Chartreux

History Chartreux
It is assumed that these cats come from a very hilly area in France, named ‘Grand Chartreuse’. In this area the “Order of the Kartuizer monks” has been established”. The monks would have bred these cats in order to keep harmful rodents away. The cats ended up in Paris after some time. In the 18th century the name “Chartreux” regularly occurred in books and in articles if they talked about blue, short-haired cats from Paris. Especially in France and Belgium these cats are loved, but the Chartreux also becomes more and more popular in Holland, Portugal, USA and Germany. 

Character Chartreux
The character can be described as friendly, good-humored, balanced and quiet. The Chartreux is adventurous and is open to something new.  

Because of their charm and adaptability they easily become friends with congeners, but also with other pets. The Chartreux is sometimes called a dog cat, since you can teach him everything you would teach a dog.

You can take the Chartreux with a leash. Chartreux cats can play with children, since they rarely strike with their nails if they don’t like something. They rather look for a quiet spot themselves. They can be alone, but since it concerns household pets they like it when they have company

Care
The fur needs little care. Brushing once a week with a comb (made of pig’s bristles) is enough. If the fur is very dirty, you can powder it with (not perfumed and fat-free) talcum powder, which has the property to absorb dirt and excessive fat. Have the powder soaked in and brush the cat until you don’t see any powder in the fur anymore. The exterior auditory duct can be cleaned with an ear cleaner (suitable for cats) now and then.

Type
The Chartreux is a medium-sized, muscled and solid cat. Especially the tomcats make a large impression. The cats have long paws which make them elegant. The tail is rather long and is tapered in a nice, rounded point. The head has a reverse trapezium shape. The ears are high on the head which gives the cat an alert impression. The eyes are expressive, copper-colored to orange and are wide open.

Fur
The Chartreux has a double, shining grey to silver grey fur. The undercoat is a bit woolly and has the same color as the uppercoat. The fur isn’t close to the body and feels velvety.

Colors
The blue grey fur is the main characteristic of the Chartreux. Different tints blue between pale blue grey to deeper blue grey occur, but the preference is given to a kitten with a pale blue grey fur. All parts of the body are grey, with the exception of the eyes which are copper-colored to orange.    

Details
This original cat from France is often confused with the blue British short-haired cat and the Russian Blue . When it comes to appearance the French original is distinguished by his more stretched figure. The most striking difference with the Blue Russian, which has been crossed with the blue point Siamese, is the green eye color. The Chartreux resembles an elegant puma. The British cat, which has been crossed with the Persian, however looks like a plump teddy bear.

Faults
Too short tail; too small ears; white hairs in the fur; deviating eye color. In France the Chartreux population is closely related. Because of this, breeding without inbreeding is a problem. When you purchase a Chartreux you must check the family tree to find out if the cat is pure.

Breedinformation & pictures provided by cattery 't rozenblaadje  www.rommersnet.nl/rozenblaadje