Breed history
The origins of Chartreux date back to the Middle Ages; his ancestors would be blue cats who came to Europe with the Crusaders from Syria. In the 18th century, cats with blue-grey coats began to be called Chartreux, whose fur was exploited by the furriers of the time. They used it to make clothes.
The history of the Chartreux as a breed proper began in the 1920s, when the Léger sisters, who lived on the Breton island of Belle-Île-en-Mer, could obtain blue kittens by marrying a female called Marquise to a male named Coquito. Christine and Suzanne Léger began exhibiting their Chartreux towards the end of the decade, and several of these felines have received awards.
The first detailed morphological description of the Chartreux, in 1930, is attributed to Dr. Philippe Jumaud, veterinarian and founder of the Cat Club of France and Belgium. On occasion, a scientific name has even been given to this breed of cat: Felis catus cartusianorum.
The Chartreux already had illustrious enthusiasts at the time, including the writer Colette. The latter had even written a novel entitled La Chatte (1933), whose protagonist was a female of the race called Saha.
The variety suffered from confusion with the blue British Shorthair for a time. Crossings carried out here, and there did not help the situation, but breeders worked to preserve the Chartreux breed to restore the distinction.
Today, Chartreux is very popular in France and neighboring countries: Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy in particular.
