Coloring – The Chartreux can be any shade of blue-gray from ash to slate; tips lightly brushed with silver. Preferred tone is a bright, unblemished blue with an overall iridescent sheen.
Eyes – Eye color ranges from copper to gold, but should never be green.
Overall Appearance – The Chartreux is a sturdy, shorthaired French breed coveted since antiquity for its hunting prowess and its dense, water repellent fur. Its husky, robust type is sometimes termed primitive, neither cobby nor classic. Though amply built, Chartreux are extremely supple and agile cats.
Personality – These gentle giants are aware of their own strength. Breeders generally agree that male Chartreux, when altered, make better pets. Both sexes, however, are extraordinarily dedicated to family life, when they’re not just “hanging out”, preferably in the heights of a cat tree. They love a romp with other family pets and the kids, a game of fetch, and prefer your bed to their own. A Chartreux quickly learns its name, and comes on call.
Interesting Breed Fact – There exists a lovely old legend that the Chartreux lived with, and were named for, the Carthusian monks of France, and perhaps even shared a tipple or two of their famous Chartreuse liqueur!
Breed information supplied by the
Cat Fanciers’ Association
