The Chartreux is one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. Lovers of the "blue" cats particularly appreciate their calm, even-tempered nature and friendly disposition.
Chartreux profile
The typical distinguishing feature of the Chartreux is its grey coat, which is called "blue" in the jargon. But be careful: not only this breed has a blue coat, the same applies to the Russian Blue. The risk of confusion is relatively high, but can be overcome: the Russian Blue has slightly larger ears and green eyes. In contrast, the Chartreux has dark yellow to copper-colored eyes that are large and open. It is a medium to large cat breed with a firm, muscular body. It is noticeable that males are significantly stronger and weigh almost two kilograms more on average.
Although it is a shorthair cat, it has a very fluffy appearance. This is due to their double coat with a special characteristic: the dense coat does not lie flat, but sticks out and is slightly woolly at the base. It can be any shade of blue, although a light blue-grey is preferred.
As elegant as she looks with her beautiful coat and bright yellow eyes, her character is just as enchanting: She is not pushy, knows how to behave, acts level-headed and peaceful. She likes to make herself comfortable on the sofa with her humans, enjoys being stroked and loves intimate contact. However, she is not particularly talkative - she enjoys herself in silence. In general, she is balanced and relatively stress-resistant. However, it does not need too much excitement.
The Chartreux makes a perfect family cat. It is very affectionate and loves contact with its humans. However, it is important to her that she can retreat if necessary. For example, if children are a little too pushy in her eyes. Then she prefers an inaccessible place on a high scratching post or cupboard. She doesn't necessarily need to go outside, but some animals do enjoy it. This should mainly depend on the environment. Fortunately, they usually do not stray too far from home as they are quite affectionate. Unless it is a single cat that often has to be alone, it is not necessary to let them go outside. A playmate, enough time for each cat and an occasional play session together are enough for this undemanding breed.
Shorthair cats hardly need any grooming. This also applies to the Chartreux. However, as it has a lot of undercoat, it requires a little more effort. They should receive support during the shedding period to make it easier and quicker. Regular brushing also has the advantage that the cat does not swallow as much hair when grooming and there is less to vacuum up in the home.
Whether kitten, adult cat or senior - the food for a Chartreux should always be of high quality and adapted to its age. Cats are carnivores by nature, so the cat food should contain a high proportion of meaty ingredients. Sugar, flavor enhancers and artificial colors and preservatives should not be added to the food.
animonda offers the right food for every stage of your cat's life. Choose between kitten, adult and senior food. The products are specially formulated to meet the particular nutritional requirements of the different life stages of cats. This creates the best conditions for a healthy and long cat life.
The Chartreux is basically a robust and healthy cat breed. This depends above all on responsible breeders. If you are interested in this breed, you should look for a reputable breeder who can prove his commitment on the basis of health papers. This includes, among other things, paying attention to the blood group of the animals when mating. The Chartreux is known to have a blood group incompatibility called "Feline Neonatal Isoerythrolysis". If a male cat has blood group A, but the mother cat has B, the kittens could absorb antibodies against blood group A in their mother's milk. If a kitten has these, this can lead to anemia. This can be fatal, which is why a mating should never be carried out without prior blood tests.
There is always confusion about the Chartreux: Some refer to this cat breed as Chartreux, others as Carthusian. Both are correct, because nowadays Chartreux is merely the Germanized form of Chartreux. In the past it was different: the word Carthusian was used for all blue cat breeds. This still causes confusion today. The fact is, however, that it is only correct in connection with the Chartreux.
There is no clear answer as to how the name came about. Some believe that the name could refer to the monastic order "Grande Chartreuse". It is possible that a large number of these cats were kept there. Or perhaps the name was coined because of the gray wool variety "Pile des Chartreux". It is at least clear that the pure breeding of the cats began with the brother and sister Suzanne and Christine Léger. They came across these animals around 1920 on the Breton island of Belle-Ile-en-Mer and endeavored to preserve them.
1931 was a small breakthrough for the Chartreux: at the "Mignonne de Guerveur" cat show, it was chosen as the most beautiful breed. Numbers grew slowly, but the Second World War brought setbacks and the lack of animals led to mating with other blue cat breeds. It is no longer possible to say how long this went on. A line was drawn in 1977. Clearly defined differences to similar breeds were drawn in the breed standard and cross-breeding was therefore no longer permitted. Although this provided clarity, it significantly reduced the gene pool.