Chartreux Kitten Breed

The Chartreux, known as the Certosino in Italy and the Karthuizer in theNetherlands, gets all these names from the Carthusian order of monks who are said to have kept them, though the modern show breed was not developed until the end of the 1920s and French breeders had pretty well to begin again after the decimation of the breed during World War Two. Blue-grey cats have certainly been known inFrance for centuries though tales which say that these cats were taken there from Africa by the Carthusians or given to them by crusaders have no factual authority. Though in the 1940s and 1950s the Chartreux were very like the British Blue, and hence were considered by the GCCF to be synonymous with them, they are now distinctly different from both the British and the Russian Blues, and have their own standards in both American registries and the FIFe associations, though they are still not recognized by the GCCI". It is a more massive cat then the British Blue, especially in the male: both sexes are robust and well-muscled but females are much smaller with a narrower chest and less chubby cheeks. Females may also have a silkier, thinner coat but the longer protective coat of guard hairs should always be over a resilient, slightly woolly undercoat which makes the hair stand out. The color of the coat varies from cat to cat and all shades of blue are permissible but a pale grey blue is preferred in Europe and a bright blue in the USA; the uniformity of tone is most important.

Solid and stocky, medium long, with broad shoulders and a deep chest, set on medium length legs with round feet, which are large in Europe but much more dainty in the USA;tail medium long, possibly tapering but with an oval tip.

Rounded and broad but not spherical, a narrow flat space between the ears, which ore medium size, set high and slightly flaring, big jowls in the male give a trapezoid shape, wider at the base, a broad straight nose; all on a short and heavy set neck.

Large and rounded in the USA but in Europe with the outer corner slightly turned upwards; color deep yellow to copper, with an intense orange preferred.

Medium short, glossy, thick and dense with a slightly woolly undercoat, mature males exhibiting the heaviest coats.

All shades of blue-grey permissible. The Chartreux has only one color variety, though its silver-tipped coot comes in a variety of shades of grey.