Introduction to the Chartreux

This web site is presented by Jessie StrikeMcClelland, Historian for the Chartreux breed in the United States and Curator of the late Helen Gamon's cat-related estate. It is offered in the hope that it will be educational for both the established Chartreux Breeder/Exhibitor as well the interested pet owner. Jessie is an experienced Breeder/Exhibitor whose stud cats, GC. Aneise Jacque and his son GC. Aneise Jaime, sired two of the four national winning Chartreux. Aneise-bred cats have also produced numerous Regional Winners, Distinguished Merit cats, and Grand Champions. Jessie brings a wealth of knowledge which she shares with enthusiasm. As curator of Helen Gamon's cat-related estate, she has compiled ten books from those papers which are in the Jean Rose Library at the Cat Fanciers of America headquarters in New Jersey, preserved as reference material on the Chartreux breed.

GC. Aneise Jaime, sire of 13 Grand Champions

Throughout the site, you will see these CFA abbreviations for award titles: CH. Champion GC. Grand Champion RW. Regional Winner NW. National Winner DM. Distinguished Merit cat; a female who has produced five Grand Champions or a male who has produced fifteen Grand Champions We're pleased to have been chosen an About.com "Best of the Net" site. Thanks to Franny Syufy for conferring this prestigious award!

Outcross Breeding In the summer of 1970 Helen searched for purebred Chartreux in France without success, until she met Mme. Bastide, whose cats consisted of Chartreux-to-Chartreux breeding for several generations. Prior to that, Mme. Bastide's cats had as an ancestor blue Persian,

Joupouk du Fouilloux and so-called "natural" Chartreux, which meant any local cat which resembled a Chartreux in color and body type. After the purchase of Taquin and Tornade from Mme. Bastide, Helen, upon her return to California began an active correspondence with the European breeders, notably Mme. Dartois, Mme. Vivat, M. Durodie, Mme. Lachaize, and the Leger sisters, seeking the pure-bred Chartreux. None could provide them, as all had cats designated RIEX, which denoted "experimental breeding", a hybrid with either British, Persian, Russian blue, or non-registered ancestors. In a letter from Mme. Vivat, Chatalauze Cattery, dated December 2, 1970 (after she had received two letters from Helen), Mme. Vivat said "But I vow to you the assimilation British/Chartreux rises so far back (before the official fusion in 1967) that the notion of "cross breeding" had not come to me as an idea of this talk. For us, one or the other, it is the same but for taste, I would search for the true Chartreux!" In 1967 Fife and GCCF changed the standard without consulting Chartreux breeders. This standard listed permitted outcrosses as Blue Persian, Blue-cream Shorthair, and Cream Shorthair. In 1972, after breeders protested this, Fife decided to return to the Chartreux standard of 1936, so by the time Helen became seriously involved in bringing the cats to America there were no 5-generation pedigrees of unadulterated Chartreux-toChartreux cats in France. She did the best she could by selecting 5 cats from Mme. Bastide, one from Mme. Dartois, and one from Mme. Vivat (the latter cat Tristan de Chantelauze was sired by a British Shorthair, Ch. I. Bonaventura Beau Brummel, and developed into a cat which resembled a British Shorthair, so Helen sold him to a British Shorthair breeder in California; he was subsequently registered as an Exotic Shorthair or European, depending on the registering body.) Seeking further information on the cross-breeding to British cats, I consulted Grace Pond's "The Observers Book of Cats" (1959), in which she states "There are few blue British in Europe, but the French have a breed called the Chartreux. They are very like British Blues, which may cause some confusion. Their standard calls for a coat of any shade of grey or grayish blue, with a head not quite so round and with a powerful jaw." Also from Grace Pond, in "The Complete Cat Encyclopedia" (1972), "The 1939/45 period saw the decline and near-extinction of these lovely cats, and after the war there was a great shortage in Britain of male British Blues. The consequence was that foreigntype cats were used in the breeding programs. This was almost the death-blow to the desired bone structure; for what we are really looking for in the breed is a blue cat with short, almost plush-like hair, but with a near-long hair type. "It was in the middle-to-late 1950's (this happened much earlier) that the problem was squarely tackled, when some far-sighted breeders began sending their British blue Queens to selected Blue Long-Hair males. This was not a new procedure, but was necessary at that time, to recover "bone". As a matter of curiosity, I (Jessie) did a brief research as to the crossing with blue Persian males and came across the following ... remember now that we are talking about British Shorthair cats: 1929 Ch. Campermudge 16 Sire: Camperdown, Blue Persian

Dam: Smudge of Isleworth 21 Tortoiseshell SH 1946 Mickey of Odersfelt 16 Sire: Unregistered Dam: Dimple of Odersfelt Blue Persian 1960 Ch. Broughton Arabella 16 Sire: Myowne Caesar Blue Persian Dam: Broughton Sue These are just three examples of blue British Shorthair cats and Persian crosses, about which Grace Pond speaks. The long coats come to us from both the British blues carrying long coats in the pedigrees and the local or feral blue cats which were used with the Chartreux. I might mention that I found some interesting crosses during this research. Ch. Jezreel Jomo back in the fourth generation has a Russian Blue bred to a Blue-Cream Persian; he has a Tortie and White Shorthair and another Blue Persian. Alan Edwards, GCCF Judge, has been working with me on pedigree chasing, and he indicated that the Fendale Cattery imported a Best in Show winning Chartreux kitten, Minou Ducoin Vert, from Belgium, but I have not yet located a pedigree on this cat. Fendale became a register GCCF Catter in 1960. There is still a lot of research to be done to locate the Chartreux which were sent to England. Next: Sign the Guestbook Helen Gamon Speaks About her Original Chartreux Helen was born December 16, 1913, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Her mother and stepfather moved to Los Angeles, California, where she met John Gamon whom she married on December 27, 1936. John was born August 16, 1910. Helen died December 16, 1993; John died May 21, 2001. Taquin de Saint Pierre, Breeder S. Bastide, Ambert, France. Persian on both sides of pedigree Taquin was born July 30, 1970, and died June 12, 1983, of a spinal/intestinal tumour. Taquin was a productive stud, siring the first litter of Chartreux in the United States with Thilda de Saint Marcoult. The litter was born on September 10, 1971, and consisted of five kittens: Gamonal Utrillo, Ultramarino, Ulana, Usas, Ulmarie, and Umi (who had a broken tail and a white spot so was sold as a pet.) In November 1971 Helen tells us "Taquin is a beautiful Chartreux, very solid chunky body, very large head, big amber eyes and nearly mute. His fur is even thicker than sheared beaver and is slate grey. He is gentle and sweet and everyone loves him." In another letter she tells us "whie I used to go out of town to shows, several times Taquin would get off the bed, go to the door and growl if he heard someone going down the hall." In her last note about him she says "We shall miss him terribly. My good "watch dog" cat." Tornade de Saint Pierre, Breeder S. Bastide, Ambert, France. Persian and British in pedigree

Tornade was born April 30, 1970, and died October 18, 1982, of fluid on the lungs. Tornade was bred five times but had no kittens so she was spayed. Of her Helen tells us she was almost mute, coat not as wavy as her half-brothers (Vandale de Saint Pierre) but had a lovely sweet face and true copper eyes. Valse de Saint Pierre, Breeder S. Bastide, Ambert, France. Persian and British in pedigree Valse was born March 30, 1972, and died April 6, 1984, of unknown causes. Valse was bred several times and finally had two kittens, Jasmine and Julian, by Csarean section and was then spayed. Vandale de Saint Pierre, Breeder S. Bastide, Ambert, France. Persian on both sides of pedigree Vandale was born May 16, 1972, and died December 14, 1985, of osteomyelitis of the upper jaw. Vandale started his praying at the age of four months and would sit quite happily on his hind legs and pat his front paws together for attention. Thilda de Saint Marcoult, Breeder A. M. Dartois, Belgium. British shorthair in pedigree Thilda was born October 6, 1970, and died September 21, 1976, from poison from a Pulvex flea collar. Helen tells us that Thilda was pearly grey, with copper eyes and a meow, and was a wonderful mother. In one of her letters Helen writes "The mother cats are good to their kittens and play attack games with them, with the first litter I thought Thilda would kill her kittens as she would push one down and grab its throat and hold it, but she was teaching the kitten the proper hold on an enemy for survival." Jasmine de Guerveur, Breeder the Leger Sisters of Belle Isle. Persian on both sides of pedigree Jasmine was born February 6, 1974; the date and cause of death are unknown. Jasmine was the result of a half-brother and half-sister breeding. She was different in type from the Chartreux of Mme. Bastide's breeding, being higher on leg, more slender in build. Photos of her taken in July 1975/1978 show this to be evident. There are few records of Jasmine, and no record of her litters. One of her kittens was sent to Mr. Awamura in Japan but no date was recorded. Tristan de Chatelauze, Breeder A. M. Vivat, France. Sired by a British shorthair Tristan was born October 18, 1970, but no date of death is given. Tristan was sold to Gina Palinckx of Carson, California, as he grew to look too much like a British shorthair. Next: Outcross Breeding Early History of the Chartreux

Jessie Strike-McClelland, Historian, Chartreux, USA There are a number of legends regarding the Chartreux, none of which I address here, as there is nothing factual to account for them. Here is the history of the breed to the extent that I have been able to substantiate dates and names. One of the first records of a gray cat resembling a Chartreux was in 1558, when Joachin de Bellay, a French poet, refers to such a cat (which has died) in terms which lead one to believe that the cat was a Chartreux, although the name was not at that time given to the breed: EPITAPHE D'un chat Here lies Belaud, my little gray cat, Belaud, that was the most handsome perhaps That nature ever made in cat's clothing. This was Belaud, death to rats. Belaud, to be sure his beauty was such That he deserves to be immortal. In 1723 the "Universal Dictionary of Commerce, Natural History and the Arts and Trade of Savvary of Brusion" was published, which contained the following: "Finally we find several cats which tend toward bleu, these latter are commonly called Chartreux. This name was used to distinguish the blue cats. Incidentally, the furriers trade in the skin of the cats, especially those cats which were called Chartreux." In 1727, Franois-Augustin-Paradis de Montcrif (1687-1770), French poet, musician, and playwright, wrote a book "The Cats" in which he speaks of a traveler who had seen slatecolored cats in North Africa, which came from Malta. In 1747, artist Jean-Baptiste Perroneau painted a beautiful portrait of Magdaleine Pinceloup de la Grange, holding on her lap a gray cat which appears to be a Chartreux, the cat having a very large body, yellow eyes, and head shape of the breed. (This portrait may be seen at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Click here to open the portrait in another window.) In 1748 Denis Diderot, French philosopher and poet, published a book from which the following is taken: "Prince, she tells him, embarrssed by his reproaches, without my three beasts (pets) my Canary, my Chartreuse (female Chartreux) and Callirhoe, I am nothing." In 1753 Brande Aldobrande, Italian scholar, describes in the 16th century a cat of ash gray color originating in Syria and writes: "Of all the variety and number of cats, the best is that which is streaked with a diversity of pale dark ash colors; it comes from Syria, the place from whence comes the name (?). Its blood is very mild, it lets itself be domesticated and is a smart hunter. Moreover, its snout (?) is round, its chest muscular, it has strong legs, it is always vigilant and makes a habit of watching over the household. It is content with little food and supports its hunger; it feeds at times on its own capture and never fills its insatiable tummy to the detriment of its owners." In 1753 the "Grand Encyclopedia" describes "Chartreux - a sort of cat whose fur is gray ash and tends toward bleu. It's one of the skins in which the furriers trade and employ in the manufacture of furs."

In 1778 Josephus Flavius Martinet, from Holland, writes "We in Holland have also some blue cats mostly at Overijasel where they are brought to Holland to be bought and sold; their fur is gray ash, blackish brown at the base, the coat is very dense of the sort which, when one sees the gray of the tips and the brown underlaying, the mixed colors make the appearance of the cat to be blue." Carl Linnaeus (also known as Carl von Linne or Carolus Linnaeus)(1707-1778), Swedish doctor, biologist, and Comte de Georges Louis le Clere Buffon, French naturalist and mathematician (1707-1778) also refer to the Chartreux as the name of the blue cat. Buffon gives a clear picture of the breed in that he presents plates of the cat and depicts the animal with a straight nose, with fur slightly longer than that of a domestic cat and the fur wooly in appearance, the tail carried straight up and pointed at the end. (Buffon shows the cat as the type which was originally found at Belle-Ile-sur Mere; the breed as we see today is both shorter in back and leg.) In 1780 the "Reasoned and Universal Dictionary of Natural History", published in Switzerland, and containing the history of animals, vegetables, and minerals of Vailmont de Bomare contains the following: "In Persian one sees these (cats) whose color is that of our Chartreux." In 1806 Professor (Dr) Beauregard, in his book "Our Animals", writes "after death the coat is used in different ways. That of the Chartreux is cut and dyed and sold as Otter fur." In 1817, in the "Dictionary of Natural Sciences" we read "The Chartreux cat, whose fur is very fine and generally a beautiful uniform gray, the lips and the bottom of the feet are black." In his 1867 work "The Book of the Cat", Charles Ross writes "Blue is not a common color, these species are styled Chartreux cats and are esteemed rarities. Merit of being extremely gentle, pure blue cats were very rare and greatly prized." In 1877 Heath's "French-English Dictionary" defines the Chartreux cat as a "cat with bluish-gray color." In 1880, Cassell's "New French-English Dictionary" lists the "Chartreux cat of bluish gray color." From this time until 1928 there are probably other references to the breed in other publications at present unknown to me. Next: History of the Chartreux Since 1928 Picking the Show Cat in the Litter I am often asked how to pick the potential Grand Champion in a litter. This page is an attempt to share with you some of my experiences, in the hope that it will help you to focus quickly on those cats that you want to bring forward in your breeding program. These are the characteristics I look for once the kittens reach the age of six weeks: Eyes The eyes should be showing some color by now. The golden eye may have a mottled appearance which will clear with maturity to a strong gold color. The copper eye will already be copper-colored and will stay that way as the cat matures. Ears

The kitten should have a high ear set; this is especially important in the male because he will usually have some separation of the ears as the breeding jowls develop at maturity. Nose I look for the nose to be straight with a gentle slope between the eyes. Head The young Grand Champion will show some fullness of the cheeks below the ears, indicating that the head will have the correct inverted triangle (trapezoid) shape at adulthood. Look down from above with the kitten facing away from you: from that angle the whisker pads should not be puffy-looking. Body The kitten's body should be solid feeling. I look for a chest that feels rounded to the palm of my hand, and the cat's rear should feel likewise rounded. The stifle should be rounded, not straight. Some things to look out for would be any tendency to be knockkneed, a boney-feeling spine, a pigeon chest, or extreme closeness between the shoulder blades: any signs of these conditions probably means this is not the Grand Champion from the litter. Tail The tail should be thicker closest to the spine, tapering off to a rounded tip. Avoid skimpy, thin tails, a kink in the tail, or a bulbous tip on the end of the tail. Coat The best coats will be clear and evenly colored, without striping or circles on the sides. Some coats may appear to have broken stripes on the sides, but look closer: a good examination may reveal a heavily-coated kitten with the coat already showing signs of breaking. The coat should be thick and springy to the touch. Running your fingers through the coat, you should see that the coat consists of soft, fluffy down hairs next to the skin with longer guard hairs supported by rather crinkly, almost kinky, secondary hairs. By gently removing some of the hairs with the thumb and first finger these elements of the good, almost waterproof, coat can be seen. You want to see a proper mixture of the hair types: if the cat has a lot of the longer guard hairs but lacks the other types the coat may be plentiful but it will lay flat against the body, and will not demonstrate the desirable (and characteristic) breaking. I'll end this section with two pictures of kittens who were show quality. Both of these photographs were made at six weeks of age. This kitten has a lighter colored coat. You'll notice the appearance of broken stripes, but this coat proved to be lovely and extremely heavy once he matured. If you notice the eye, it has a slightly mottled

appearance, but it resulted in a clear, bright golden eye color. The second example I'll show you is a kitten with a darker coat, and a deep copper eye right from the start as I discussed above. Both of these kittens had some separation of the ears with the maturing of the breeding jowls. Happily, both of these kittens achieved Grand Champion rank around 9-10 months of age, and both have gone on to sire more Grand Champions themselves. Differences Between European and American Chartreux My love for the Chartreux breed started in 1990 with a visit to the Houston Cat Show. There, I saw a cat; not just any cat, but a stunning blue cat named Cashmere Critter. He was a Chartreux, and right there I decided what I wanted. I tried long and hard to locate a Chartreux of my own, but after much writing and phoning, I was unable to locate a female Chartreux. So I decided to look in their ancestral land: France. I visited France later that year and came back with Finette des Lilas Bleus.

After that first trip to France, I traveled back to France, Switzerland, and Belgium numerous times, visiting with the pioneering Chartreux breeders. From them I learned the

characteristics of the early Chartreux and how to read European pedigrees. I also learned how to distinguish the British Shorthair cats which were crossed with the Chartreux to enlarge the gene pool, and which Persians were used around 1933 to deepen the eye color to a lovely copper. For their generosity in sharing this knowledge I am indebted to Jean Simonnet, Mme. Genevieve Bock, Mme. Bohard, Danielle Docquos, and Mme. Muller. I realized there were some important and interesting differences between the Chartreux we loved in the two continents. As a result of my close contacts with the European Chartreux communities, I was honored in 1997 to be accepted as a member of the Club du Chats Chartreux, the mother organization for Chartreux breeders in France and the rest of Europe, putting me in a good position to bridge the gap between the two continents. These differences, while not extreme, are something anyone importing Chartreux from Europe to North America should be aware of. You will need to make allowances for the first-generation litters of European and North American matings to contain some of the heritage of both continents. The European Chartreux is "massive", while the North American Chartreux are described as "robust". The European males are as a rule very large and somewhat bigger than those born here. The females show a similar size difference, with European females looking like a smaller version of the males; North American female Chartreux are slighter in build by comparison. The paws reflect these size differences as well. The North American standard paw is round and medium in size, and the European paw is larger. In both areas the legs and feet appear almost dainty in relation to the body mass. North American Chartreux paws are described as "blue grey" and the European as "rose taupe." Interestingly, neither the European nor North American breed standard discusses the fatty pouch-like belly commonly found on Chartreux, and which becomes more apparent in spayed or neutered cats. Besides the differences in eye color commonly known and discussed, the careful observer will also note that the European Chartreux eye is slightly slanted upward at the outer edge. Although this is common in North American Chartreux, the breed standard does not address this, calling for the eyes to be rounded and open. The European standard describes a nose which is straight with no stop; the standard for North America allows a slight stop set at eye level. Moving upward on the head, European Chartreux have traditionally have wider-set ears than those prized on North American cats, though this is less pronounced lately than in past years. The ears on North American Chartreux males often start out very high-set as kittens, but then separate and appear lower after the onset of the heavy breeding jowls at maturity. This is not addressed at all in the North American standard, resulting in mature males being penalized in competition when compared with mature females who retain the high ear set. The European Chartreux generally has puffier whisker pads than his North American cousin, resulting in a more pronounced muzzle. In fact, one of the experienced Belgian breeders indicated to me that North American Chartreux needed more muzzle to avoid the appearance of a "pointed" face. Breeding European and North American Chartreux together helps the breed in many ways. First, it enlarges the gene pool, lending robustness to all the cats born far down the line. The European genes tend to add bulk, while the offspring benefit from the improved North American ear set and lighter whisker pads, helping offset some of the excesses

introduced by the British Shorthair crosses. So I heartily recommend to Chartreux breeders in North America to inject some European stock in their breeding programs you'll be pleased and perhaps fascinated with the results! Next: The Mystery of the Long Coats A Layman's Guide to the Chartreux The Chartreux is a quiet cat, and makes a devoted companion and a good traveller. They are not known for meowing, but emit a sweet chirrup and are experts at purring. Chartreux generally accept children, other pets, and household noises with little fuss. They will even adapt to a harness for getting exercise outside, as long as they decide where to go! Very loveable and affectionate, your Chartreux will love jowl scratches, and will return it with head butting, which is a sign of love. Chartreux owners moving from room to room in their houses soon get used to seeing a grey shadow close behind. They are not demanding, but you might feel a pulling on your leg while seated, indicating that the cat wants to sit on your lap for a while and get a good petting. All in all, Chartreux make wonderful household companions and exhibit consistent devotion to their owners.
It's not unusual to find "praying" Chartreux. Pictured on the left is one of the original cats which Helen Gamon imported in 1970, Vandale de Saint Pierre, who began praying at the age of four months and continued all his life.

This photo is of Aneise Jaime, who began praying as a tiny kitten. Another early praying cat was Moumoune's Sonnet of Rooftop.

Some kittens start this spontaneously when very young; if you see this, you can encourage the little one by dangling a toy in front of the kitten. In any case, it seems to be a quite natural behavior for some Chartreux and they retain this characteristic behavior all their lives, frequently "begging" for food or affection by this praying attitude.

The Chartreux coat is short to medium in length, and ranges from ash to slate grey in color. Plush and wooly in texture, it consists of down hairs close to the skin and longer

guard hairs held up by kinkier support hairs. The hair starts out a light color next to the skin and grows darker farther out; the silver tips give the cat a lovely iridescent sheen. The degree of wooliness depends on the age, sex, and habitat of the individual cat. Kittens may show some barring, or faint stripes, and some rings on the tail, which usually disappears by about two years of age. You can see from these two photographs the result of this mixture of hair types: the characteristic "breaking" or wool-like appearance. The three-year old female on the left shows this beautiful texture to perfection, as well as the desirable flat whisker pads. The male on the right shows the heavy coat to be found on some males as young as three years of age. Your Chartreux will benefit from (and will absolutely adore) a daily brushing to remove the dead hair as it sheds, especially as Winter turns to Spring and then Summer. I've found that a good tool to use in addition to a brush is a roller lint remover!

When you look your Chartreux in the face, you will be first and foremost struck by the sweet, smiling expression, one of alert intelligence and satisfaction. The eyes will be from orange to a deep copper color, with a slight upward slant to the outer edge. The picture on the left shows a 6 month old male with gorgeous deep copper eyes; that on the right is of a 16 month old female with beautiful orange eyes. The nose is straight and of medium width. The muzzle is small and narrow, with no puffiness to the whisker pads. The ears are medium in height and width, set high on the head and erect. The cat's head will sit firmly on a short neck directly on a large, muscular, well-rounded body. The chest will be deep, and the Chartreux will have broad shoulders. The overall

impression is of a large cat supported by relatively slender legs and smallish, rounded feet. There is a marked difference between the male and female cats: although the general proportions will be the same, females range from 8 to 14 pounds (3.5 to 6.4 kg), while males range upwards to 20 pounds (9 kg). Now that's a lot of cat! You will be able to note a heavy, muscular appearance, and a short neck. In profile, the cat's face will display a gentle slope to the nose; the ears will be very well proportioned and set high on a massive head. The standard Chartreux tail is moderate in length, heavy at the base and oval at the tip. Chartreux Breed Information You are here: > Cat Breeds > Chartreux Breed Information

Chartreux Description The Charteux Cats have a coat that is medium short. soft. and dense. The texture is slightly woolly with a resilient undercoat. The eyes are large. open. and round. The colors can vary from copper to gold. but orange is ideal. The head is rounded and large with full cheeks. short nose. and a narrow muzzle on a short neck. The ears are medium in size and set high and straight. The body is well muscled with broad shoulders and straight. sturdy legs. The tail is heavy at its base and tapers to the end. The Charteux females are medium size and the males are larger. Color The Charteux Cats are can be a blueish-grayish shade ranging from ash to slate with the tips of the coat lightly silver. History The Chartreux Cat has a long history that legend says dates back to the Middle Ages. The Carthusian monks of France bred these cats at the Monastery of La Grande Chartreuse where the cat was named. Recently it is said that the Charteux Cats are named because of their woolly coat of fur and was given this name after the Spanish wool (pile de Chartreux) of the 18th century. There is definite documentation of their existence dating back to the 16th century in which these cats were noted for their unusual coat color and texture. The French breeders crossbred to Persians and British Shorthairs to try to save the breed from extinction during World War II. Before the War some Chartreux were imported to the United States and a pure breeding program was started. Many of these cats being born today in America today are being returned to French breeders to help purify the breed in France. This exportation to France reduces the availability of the breed in the United States. Features The Charteux Cats are considered to be a shorthaired cat. The Charteux is an affectionate. calm. rather quiet breed and instead of meowing sometimes it will chirp. This cat is very

smart and can be taught to fetch. come when their name is called. and follow their masters around. The may be fascinated by the television and phone. The kittens of the Charteux Cats reach maturity at three years of age. This Charteux Cats can be often confused with the British Blue Shorthair. Grooming The Charteux Cat coat is relatively simple with regular brushing.