso of medium width.

COAT/COLOR/PATTERN: 20 points

Length: Short to medium, with enough length to accommodate at least two bands of ticking.

Texture: A dense, soft undercoat with a somewhat resilient, slightly coarser outer coat. Solid black may feel softer. Black grizzled cats may feel coarser in proportion to the amount of grizzling present.

COLORS:

Brown Ticked Tabby: Mouse gray color next to the skin with sandy gray to reddish gold base coat. The coat will have two or three bands of dark ticking. Tabby barring is preferred on the tail, upper inside front legs and to the hock on the back legs. The neck may or may not have necklaces. The backs of the ears will have thumbprint markings of a lighter color. Off-white color should outline the eyes and muzzle. The underside will range in color from off-white to sandy-gold. Some flecking or speckling may occur on the stomach. The nose leather is brick with a dark outline. Paw pads may be black, black with rosy tones, pink or any combination of these. Allow for faint tabby markings on body of kittens up to one year old.

Black: Solid black.

Black Grizzled Ticked Tabby: A pattern acquired from the breed’s Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) ancestors. The pattern is a dominant trait that may possibly be caused by a mutation at the agouti locus or extension locus. The hair shaft is banded with lighter coloration at the skin (akin to mouse coat) alternating dark and lighter bands of ticking and ending with a dark tip. Nose leather is aways solid black. Paw pads may be solid black, black with rosy tones, pink or any combination of these. Allow for minimal grizzling in kittens

ALLOWANCES: The tail may range from 3/4 to full length, with slightly shorter than a normal length tail being the preference. Larger size and slightly heavier boning on males. Jowls on males that pull the ears a little lower than otherwise desirable.

PENALIZE: In tabbies, a lack of tabby markings on legs or tail.

DISQUALIFY (DQ): Tail too short, resulting from a mutated gene (MX/PB/ABT-ABS). Tail kinked or lacking flexibility. White lockets.