Purina

Personality:

• Dog-like in their devotion and behavior.
• Sensitive and supportive to their humans.
• Despite bulk, these cats love to perform aerial acrobatics.
• Some are voiceless.

History:

Legend states that this cat rounded Cape Horn with Crusaders returning to France.  The cats took residence in the monastery of the Carthusian monks during the 17th century.  The breed almost became extinct during World War II but was saved by the preservation of four Chartreux families on an island off the coast of France.  Accepted for championship in the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) in 1987.

Body Type:

• Husky, robust physique with substantial bone and refined, dense muscling.
• Legs are slender and feet may appear petite in comparison to body.
• Head is round with full cheeks, erect ears, and a straight nose.
• Eyes are rounded with colors ranging from gold to the preferred brilliant orange.

Coat:

• Double coat is medium short with a slightly woolly texture.
• Blue gray with silver tips.

Health and Wellness:

• Since there are only four families of Chartreux left in the world, the gene pool for Chartreux is very limited.
• Although some cats have kinked tails or white lockets of hair, these defects do not affect the well being of the cat.  These defects are grounds for disqualification in the show ring.

What you should know:

• Considered a rare breed.