Chartreux Cat Posted on June 1, 2012 by Michael

Chartreux Cat Photo of Spenser copyright Helmi Flick please respect copyright All the photos and text on this page are protected by copyright . Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

Have experiences of this cat breed? Or knowledge that youd like to share? Love to hear from you. Click here to see visitors submissions Quick Guide to this breed

Introduction The Chartreux was the chosen cat companion of Charles de Gaulle, a past president of France and the famous author Collette5. Farmers liked them too6- for their hunting skills. This is possibly one of the most natural cat breeds of them all because the origins appear to go back to the 16th century (see below) and more importantly the objective of modern breeders is to make sure the breed remains as it has always been. This cat is almost the same as it was hundreds of years ago4. I think that Chartreux cat breeders deserve recognition for their foresight and almost unique actions. The cat fancy usually likes to improve cat breeds through selective

breeding. The desire to retain the purity of the breed seems to be a thread running through the history of this breed. This is a great motivator to continue the good work and is probably why the current breeders are dedicated to the preservation of this breed in its original form. The cats naturalness is one of several notable features of this breed. The others are that the Chartreux comes in one color or shades of one color, is a large cat, has a small voice (mute sometimes4), a permanent, apparent smile due to its strong jaws and a body that is out of proportion to its legs. The body is semi-cobby and quite substantial but the legs are slim4. This cat breed is in the mid-range in terms of rarity and therefore not one of the rare cat breeds. Although Gloria Stephens describes it as relatively rare4, which may be true as at 2007 there were around 20 breeders in the USA6. This cat is the native working cat of France4 in the same way the American Shorthair is for the Americans (or the Maine Coon). It is said that the only grooming that the Chartreux cat needs is a gentle stroking with your hand. How good is that! The coat is water repellant4. This is another cat breed (with the Birman) where the first letter of the name of the cat is dictated by convention depending on the date of birth. The letters K, Q, W, X, Y, and Z are ommitted6. A cat born in 1997 will have a name beginning with N (2002 = T6). Ill leave you to check if that adds up and to work out the others!5

Photograph of Spenser Helmi Flick History

It is said that the name Chartreux is either derived from an association with Carthusian monks (a Roman Catholic Monastic Order founded in 1084) living in the Chartreuse Mountains north of the city of Grenoble, France or the Chartreuse liqueur that the monks are famous for2. But, in 1972, the Prior of the monastery apparently denied any connection on the basis that the archives contained no records7. The word Chartreux means a Carthusian so you can see the connection. Another possibility is that the name is derived from a Spanish wool of the same or similar name from the early 18th century4. There is an experimental breed called the Benedictine Cat keeping the same monkish theme. This cat is a long haired Chartreux. Another name for the Chartreux cat is the Carthusian cat. After World War II, in order to save the breed, the Chartreux cat was crossed with Persians or British Shorthairs1 and British Blues5. It is also said that the outcrosses were with blue longhaired cats. This diluted the pure Chartreux strain. Apparently Chartreux were shipped back to France from the USA to help preserve the breed in the country of its origin1. It is said that many Chartreux were killed for their coats4 reflecting the plight of the small wildcats which often suffer the same persecution. They were also killed to eat4. Date 13th or 16th Century Event Alleged stocky feral mountain cat (Cat of Syria4) imported on Dutch ships from Syria during the Crusades are thought to be the possible origin of this breed1. The Crusades occurred from 1095 to 1291 and during the 16th Century. A stocky cat with a woolly grey coat and golden eyes was referred to in a 16th century description4. First written record of a grey cat that looked like this breed. A certain Joachin de Bellay refers to a dead Chartreux (?) in a poem. The poem refers to the cats rat catching skills. The word Chartreux began to be used for this cat breed. By the 1700s the breed was described by the naturalist, Buffon, as the Cat of France5.

1558

17th Century

18th Century (1723)

Written evidence in a French dictionary of the breed name Chartreux for a blue cat. Apparently the cats fur was used by furriers. This seems to mean that there were wild populations and colonies at this time, up until the end of the 2nd World War. A cat having the appearance of Chartreux painted by Frenchman. Painting now at JP Getty Museum USA The Chartreux Cat referred to in a number of books from France and Europe. Cat Shows in Europe exhibit the Chartreux Cat Breeders recognize the worth of protecting this breed of cat and preserving the genetic make up. After WW2, the population of this cat in the wild (I presume feral) was very low8.

1747 1747 1880 from late 1920s Circa 1945

1970 (or 19719) FIFe merge the British Blue and Chartreux during the 1970s. All European and British Blues described as Chartreux for a time. Imported into the USA and Canada5 1987 Present CFA grant full (championship status to this breed)3 Full status with all major associations in US and Europe. Note that the US associations and FiFe dont allow out crossing so its always Chartreux to Chartreux. The GCCF doesnt recognize this breed.

Appearance/Character Photo of Amethyst: Helmi Flick This is a late maturing cat5. The Chartreux Cat is large (quite substantial in cat fancy parlance see cat body types) and muscular except it seems their legs which are short

and fine boned (the photographs dont really support this, though). They develop pronounced jowls as they get older5. The Chartreux cat has been described as primitive in terms of build5. On the linked page, I discuss cat breed size. They have the classic blue coat/gold copper coloured eye mix. They are quiet and some (many?) are apparently totally mute. If not mute their meow is different, being high pitched or a chirp (chirping is found in other breeds too e.g. Maine Coon). TheBritish Shorthair has a similarly very quiet voice. Another particularity is that they are noted to be very good hunters (but not good fighters5). This may be in part due to their quick reflexes6. They have all the usual characteristics of a domestic cat if well socialized namely, affectionate, non-aggressive and playful. They are noted for being reserved, calm and devoted to their human companions. They are good climbers (legacy of their hunting skills perhaps). They need plenty of room4. The breed standard includes these selected features: 1 broad, round head with small to medium sized ears (small by modern cat fancy standards but normal size in terms of random bred cats). 2 the ears are set close together. Yet bearing in mind that this cat is natural the position of the ears are normal, I would suggest. 3 the coat should be short and thick. It is a thick double, woolly coat. A sheen is desirable4. 4 large cat full size is 12-16 lbs 5 smiling expression due to the structure of their heads and muzzle6. 6 rounded head 7 robust medium-long body erect posture 8 medium short coat with dense undercoat and protective topcoat 9 color: any shade of blue-gray 10 rounded open expressive eyes This is a really nice looking cat for me. Reference to a blue coat means blue-grey. The coat can be any shade of blue-grey from ash coloured to a slate colour3.

The blue-grey colour is the same for the popular colour of the British Shorthair. Although the British Shorthair has other coat colours. There has been some overlap with the Brit SH in the past. Read more here: The health, history and character of the Chartreux cat Other cat breeds confined to the solid blue coat color are the Korat, Russian Blue andNebelung. They are all grey cat breeds.

Chartreux cat photo copyright Helmi Flick please respect copyright Health Patellar luxation can occur in this breed. This is a condition in which the knee cap dislocates from its normal position. This can cause the cat to be lame. This in an inherited condition and is therefore controllable by careful breeding check with the breeder. Luxating patella is considered hereditary if it is present in both legs if it only occurs in one leg it is likely to be caused by something else, like an injury..Amanda Bright

Reported in some: close set incisor teeth (this report probably comes from a cat breeder) and possible Gingivitis (this though is a potential for all domestic cats and should be watched for)1. Despite these relatively minor health issues this is a sturdy cat which supports the admirable hunting skills. I expand on health issues on this page.

Chartreux kittens photo Helmi Flick

Chartreux cats photo Helmi Flick 1 Id like to hear from you on the Chartreux cat. Please leave a comment. ***Please scroll down to see submissions*** What Other Visitors Have Said Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page I think I may have rescued a beautiful Chartreux About 5 years ago I decided my domestic shorthair, a black cat named Mr.BoJangles needed a cat-companion. He seemed bored all the time, didnt want to

Chartreux Health Issues Gus is very devoted and likes to be within a few feet of you at all times. For a cat who hates to be picked up or sit on your lap and meows his discontent, Probably not a Chartreux My little Widget was the spawn of a feral cat that a neighbor was caring for, and almost certainly has no breeding whatsoever, but I couldnt help being I love Jassman more that anything in the whole world! ! found my cat 7 years ago when I was five. It was under our mobile home. She had one brother. He was white and a sister she was white and the mom was Are these three cats a Chartreux and Egyptian Maus? This is one of my cats his name is Grey Brat and I think that maybe he is a Chartreux cat. Also I have noticed that his tail has an odd and faint stripe Quite perplexed regarding my Rockie kittenhelp? I have received a new kitten from my brother for my daughter. The kitten is gorgeous! She has gray colored shorter hair with only a small white strip on Pittsburgh Chartreux Mourner Vladimir, a 6 year old Chartreux male, died a couple days ago. I share this because when his condition deteriorated to concerning levels, it was too late. Higgins, My Loving Companion I adopted Higgins when he was perhaps four 4 yrs. He is now 11. Within one month he became ill and I found out he had megacolon. I gave him daily Sammy the Chartreux Cat My friend Steve had a grey cat named Sammy who was the third generation of cats from a female that Steve also owned. Im not particularly a cat person Nippers the Chirpping Chartreux Four years ago my daughter brought home a kitten that was dropped of at a local horse barn. She was a beautiful blue gray all over. We named her

My Chartreux Roommate & BFF Meet my best friend and roommate, Sage. Sage is almost 7 years old and is at her summer weight of 16lbs. Like most women, she packs on holiday weight Is My Cat a Chartreux? Hello there, I wonder if you can help me as my friend bought me this cat (see photo up loaded) and it looks like a Chartreux Cat could you please let me Possibly found a Chartreux in our line of strays We have a lot of stray cats or more like, we found a stray cat (tortoiseshell), and she had many kittens and made herself an extensive family. Weve My Life with a Chartreux Cat When I was a little girl before, I turned three, I was at my grandmas house. When we came inside to get refreshments I saw a little pink box and it said Chartreux owner I have 2 Chartreux cats, a male and a female. After purchasing the first one from a breeder in my state we loved him so much that we purchased a female Jerry the Cozy Chartreux Sleeps Like a Turkey! Jerry was adopted last thanksgiving, with his little sister, when their Mother was hit by a car. We estimated their age at about 4.5 weeks and their BDAy Chartreux Shaking Steven I got Stevie, who is now 3-4 years old, from the RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals a big UK animal charity). The first time THOMSON THE LUCKIEST CHARTREUX CAT I got my cat, Thomson, from a rescue centre 2 years ago. He was 9 years old at the time and was blind in his left eye and also had a hip replacement!! Why My Chartreux Cat Sterling Silver I adopted little Sterling from the Humane Society in Phoenix, AZ. He was 8 months old at the time and had just come from a foster home the day I adopted Health History and Character of the Chartreux Cat There are some interesting aspects of the health, history and character of the Chartreux cat. On the main page I mentioned that this cat breed can suffer

Breeders These are taken from independent websites listed in the first 3 pages of a Google search. Most of the Chartreux Cat breeders are listed in directories. Chanson Bleu Chartreux The first listed and a nice site. Open and inviting with a phone number and an indication of the location plus pictures all on the home page. This site has the most comprehensive study on the history of the breed as well. Nice one. This is the only independent site listed in the first 3 pages (as at 2008). I would start here other than the major associations.

Chartreux cat photo Helmi Flick

Sources other than below: 1. Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats edited by Ross D CLark DVM 2. Cats by Roger Caras 1985 page 108 3. Cat Fanciers Association Breed Profile 4. Legacy of the Cat by Gloria Stephens and Tetsu 5. The Encyclopedia of the Cat by Dr Bruce Fogle 6. Wikipedia authors

7. The Chartreux Cat by Simonnet, Jean (1990). Translated by Jerome M. Auerbach. Paris: Synchro Company. ISBN 978-2-9506009-0-5. 8. Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds byHelgren, J. Anne (1997). Barrons Educational Series. ISBN 978-0764150678. 9. The Cornell Book of Cats: A Comprehensive and Authoritative Medical Reference for Every Cat and Kitten Siegal, Mordecai (1997). The breeds. Chapter 2 in Second edition. Edited by Mordecai Siegal. Villard: New York. ISBN 978-0-679-44953-9. Sources: 11 Cat fanciers 12 Wikipedia 13 Online dictionaries 14 Cat breeders 15 Chanson Blue Chartreux From Chartreux Cat to Home page Health History and Character of the Chartreux Cat Posted on May 25, 2012 by Michael

by Michael (London, UK) Chartreux cat photo copyright Helmi Flick please respect copyright. There are some interesting aspects of the health, history and character of the Chartreux cat. On the main page I mentioned that this cat breed can suffer from patellar luxation. This can be found in tandem with hip dysplasia. Not only can this condition cause lameness it can make the cat reluctant to jump. The limb can be locked and the cat might try and pop the kneecap back into place. Hip dysplasia is found

occasionally in the Chartreux cat. The symptoms are an abnormal walk together with intermittent lameness and a reluctance to jump. The disease can degenerate to severe joint disease. Sometimes the disease only shows up later in life. Surgery may be required in cats that are consistently lame. Behavioral Traits History Registration As mentioned this cat is quiet with a silent of very soft meow. This is very similar to the British Shorthair. Indeed the blue (gray) British Shorthair could be mistaken for this breed. This notable similarity has resulted in some confusion. Firstly it seems that some authors have claimed that it is identical to the British Shorthair. Although similar it is not the same cat. The pedigrees are distinct. Also on continental Europe some breeders refer to the Chartreux as the British Blue; an unwelcome confusion. The similarity in temperament and appearance has also resulted in a merging of the two breeds by FiFe, the European cat registry, in 1970. The merged cat breed was called the Chartreux but was a blue British Shorthair in breed standard. The decision was reversed 7 years later. Sadly, the legacy of this blip in decision making can still be seen with some breeders and cat clubs continuing to use the name Chartreux for gray Brit SH cats and gray European SH cats. Accordingly, when buying a Chartreux on the continent caution needs to be exercised as the cat could be a blue Brit SH or cross breed instead. Care and Grooming Dr Clark (Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats), says that people who keep this cat companion should not brush the cats double coat but stroke the cat and finish with a chamois. I have never heard that before. However, the website:http://fanciers.com, says that the coat does not require much maintenance but during the molting season the dead hair should be brushed out. The coat is dense and water proof so bathing the cat has its complications. As to diet it seems that this cat prefers light non-rich food as they sometimes have sensitive stomachs. That said, owners will need to provide a diet sufficiently nutritious to maintain muscle mass in a not insubstantial cat. It would seem that the health history and character of the Chartreux Cat are somewhat intertwined with the British Shorthair cat.

From Health History and Character of the Chartreux Cat to Chartreux Cat The Chartreux Cat

-CatStatsChartreux size large weight 15lbs vocal? not very active? average coat plush family? yes shed high children? yes colors blue grey with silver The Chartreux cat is a very old breed originating in France in the middle ages. They are believed to have been close companions of the monks of the Grand Chartreuse monastery in the French Alps. The monks maintain an order of silence and, interestingly, the Chartreux is one of the quieter cat breeds with some individuals never meowing at all, just purring. These cats can be on the large side and take several years to mature. They are full-bodied and heavy boned with a dense and woolly coat of gorgeous blue fur. The head is broader than it is deep creating a cherubic expression. The eyes are gold or orange. All domestic cat breeds were developed with a certain look and personality in mind. But naturally, breed descriptions are general and will not apply to all individuals. Learn about your potential new best friend and research breeders thoroughly!

Cool Cat Facts... The top coat of the Chartreux cat has a unique, woolly texture which, combined with the dense, plush undercoat creates a nearly waterproof cat!

Is A Chartreux Cat Right For You? The Chartreux cat is recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), the world's largest cat organization. It is a somewhat rare pure-bred or "pedigreed" domestic cat breed. These cats are refined and well-mannered but do have some endearing, dog-like qualities like enjoying playing fetch and coming running at the call of their name. Grooming is not necessary but the double coat may require some brushing to control stray hairs. These are large-sized cats that have few breed-related health issues, although pattelar luxation occurs infrequently. Inquire on this point with your breeder. Because it is relatively active and enjoys interaction, the Chartreux is a nice family cat that does well with considerate children and forms strong bonds, but does not impose itself and can be content with less attention.

Chartreux Cat Breed Standards Head Shape: The head is large and broad, more wedge-shaped than round. The jaw is powerful and well developed with full cheeks, but muzzle is small in comparison to head size, without being pinched or snubbed. Ears are somewhat small with rounded tips and furnishings inside. Eyes are large and round with great expression and should always be in the yellow, gold, or copper range. Deep copper color is desireable. Body and Tail: The body is large and full with a quality of mass. Full, muscular shoulders and hips. Short, strong, well-ruffed neck. The legs are short for the body and moderately boned with small round feet. Tail is medium size and tapered. Coat: The coat should be plush and very dense, short to medium in length. Pattern: The color is always solid blue with silver highlights. Some kittens and young adults have tail rings and faint striping, but this should fade by two years leaving a clear solid shade of blue over the entire body without markings or excessive shading. Overall Appearance: This should be a large, full-bodied cat with smaller feet and limbs, clear, beautiful color and a bright, handsome, and expressive face. Can't be confused with the Russian Blue cat when seen in the flesh, quite a different cat both inside and out. Quite, affectionate, and easy to handle despite imposing size.

Inside Cat or Outside Cat? Wondering if you should allow your cat to go outside unsupervised? Well there are definitely some pure breeds that should never be outside cats. Hairless breeds like the Sphynx are extremely vulnerable and should always be supervised outdoors. Docile breeds like the Burmese may not be able to defend themselves. All cats allowed outdoors are exposed to diseases and parasites that they would not otherwise encounter. Fred Flintstone put his saber-tooth out every night, but the cat jumped right back in the window - and he was a saber-tooth! Still, most of us feel a little envy when we see our domestic companion out on some high perch, sniffing the breeze of liberty, and there is no doubt that cats love their freedom. So what do YOU think ....Inside Cat or Outside Cat? Comment Here...