Descriptzion of the breed
Since ancient times, the Chartreux cat is a domestic cat race. It is a relatively tall, muscular and robust cat with solid bone structure. Nevertheless, it's appearence is well equillibrated and remarkably agile. Male Chartreux cats are substantially bigger than female ones and their developement is slower taking up to 4 years.
The texture of the fur, its colour as well as the colour of the eyes depend on the age of the Chartreux cat. A characteristc Chartreux cat exhibts power and intelligence, as well as remarkable social behaviour. Owning these properties, the Chartreux cats succeeded to persist in isolated colonies even under harsh environmental conditions throughout the past centuries. Therefore, these properties have the highest priority in the breeding selection.
The fur of Chartreux cats has an even grey - blue color, with every single hair having an uniforme colour from the hairline to the end. The overall colour might vary from light blue to dark grey. The fur is dense and short, with a good grip. The coat is double layered with a dense, woolen under layer at the hair line. The hair ends are shiny and silky. This structure of the hair gives the Chartreux coat a unique dense, velvet like texture and the otter coat like appearence. Chartreux cats do not lose hair, except on the change of seasons, when adopting their coat to the coming season. The fur of Chartreux kitten is softer the coat of adult cats and often shows some tabby or marks, which should vanish within the first year.
The skin of the nose, as well as lips and pads are slate coloured grey.
The adult male Chartreux cat has well developed jowls, which lend the head the shape of a trapezium, wide at the base, narrow at the top. The extremity of the muzzle may jut out from the jowls. Female Chartreux cats, have less developed jowls and are significantly smaller, have a narrower chest and are less chubby in the cheeks than the male. However, they also should be robust and well muscled. The nose of Chartreux cats is broad and straight leading up to a narrow, flat space between the ears. The medium sized ears are set high on the head giving the cat an alert look. Chartreux cats have large and open, not too rounded eyes, with the outer corner being slightly turned upwards. The colour of the eyes range from deep yellow to deep copper, but it has to be a pur color, vivid and intense without any trace of green.
The body of Chartreux cats is solid and firm, with a broad, well developed chest with strong muscles. The legs are strong and not to high with large paws so that the Chartreux, above all the male, always appear solid in relation to its size. All these properties make the Chartreux a sturdy and robust cat with a dense double coat.