The Chartreux cat breed in a medium breed, with blue fur. It has an ancient origin and was in danger of extinction due to its fur that was very attractive for the manufacture of coats in ancient France.

Pictures of cats chartreux

We present different images and photos of the Carthusian cat or Chartreux

What is a chartreux cat?

The race of Chartreux or Carthusian cats, is a race of small to large, is characterized by its blue fur, the shape of his face that looks like a smile. Original race of France, related with old breeds of blue cats.

He is corpulent, quiet, a little meowing and independent, with strong personality, reserved, lonely, loves tranquility, is affectionate and is very attached to its owner. She loves going outside, requires little care to make her feel well and healthy.

The Carthusian or Chartreux cat: origin

The chartreux cat breed is also known as the Carthusian cat, it comes from France where it is highly appreciated. Two theories of its origin are known. The first indicates that our cat was raised by the Carthusian monks of Paris. The second theory says that the ancestors of the Chartreux pussycat pointing to its true provenance are in the mountains of Turkey and Iran. It would have been the Syrians who, in the Middle Ages, raised them and arrived in the Gallic country as a product of the Crusades.

In any case, the Carthusian pussycat became one of the favorite cats of French furriers; by the eighteenth century they greatly appreciated their woolly, velvety and dense hair. Something that was not very beneficial for the cats, because the furriers used their lustrous hair to make coats to the point of extinguishing them. At the end of the year 1920 recovered its population, rebuilding and improving the race.

After the Second World War, our chartreux cat breed was engaged again. In the 1980 years, the breeders set a new clear standard and retrieved this type of cat for breeding.

Together with british short hair or British Shorthair, the Russian blue and the Korat, the Chartreux is one of the four blue-haired cats in the world.

The cat chartreux and its character

Chartreux cats have the following characteristics. It is medium size, compact and solid body, it is heavy, it can have 6 kilograms, it is an agile and flexible feline. Its most common feature is its silvery blue coat, the only one that is admitted to the breed. His eyes are a very striking coppery color, ranging from gold to orange, no greenish tones are allowed.

Within the physical characteristics of the chartreux cat. The Carthusian cat head has inverted trapezoidal shape, rounded edges, high and flat forehead, developed cheeks, concave profile, strong chin, straight and wide slate nose. The appearance of laughter in the chartreux is that a smile forms on the face of the kitten.

The neck of the Chartreux cat is short, strong and hairy, its ears are medium and slightly rounded, round eyes in coppery tones, expressive and large.

The legs of the Carthusian cat are muscular, medium and proportionate to its robust body and broad back. Long thick tail at the base and sharp at the tip.

The height of the chartreux cat varies according to its gender. The males can measure between 23 to 28 centimeters and the females measure between 18 to 23 centimeters.

Also the weight varies in the males with 4 to 8 kilograms and the females between 3 to 6 kilograms.

Carthusian coat is a dense, fleecy and waterproof blue color. Uniform and gray-blue

Differences between the Chartreux cat and the British shorthair

Both breeds of cats can be confused, but they have different characteristics that are very easy to recognize.

The chartreux cat differs from British shorthair by color, in chartreux the color ranges from gray to gray-blue and has shaggy fur, in British it looks like hairiness.

The nose of the Chartreux cat is longer and more just, the British has a slightly curved nose and the eyes are less coppery.

The head of the chartreux has the shape of an inverted trapezoid, in the British it is similar to an apple.

The chartreux cat’s ears are tall and well implanted in the top of the head, in the british shorthair they are smaller and more remote.

The body of the Carthusian is longer, as well as the tail, on the other hand, the British Shorthair has less body and its tail is short and thick.

The British shorthair has a body more solid and robust than the Carthusian.

With these differences between the Chartreux cat and the British shorthair, you can clearly recognize both breeds of cats.

How is the behavior of a cat chartreux?

The Chartreux cat likes to be close to the family that saw it grow. This cat is as affectionate as he has been raised, it turns out to be a good company for families with children. If you have not socialized, it will be an independent cat. But he does not like to be alone and will follow his owner everywhere, being reserved with strangers.

He is also a very curious cat, he loves to play and explore every corner, this is because of his hunter cat origins. Because of its serene, mimosa and gentle personality, the chartreux is sometimes called “gato perro”. If you get used to it from puppy, you can tolerate quietly to travel by car and walk it with harness and leash like a puppy. He will wait when he hears the door or the bell.

The chartreux has a strong personality, is intelligent, balanced, docile, affectionate, independent and quiet. They are very attentive and their meowing is soft and low, in addition to being homelike who loves to sleep. He accommodates himself calmly to new situations, as long as it is not overwhelming, because he likes to respect his tranquility.

This kitten does not need to be given much attention, if he wants to play he does it with just a toy. He is a very good companion for single people, because he is comfortable alone or with his master. Being sensitive, with patience and time you can learn many skills and games.

How much does a chartreux cat live?

Chartreux kittens can usually live between 8 to 16 years, being a good companion will give you their pampering and attention for a long time.

How can you get the trust of a chartreux cat?

To earn the trust of a chartreux cat that comes to your home, give it a little time to get used to it. Do not harass him from the beginning, but accustom him to your presence.

If the kitten arrives as a puppy, it will be easier for him to get used to his owner and if you make him socialize with other pets and people, he will be very fond of his company and get along with them. It is also important that you go training with some tricks early, especially those that are not bad attitudes.

If it is an adult cat, it will take a little longer for the new member of the family to get used to their new owners. Always treat it well, do not look it immediately in the eyes, as it may feel threatened. When you have good actions, reward it with food of your liking.

In both cases, do not neglect your diet and spend time playing with them. They will follow your steps and they will be a great company.

What do you need to know to take good care of your chartreux cat?

The chartreux cat breed does not need much care, beyond the care that any domestic cat needs.

The care in his fur is much smaller because having short hair only would require a brushing once or twice a week, to eliminate dead hair.

His health is very good, it is practically immune to most diseases that affect other races. Rarely present any problem, visits to the veterinarian are necessary to meet their vaccines.

This breed develops completely until adult, so you must have a good diet, high in protein. This until the four years of age, especially in the males, because they develop later than the females. You also have to be careful with the amount of food that the chartreux will consume, because they love to eat. It is not strange that they fatten more than normal, more if it is sterilized. Water must always be available to him.

How to clean a cat chartreux?

When cleaning our chartreux cat, we will notice that the cleaning is not very necessary, because our pussycat is very neat as it is groomed very well.

Brushing is recommended once or twice a week to avoid swallowing hair when cleaning; this way we will avoid the formation of hairballs in your stomach. During brushing we should check the existence of external parasites, problems associated with your skin to avoid complications. If some anomalies are detected, the visit to the veterinarian is necessary. It is recommended to pass your fingers over your coat, in addition to contributing to your health, it will influence your social behavior.

Another aspect that we must be very careful is the cleaning of your ears, because it accumulates more dirt than in any race. To clean the ears of the cat we must do this with cotton moistened, only outside the pinna of the ear, never inside. The presence of mites and other anomalies must also be observed to prevent diseases.

If a Carthusian cat gets too dirty, like sticking something, they will bite that place until they get rid of the dirt. If they do not get it, then you should bathe it.

How to bathe a chartreux cat?

Just in case your cat gets too dirty you will bathe it, because these cats are very neat at the time of grooming.

You will have to get used to your chartreux kitten in the water from puppy, so you will not feel dislike to the bathroom.

Before you even wet your Carthusian cat, you must prepare everything necessary for the bath and then bathe and dry it. We give you the following recommendations to clean your kitten.

Preparing the necessary things for the bathroom

We recommend you have what you need at hand to bathe your cat, heat water, we will need warm water, take a shampoo for cats, you need a plastic jug to pour water, also make several towels to dry your micifuzu and a short nails for cats.

We must enlist our cat in the water, if he is nervous, calm him with your soft words. We also recommend you trim your nails before the bath, so we avoid possible risks to scratches. It is preferable to bathe in the sink, because it is at a good height, so you do not hurt your back when bathing. Also, that on the sides you can place all the implements for the bathroom.

Bathing at the chartreux

When you’re ready, put your cat in the sink. Let him get used to the water in his legs and abdomen little by little. Hold the neck in case it gets nervous, then go wet it with the help of a plastic jug. Be careful not to wet your eyes and ears.

Once you get used to it, put the shampoo on it and massage it with your fingers, clean the dirtiest parts you can find. In the same way, be careful with your eyes and ears.

To rinse it you must pour a lot of warm water until you get rid of the shampoo, use the necessary water for this.

Once rinsed, place your cat in a towel and rubbing it dry to remove moisture in your kitten. Once this is done, let your cat dry with the sun.

After the Carthusian bath

Once dry, likewise you should brush it to remove the remains of dead hair that you have, to massage it.

Finally, enjoy it with your favorite food and let her know that she did a good job of letting herself be bathed, so she will repeat with pleasure the taking of a bath

How to clean the litter box of your chartreux cat?

Cleaning the cat box is an easy task but not very pleasant for us, but it is for our chartreux minino. If he does not find it clean, then he will not use it.

We recommend two types of cleaning you must do to make your cat feel comfortable. For this we will need a plastic shovel, garbage bags, a dumpster, latex gloves and chinstrap.

Daily cleaning of the sandbox

Put on gloves and the mask, because we do not want to get sick with toxoplasmosis; which is a disease that cats transmit through their feces.

With the help of a plastic shovel, remove the solids that are in the box of sand, urine and feces. Put them in a plastic bag and take them to a dumpster.

Then you must fill in more sand so that your cat feels like he is new.

Weekly cleaning of the sandbox

We must do this activity every week, if we have a cat, if it is two cats, twice a week.

We must remove all the sand from the box, in a plastic bag and throw it in a dumpster. We will help with the shovel if necessary.

Then we must wash the sandbox, for this we will use a detergent that does not have aroma, we recommend a dishwasher. Wash it well with warm water and detergent and let it dry.

Once dry, fill the box with sand, if you wish you can place inside, baking soda to avoid odors. Place it in a place that your pet likes

Where do you have to locate the litter box of your chartreux kitten?

Placing the sandbox in a good place is very important for our chartreux friend. Because of its calm nature we must choose the right place, or it is possible that it stops using it.

It will require a quiet place, that is not visited, that has no noise and is ventilated. Many times it is difficult to find a place of your liking, but at least you should have the most important ones. Do not place your sandbox behind a door that opens and closes. Preferably do not place the sandbox in a noisy place.

Also do not use cat litter with aromas, do not change it very often the type of cat litter you use.

This way your friend will be happy in the place where he will make his needs and he will not stop using it

What do Chartreux cats eat?

Chartreux cats love to eat, so you must pay close attention to the food you offer, it must be of quality and have the necessary nutrients for its proper growth and development. In addition to offering a diet based on their different periods of life.

You must offer a lot of protein during the first four months and years of your life. But do not forget that you must also offer carbohydrates and minerals that are necessary for their development.

You have three options to feed your chartreux cat, give him meals: dry, wet or natural.

Dry food

By offering them dry meals, you are giving them a good source of all the nutrients needed for a balanced diet. Being dry eliminates the risk of spreading toxoplasmosis. It also helps the oral hygiene of cats

Food wet

Give them wet food, which usually comes canned, is very desired by our good-natured cat; however, it can not be left for a long time because of the risk of toxoplasmosis becoming soiled and spread. Also, in excess, it can cause diarrhea. We recommend only giving this food as a reward for your good deeds.

The natural food

It is always the best option, but for this you must be very careful, because you should not offer some food. Do not give him meat, fish or fresh viscera, they should always be dry and without bones or thorns. Do not give cow’s milk, although it seems strange, give them fresh cow’s milk when they are puppies, it can bring many kidney problems. If you give them milk, offer milk diluted in water.

One recommendation is that you can feed your cats with all three types of food. That way you keep them happy and healthy

How to train a cat chartreux?

To have our kitten well trained, we have to start getting used to it from a young age. However, it is not a very complicated action, it only requires patience.

You can teach him tricks like giving the leg, favoring the answer with some prize, preferably food.

Does your cat scratch the furniture?, offer another object that can scratch. Scratching is a physiological need that cats have, so you can not stop them from scratching and scratching.

Si your cat does not use his sandbox, is also a problem, verify that everything is in order, such as cleaning, this in the right place, do not have scented cat litter. If everything is correct, encourage him to use the sandbox, rewarding him when he does things in his place. It may be that you get used to a specific place, you can use aromas of lemon or mint that are of displeasure and you will see that soon it runs to its sandbox

What disease can Chartreux cats have?

The Chartreux cat breed is one of the healthiest and strongest there is. This does not mean that they could not have problems.

Although they have an enviable health, due to their habit of sedentary life and poor diet they can be affected by obesity.

Gengivitis can occur, by eating only moist or natural foods. In that case you have to help him with dry diets.

Another common condition in the breed is that caused by the accumulation of cerumen in the ears, which excrete more than other cats, so a cleaning of the area must be carried out.

A genetic problem of the breed can be neonatal isoerythrolysis.

How to keep a cat chartreux healthy?

Keeping a cat healthy chartreux implies having it well cared for and clean.

With an adequate diet that does not cause obesity.

Cleaning your coat, mouth and ears

Sufficient exercise and attention to games, as well as socialization with other animals and people.

How much does a Chartreux or Carthusian cat cost?

Chartreux or Carthusian cats have a price that can be between $ 800 with an expert breeder and $ 600 in a pet store or with a private individual.

Where can I buy a Carthusian or Chartreux cat?

If you have already decided to acquire a charterhouse to be your company, you can find many offers on the web. Notices of “I sell cat chartreux” or “cat chartreux sale”

However, you may find several surprises. We recommend that to avoid unforeseen events you can follow the following tips on where to buy a Carthusian cat.

Now that you have decided on a chartreux or baby cartouche

Hatchery of chartreux cats

You will find Chartreux or Carthusian cats in a hatchery, with the certification, their vaccines and their pedigree. Before buying it the breeder should answer all your questions about the breed. Note that the facilities, feeders and drinking fountains are clean, the cats are well cared for and fed.

Pet Shop

Here they will not give you their pedigree, but if their vaccines, the cats are taken care of, the cats must be more than two months old.

With a particular

They may be giving it up for adoption or for sale, they should allow you to see the cats and their parents when you request it. Cats must be well cared for and having more than two months to live

Choosing chartreux cats you drink puppies

If you find to adopt a cat chartreux, give him a good home, then you will have a good companion. Keep in mind that a notice of cat chartreux or Carthusian for adoption is an opportunity you can not miss.

Some curiosities of the cat Chartreux or Carthusian

One reason why it is believed was called “Cartujo”, is because of the dense Spanish wool “pile of Carthusians”.

Until the twentieth century it was considered a companion pet.

It is often confused with races such as the Russian blue cat and the korat cat.

The Chartreux cat was very popular in its place of origin and was considered one of the main feline breeds in France until the year 2006 when it was overtaken by the cat Maine Coon.