Story of Chartreux

Several books say Chartreux come from Malta, from Syria and Cyprus. They were called Cats of Malta, Cats of Syria.

Chartreux are said to have been brought to Europe by crusaders in  1254. The name would come from a Spanish cloth called "pile des chartreux" that looked like fur. In 1558, a French poet named Joachim du Bellay wrote of a cat with silver gray fur, short and smooth like satin. Those cats have bee called CHARTREUX 200 years later. They are said to have been harbored by the monks of Grande Chartreuse.

In 1723 the name of Chartreux appeared for the first time in a science dictionary, then in 1759 another universal animal dictionary says: “the cats that are fully ash gray are called Chartreux in Paris”. In  1832, de BUFFON made a thorough description of this slate blue gray cat with yellow eyes. At this time, humans ate those cats and used their furs to make coats.

By luck, around the 2Oth century, men understand that cats could have another use, and could be bred for love.

In short, they are French, bred since Antiquity for their hunting capacities and their watertight fur. Two women introduced them in the world of cats: Suzanne and Christine Léger in 1925 when they decided to breed those cats and select them. In 1928, they put their first cats in an exhibition. The first standard was set in 1939. Other breeders took other and crossed those wild cats with blue Persans to cross them again with the line of the Leger sisters. In 1960, a French breeder imported a blue British and couple her to a famous stallion, named Jimbo, to avoid consanguinity. In 1977, Chartreux and Bristish became two distinct races, the Chartreux receiving its own standard.

Chartreux have been Colette’s best friend. She wrote a short story named "La Chatte" ; Général de GAULLE had a Chartreux named RINGO DE BALMATON.

This cat with an infecting calm, a hunter whenever it wants it, not talkative is a French cat. Independent but very friendly, it has a golden temper, like its eyes !