CHARTREUX: A RARE BREED OF WOLLY SWEETHEARTS

This rare breed is unique in that it exist only as a blue self, with eyes that are either gold or bright copper in color.  The Chartreux is a calm, peaceful cat, according to Stacy N. Hackett (Cat Fancy: April 2009).  Hackett also reports the cats prefer to sit next to you to riding on your shoulders; however, she also states that they often crawl into her husband's lap to watch TV.  Chartreux cats are affectionate, but not demanding, and they are described as "The most laided back of all cat breeds." (Hackett, Cat Fancy).

APPEARANCE

The Chartreux breed comes in Blue Self only, with eyes of gold or bright copper.  The male Chartreux is much larger than the female, with a heavy build, though no Chartreux should ever become cobby (Bruce Fogle, DVM, Catalog).  The head is broad, but not round, and the forehead is high.  Eyes are high on the head, large and round, and though the head is broad, it stops just short of becoming a sphere.  The muzzle is narrow, but does not appear too pointed due to the rounded whisker pads, and heavy jowls.  The look should be one of a sweet cat, sporting a slight smile (Fogle, Catalog).

The Chartreux neck is short and heavy, leading down to a body that is robust and densely muscled.  The legs are short and sturdy, but not thick, and Hackett claims that the cat is sometimes said to look like a "potato on toothpicks." (Hackett, Cat Fancy)  Its paws are small as compared to the size of its body, and rounded in shape.  The tail is thick at the base, and tapered to a rounded tip (Bruce Fogle, Catalog).

BREED HISTORY

The origin of the Chartreux has more than one possibility.  While the so called "Smiling cat of France" has been traced back to cold regions of France for over 400 years (Hackett, Cat Fancy), it possibly originated in Syria, with its ancestors arriving in France by ship (Fogle, Catalog).  By the 1700s, the breed was described by the naturalist, Buffon, as the "cat of France" and given a Latin name, Felis Catus Coeruleus (Fogle, Catalog).

The cat was nearly extinct by the end of World War II, and was out-crossed with blue Persians, and British Blues in order to preserve the breed.  Chartreux cats reached north America in the 1970s, but are not bred in many European countries.  At one time Fife described all European and British blues as being Chartreux, but those breeds once again are classified as distinct breeds (Fogle, Catalog).  It was accepted for championship status by CFA in 1987, and is recognized by TICA and all other North American cat registries today, thought it remains rare (Hackett, Cat Fancy).  

KEY FACTS

Chartreux cats weigh from 7 to 17 pounds (3-7.5 kg), and are quiet, sedate, and self contained cats.  They require moderate grooming, and their temperament is described as "calmly attentive." (Bruce Fogle, DVM, Catalog)