CHARTREUX The Chartreux is medium to large in size.

The body is rather short, but not cobby, very solid and heavy, especially at the hindquarters the body is noticeable heavier. The bones are substantial. The chest is very broad. The legs are medium in length and not very strong, when compared to the body. The paws are rather small. The head is large and gives the impression of being somewhat square, its shape looks like an inverted trapezium - the skull is broad at the top, and becomes narrower towards the muzzle. The forehead is rather flat, on the top the skull is relatively flat. The ears are medium in size, rather close set, and stand upright on the skull. The nose is broad, medium in length (noticeable longer than in British Shorthair) and straight, from the tip of the nose towards the forehead the nose builds a straight line without a break or indentation. In males the cheeks are very distinct (like jowls). The muzzle is rather small, but square and one will notice it clearly. The eyes are large and somewhat round in shape, they are set well apart. The eye colour is orange, sometimes the colour is slightly paler, but it should be neither watery nor have a green colour tone. The jaws are broad, the chin is firm. The coat is medium-short (it is not as short as it is usually in shorthair cats). The coat is extremely dense, the undercoat is very dense and woolly. It is not permitted that the coat lies flat on the body, it must stand up (because of its dense undercoat). The colour of the coat is medium blue, although light blue is preferred. The tail is medium long and not very thick, the tip is slightly rounded. Only Chartreux cats are the true Carthusian cats, not the British Shorthair, as those are sometimes called erroneously. Chartreux litter Mices Nightmare cattery Breeder Sandra Kucher

Coat length and coat colour There are ongoing very controversial discussions in the various organizations, it there should be permitted also Chartreux in other colours, for example in Bluepoint. The opinions amongst the breeders are different. Between the opinions of the breeders, if there should be also longhaired Chartreux permitted, is also sometimes a vast difference.

Chartreux male, Del Sogno Blu cattery Breeder Paola Spurio

Chartreux male, Mices Nightmare cattery Owner Sandra Kucher

Chartreux female, Amatoriale cattery Owner Domenica Lepidi History The Chartreux is the "natural" breed of France and is one of the most ancient breeds. Already in 1558 it had been reported that French Carthusian monks, who were well known for their liqueur called Chartreuse, should have bred this breed. Chartreux female, Mices Nightmare cattery Owner Sandra Kucher

In 1723 the name "Chartreux" was explicitly used for this blue cat breed in a dictionary about physics, art and trade. In an encyclopaedia, issued 1753, already an article about the Chartreux cats described the colour of the coat as ash-grey till blue-grey, and that the coat was used by furriers (because of its thickness). In 1759 it was reported in the Systematic and Universal Dictionary about animals that those "ash-grey" cats had been called Chartreux cats in Paris. During and after World War II the breed was in grave danger of extinction, and thus British Shorthair and Persians had breed crossed into the breed. At that time there did not exist a consequently separate registration of British Shorthair and Chartreux, which was the reason that British Shorthair had been called erroneously Carthusian cats. But already in 1950 the Paris Cat Club put an end to this hybridization, and from that time it was only permitted to mate Chartreux with Chartreux. In 1970 the first Chartreux cats were exported to North America. Temperament Chartreux are called the "smiling" cats because of the expression of their face, emphasized by the rather small muzzle when compared to the entire head. The Chartreux are very quiet, yet proud cats. Their eyes reveal energy and an acute interest in their surroundings. Their voice is rather chirping and quiet, but they are very good hunters. The Chartreux displays outstanding qualities of endurance and remote reserves of energy, they are extremely intelligent and alert cats, they are very loyal and devoted to their owners. Those qualities of silent strength have enabled that extraordinary breed to survive for so many centuries. Grooming

Chartreux have a very dense coat, which plays an important role in breeding those cats. Thus regular grooming is strongly recommended. To give them a bath periodically is not necessary because their coat does not get smudged. Chartreux cat of 1747 Posted on May 25, 2012 by Michael

Chartreux cat of 1747 by Michael

Portrait of Magdaleine Pinceloup de la Grange, ne de Parseval In this painting of 1747 by JeanBaptiste Perronneau, Portrait of Magdaleine Pinceloup de la Grange, ne de Parseval, you see a nice grey cat. It immediately struck me that the appearance of the cat reminded me of the Chartreux. The Chartreux is a purebred cat. It is France's cat in the same way that the Maine Coon is America's cat. The face is very distinctive. The muzzle is square. This cat breed is sometimes referred to as the smiling cat. It is a cobby cat with slender legs and always gray.

Breeders have kept the same standard for hundreds of years so the appearance of the cat has not changed significantly or at all. I don't know if this cat in the painting is a Chartreux but it is highly likely. If that is the case we have a purebred cat before the cat fancy was invented and before any formal cat breeds existed. By formal I mean registered and accepted by cat associations. Cat associations didn't exist until late in the 19th century. There is one thing wrong. The Chartreux eyes should be copper coloured. The eyes of the cat in the painting are of a colder color. Michael Health History and Character of the Chartreux Cat Posted on May 25, 2012 by Michael

by Michael (London, UK)

Chartreux cat photo copyright Helmi Flick please respect copyright. There are some interesting aspects of the health, history and character of the Chartreux cat. On the main page I mentioned that this cat breed can suffer from patellar luxation. This can be found in tandem with hip dysplasia. Not only can this condition cause lameness it can make the cat reluctant to jump. The limb can be locked and the cat might try and pop the kneecap back into place. Hip dysplasia is found occasionally in the Chartreux cat. The symptoms are an abnormal walk together with intermittent lameness and a reluctance to jump. The disease can degenerate to severe joint disease. Sometimes the disease only shows up later in life. Surgery may be required in cats that are consistently lame. Behavioral Traits History Registration As mentioned this cat is quiet with a silent of very soft meow. This is very similar to the British Shorthair. Indeed the blue (gray) British Shorthair could be mistaken for this breed. This notable similarity has resulted in some confusion. Firstly it seems that some authors have claimed that it is identical to the British Shorthair. Although similar it is not the same cat. The pedigrees are distinct. Also on continental Europe some breeders refer to the Chartreux as the British Blue; an unwelcome confusion. The similarity in temperament and appearance has also resulted in a merging of the two breeds by FiFe, the European cat registry, in 1970. The merged cat breed was called the Chartreux but was a blue British Shorthair in breed standard. The decision was reversed 7 years later. Sadly, the legacy of this blip in decision making can still be seen with some breeders and cat clubs continuing to use the name Chartreux for gray Brit SH cats and

gray European SH cats. Accordingly, when buying a Chartreux on the continent caution needs to be exercised as the cat could be a blue Brit SH or cross breed instead. Care and Grooming Dr Clark (Medical, Genetic & Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats), says that people who keep this cat companion should not brush the cats double coat but stroke the cat and finish with a chamois. I have never heard that before. However, the website: http://fanciers.com, says that the coat does not require much maintenance but during the molting season the dead hair should be brushed out. The coat is dense and water proof so bathing the cat has its complications. As to diet it seems that this cat prefers light non-rich food as they sometimes have sensitive stomachs. That said, owners will need to provide a diet sufficiently nutritious to maintain muscle mass in a not insubstantial cat. It would seem that the health history and character of the Chartreux Cat are somewhat intertwined with the British Shorthair cat.

BRITISH SHORTHAIR The British Shorthair is medium to large in size, the body is short (called cobby). Legs are short and strong. Bone structure is very solid. The head must be round, the skull is broad with a well rounded forehead. The ears are rather small and set wide apart. The nose is broad, straight and has a slight indentation between the eyes, but not a stop like the Exotic. The eyes are large and round and set wide apart. Eye colour is different on different coat colours: Orange eyes are found in solid colours, tabbies , white, smoke, bicolour. Blue eyes are found in white, bicolours and colourpoints (but bare in mind that the blue of a colourpoint is genetically different from the blue in a white cat!). Green eyes are found in black/blue silver shaded and silver tabbies. The jaws are broad, bite is level. The coat is short - when you hold the coat between 2 fingers the hairs should not stand over the fingers too

<="" p="" width="260" height="226"> British Shorthair blue

much - with very dense undercoat. When you touch the coat it should be firm, it should be crispy - simply to test is to stroke the coat on the back towards the head, if the hairs remain standing up like a comb the coat texture is correct, if not the coat texture is incorrect. The coat is not permitted to lie flat, it must stand up (because of the dense undercoat !). The tail is short and thick, the tail tip is rounded.

British Shorthair chocolate

British Shorthair lilac Many different colours and patterns There exist a lot of different colours and patterns, almost the same colours as for Persians: Solid colours as black, blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream. Tortie colours as black tortie, blue tortie, chocolate tortie, lilac tortie. Tabby colours in all three tabby patterns

British Shorthair bluetortie (bluecream)

(blotched, mackerel and spotted) in all the colours mentioned above also with silver, then they are called silver tabby. Colours with silver, as smoke, shaded and shell (chinchilla). Bicolour patterns, i.e. all the colours above with white. Colourpoints (as for the Persians) and also Tabby Points.

British Shorthair cream

British Shorthair kittens silver tabby

British shorthair chocolate tortie silver blotched

British Shorthair silver shaded History The British Shorthair is already mentioned in one of the first books giving a good overview about the different breeds which was issued in Britain in 1889 and the cats were shown in that famous show at Crystal Palace in 1871. In the early days British Shorthair had not been separated from the European Shorthair cats, but British breeders made a lot of efforts during the fifties to develop a separated standard for the British. Due to World War II the breed was decimated and breeders made outcrosses with Persians which led to a longer and softer coat because Persian breeders enforced the polygenes for a full and soft coat. In our days a lot of new colours were bred like chocolate and lilac British, originating from the Siamese, or the colourpoint British resulting from outcrosses with Exotics or Persians. But in all cat federations it is agreed that the head of a British should clearly differ from that of an Exotic, the nose is not

British shorthair chocolate tortie silver tabby chocolate blue spotted

permitted to show a stop and the coat of a British is firm to touch and must be shorter than that of an Exotic. Temperament The British Shorthair are independent, yet very affectionate to their people. They follow them around the house to make sure that everything is done right. Males are very people oriented. They are like little Teddy bears, extremely quiet, rather little talking, but they still very alert and can be sometimes quizzical. Everything is done cautiously, they are not seriously in a hurry. They make ideal pets for less active owners as well as for rather busy households.

British Shorthair chocolatepoint

Grooming The British Shorthair is an easy going cat, their coat does not tangle and has no tendency to get filthy or knotted. They do not need to be bathed or excessively groomed. Their coat should be lightly combed from time to time to get rid of old and dead hairs. SIAMESE The Siamese is, like her close relatives the Balinese, Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair (also called Javanese), a cat with oriental type: a very elegant, graceful and slender cat. Siamese cats are the ballet dancers in the cat world. The Siamese is of medium size, her body is slender and long, yet with a very well developed muscle strength, which is quite hard and firm. The legs are high (long) and slender with fine oval paws. The boning is fine and delicate. The head builds a long wedge which tapers to a fine muzzle. The nose is absolutely straight and long. The jaws are fine built. When viewing the

head in profile a long straight line can be seen, which starts at the top of the head and continues straight to the tip of the nose. When viewing the head from the front side the outer edges of the head build a long triangle. The skull is not supposed to be flat, it is rounded, as if the cat would wear a round helmet. The neck is long, slender and graceful, thus emphasizing the elegant lines of the Siamese. The eyes are almond in shape and slanted to the base of the ears. Their colour is of a striking deep blue. This combination between the almond shape and the oblique placement of the eyes emphasizes the oriental appearance of the Siamese. The ears are very large, very wide at their base, thus completing the triangular shape of the head and continuing the outer lines of the head. The coat is extremely short, very fine and lies sleek to the body. When you stroke the coat you get the feeling of pure silk. The main characteristique of the Siamese is her coat colour, the Siamese is a pointed cat, i.e. the colour is restricted to very few parts of the body. In the face there is a mask, ears, legs and tail are coloured, the rest of the body is almost white. This contrast between the coloured points, the white body and the deep blue eyes makes this breed very attractive. The tail is very long, rather thin and tapers to its tip.

Siamese bluepoint and seal tabbypoint Vienna Blue cattery Breeder Christel Schirrer

Siamese redpoint Liberho's cattery Ownerr Liv Holst

Okonor Agraba, Siamese white, called Foreign White Silver Fox cattery Breeder Wendel Stoop

Siamese exist in the following colours: white, which is called Foreign White sealpoint and bluepoint chocolate point and lilac point redpoint and creampoint in some organisations also cinnamon point and fawnpoint tortiepoint, i.e. with tortie patches, all colours as mentioned above and all these colours exist also with stripes (tabby), which is called Tabbypoint, f.e. seal tabbypoint, tortie tabbypoint, etc. Siamese tortiepoint

Int.Ch. D-Shiva's Ashea, Siamese sealpoint Breeder Michael Ghle

Vienna Blue Quite Blue Velvet, Siamese bluepoint Breeder Christel Schirrer

History It is supposed that the Siamese is originated in Siam (Thailand). On ancient paintings one can see an elegant cat, whose ears, paws and tail are dark coloured, with a mask on its face. The early Siamese of England and America resemble very little the modern type of today's Siamese. Those Siamese had a shorter body, round eyes and a round head, and were called 'apple head'. In the 1960s a large amount of Siamese could be admired on American exhibitions, 50 up to 60 cats were quite usual. This started to change in the 1980s, and today already a class of 10 Siamese is considered as a large class. Vienna Blue Ramses, Siamese seal tabbypoint Breeder Christel Schirrer Siamese chocolate tabbypoint Liberho's cattery Owner Liv Holst

Siam chocolate tabbypoint, Zos Kia cattery Besitzer Michael Bauer Temperament Siamese cats are talkative cats, they can get quite loud sometimes. Females, which are in heat, and lonely studs can cry with an ear splitting voice. The Siamese loves to communicate with her owner. They are active cats, who like to play. If they feel lonely without any playmate, they create one, and

anything will be dedicated to become their playmate. Siamese like to jump quite high, but they keep their balance between the narrowest things with great elegance, thus disrupting or disturbing very seldom something. Siamese are no outdoor cats, they like a cosy warm place - their normal body temperature is 1C higher than in other cats. They like to sleep on top of radiators, the television or the computer, or anything which creates heat. Siamese love their owners and demand attention and affection, they enjoy riding on their shoulders or cuddling on their knees, or to cuddle in bed under a warm blanket. These extremely intelligent cats make very good companions for people, who like to have constant companionship. Siamese will follow you, wherever you go, if you sit down, they will sit on your lap, if you eat, they will sit besides you on the chair, without being demanding or begging for food, if go to bed, they will enjoy to sleep in your bed with you. Siamese will be your friends for a life time. Grooming Siamese require little grooming. Rubbing their coat with chamois skins will remove dead hears and will produce a silk-like glistening coat. RUSSIAN The Russian is a shorthair cat, elegant, slender and high on legs, with striking green eyes. The Russian is of medium size, the body is slightly elongated. Legs are slender, high and long. The boning is medium heavy. The shape of the head forms a wedge, with a flat skull. The nose is medium long and straight. When viewed in profile, an obtuse angel can be seen, whose vertex is between the eye brows (bride of the nose), one side of the angle is built by the straight nose, the other side is built by the flat forehead which continues into the flat skull. The whiskerpads are clearly marked and rather pronounced. The eyes are almost round and have a striking intese green colour. The ears are large, open and wide at their base, almost upright placed. The coat is short and very dense, it doues not ly flat to body and stands up. The coat is said to be double. The most well known colour is the Russian Blue, whose coat has a pale blue-grey colour, where the tips of the hairs are silver tipped (i.e. the hair tips are very pale in colour), which give the

Russian Blue kittens

coat the characteristic silver shine. The tail is long, rather broad at its base. The Russian exists mainly in blue, but also white, black, chocolate and colourpoint Russian have been bred. Not all colours are recognized in all organisations.

EP&EC Fjodor Zar v. Rasputin Owner: Sari Kulha

IC FIN*Zarin Brilliant, Owner: Renate Dorenberg, EC FIN*Zarin Bellamor, Owner: Sari Kulha History The Russian is originated in the area of the Russian city Archangel. Merchants imported those cats into Europe in the mid-1800s. Archangel, Maltese, Foreign Blue and Spanish Blue had been exhibited in Crystal Palace in 1871. 1912 the Russian was registered as a separate breed. The Russian survived World War II - as many other breeds - because of the big effort of English breeders. The original Russian had orange eyes and was cobby with a rather round head. In the 1940s and 1950s Scandinavian breeders crossed them with Siamese, English breeders crossed them with bluepoint Siamese. Thus the body type and exe colour changed, the body became more slender and longer, the eye colour changed to green. Also the Himalayan gene (Siameses points) has remained in the gene pool of the Russian. EC. Anneliese Tolstois Child Breeder: Ioana Negulescu

Fairy Tale Tolstoi's Child & Final Fantasy Tolstoi's Child Zchter: Ioana Negulescu Temperament There are gentle and shy, the Russian prefer delicate handling. They are affectionate and very loyal companions of their owners. Grooming Grooming is very easy and does not need a lot of time. The breed does not need to be bathed, but regularly brushing will remove old and dead hairs and will intensify the silky shine of their coat. Pictures are a courtesy of: The Russian Blue Association of Finland