Chartreux

One of the internationally recognized breed of domestic cats, Chartreux have originated from France. It is known for its smiling face, blue water-resistant short hair double-coats and gold or copper colored eyes. Chartreux is structured in a way that its round face with long, tapered muzzle gives an impression that the cat is smiling all the time. It has extremely quick reflexes and has an athletic build. Chartreux loves traveling and exploring new places. To know more about the history, appearance and personality of Chartreux cats, read through the following lines.

History
According to the legend, Chartreux have descended from cats brought by Carthusian monks. The felines were carried to France to live in the order's head monastery, as a companion, in the Grande Chartreuse, positioned in the Chartreuse Mountains, north of the city of Grenoble. However, in 1972, the Prior of the Grande Chartreuse refuted any such record of the ancestral monks' using any breed of cat, resembling the Chartreux. Nonetheless, the fable also states that feral mountain cats were the ancestors of Chartreux and were brought back to France by returning Crusaders in the 13th century.

In the 18th century, Chartreux was acknowledged for the first time by the French naturalist, Buffon. However, after the two World Wars, the breed had greatly lessened. It was a group of European breeders that kept away the breed from extinction, by breeding it with the Persians and British shorthairs. In 1971, the first Chartreux were brought to the U.S. by Helen and John Gammon of La Jolla, California. Later, American breeders worked hard to improve this breed. North American Chartreux, today, is regarded as the purest bloodline in the world. However, it was in 1987, that the Chartreux breed received a championship status, by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA).

Appearance
The Chartreux is characterized by large, sturdy, and muscular physique. It has a robust body structure, which is neither cobby nor classic. The Chartreux has large eyes that are copper to gold with deep, brilliant orange as the preferred eye color. The feline is known for its round head and a grey-blue color, woolly double coat, which resembles the Russian Blue. The woolly double coat is very soft and lush to touch. While the male Chartreux takes about four to five years to fully mature to its full size of 12-16 lbs, the females mature in three years to their full size of 7-10 lbs.

Personality
Chartreux cat is calm, attentive, gentle, and adaptable. It enjoys the company of people as well as other pets. It has a mild temperament and rarely makes noises, such as mewing or crying. Chatreux cats are known for quiet voice, and smiling expression. They are extremely agile as per their size and are natural hunters. Chatreux are highly intelligent and are quick learners. This can be proved from the fact that the feline can be taught to operate a radio or open screen door latch or fetch small objects like a dog. Overall, Chatreux are non-aggressive, affectionate, good travelers and generally have a good health.