The British blue and the Chartreux are not the same cat species, they are two different. Different origin, different lookout, and a bit different temper.

Many mix up the two species nowadays. The British Blue owners call their blue-coloured British cat – mainly on German speech area – Kartäuser, because of that there are a lot discomposure.

That’s why we state, that they sign just a colour whit that. Kartäuser blau doesn’t always mean Chartreux.

Those who are interested in these two wonderful species and think either about own breeding or choosing just because of the love of these species those cats, they have to be aware that the Chartreux is not British Blue and the British Blue is not Chartreux.

Please ask for correct information from serious breeders. It is important in order not to face later any kind of disappointment or deludedness.

The Chartreux cat is registered in France since the 16th century.

The first documentation was noted by Joachim du Bellay in 1558. It was Savarry des Bruslon, who first named the species „Chat des Chartreux” in the International Trade and Natural Science Lexicon in 1723.

The painting below – Magdaleine Pinceloup de la Grange with her Chartreux cat – was made in this century.

It may have got the present-day name Chartreux in the end of the 17th century, after that, it was used finally as  name of a certain species.

After the I. World War, the French started to preserve the species consciously. The Belle Ile island was an especially important stage from the breeding aspect, where Christine and Suzanne Léger established the fist breeding, named Guerveur in 1925.

The Chartreux cat has got an ancient passion for hunt and water-resistant coat. It is a strong, robust type, nor podgy, nor classics, elegant wildness is streaming of it. Because of its body, the Chartreux is a springy, fast cat; it is sophisticated type, never crude or awkward. The tom is bigger than the female, and it is a slowly maturing type.

The age of the cat and the factors borne with affects the FUR’s construction and the colour of its eyes. The strength of its quality, its intelligence and manageability made it possible for the species to live through the centuries; this has to be seen as evidence on all exhibition cats. The careful selection preserves this.

HEAD and NECK: wide, trapezoid, but not spheroid. Robust jaw, full face, the matured tom has longer cheek. High, downy contoured brows, the nose is straight and middle long, wide, with levelled eyes. It has a quite little cheek, with narrow, tapering paws. It conveys a nice, smiling impression.

Neck is short and pinned strongly. EARS: middle long and wide, pinned high on the head, standing very straight. EYES: rounded and opened, alerted and talking. Their colour extend from copper-yellow to gold, the clear, glowing orange is desirable.

BODY AND TAIL: robust, with middle long, wide shoulders and deep chest. Strong bones, the muscles are hard and strong. The female is middle long, the tom is longer. The tail is modest long, strong, tapering ovally.

FUR: middle-short and somewhat woolly built. Flexible, sheep like undercoat on the neck and the edges, with longer, protecting overcoat. Attention: the extent of the woolliness depends on age, sex, and residency. Silky, thinner coat is allowed for females and cats under the age of 2.

FAULTS: seriously broken nose, stop cannot be. Pug, upward nose, lightweight muscles, palpable tail break, eyes are too closed or show anger.

DISQALIFICATION: white hair, white spot, tail bunch, green eyes, back that refers to weakness.

COLOUR: all gradiations of greyish-blue, from dust-grey to slate-grey, the hair ends silver-plated. The emphasis is on the clearness of the colour, and on the solid gradiation. Light tone is favourable, with shot sparkle of spotless blue. The nose is slate-grey, the lips are blue, and the pads are mole-pink. Allowed exceptions are the tail-rings by kids and cats younger than 2.

Its soul is like silk, velour!

Its temper is fantastic! It is peace-loving, tame, without serious changing mood. Excellent hunter and climber, and sleeps much. It has strikingly little voice, you cannot hear load miaow.

It is never tough, pleased with just being near the owner, when he is busy. That makes it „desk-cat”. It can spend hours without bothering anybody.

The Chartreux thinks about things, and does only that has sense.

The Chartreux is quite like a dog, following its human from room to room. It is pleased using our bed, which it considers as its own too. It learns its name easily and answers the call. It is an intelligent and elegant cat. The Chartreux plays boss gladly on other animals and humans, but it practises rarely its power.

The Chartreux reacts strongly on straife and shout, so it is advisable to avoid raised voice. It likes to eat and is disposed to fattening.

What breed should you choose? It doesn’t matter, they are such aristocratic cats. The toms are naturally bigger than the females.

I wish everybody finds its matching blue cat!