PURRFECT PEDIGREE
he Chartreux is an French ‘dog-cat’, ancient breed with but I took a chance They’ve got a long history, but and reserved a male Tis still relatively kitten, Jay. the look unheard of in the UK. However, “My wife and I fell The Chartreux is due to the breed’s calm, in love with him and They have sweet faces. sometimes confused with affectionate, and inquisitive the breed, and I think that the British Shorthair, due nature, it shouldn’t be the Chartreux ticks all the to its semi-cobby body long before these cats find right boxes. They are very Club UK in October 2016. It is and full cheeks, but these themselves in more family affectionate, although they’re now a provisional member of cats definitely have an homes across Britain. not lap cats, as they’re not the GCCF. identity of their own. The The breed club was only constantly trying to crawl on “As we had the first males have well-developed formed last year by lifelong you. They’re just a real delight registered male in the UK, jowls and are generally dog lover, Goran Nilsson, to have around and I can’t I thought that it would be larger than the females, who took a chance on the fault their personalities. nice to also have the first who tend to be smaller Chartreux and fell in love with “They are friendly towards registered female and the first but still well muscled. They the breed’s charming and everyone, including visitors, registered kittens,” says Goran. have large, beautiful eyes inquisitive personality. but they tend to bond with “We got our queen, Lilly, in which vary from yellow “After my elderly one person. Jay and I are October 2015 and she gave to copper in colour. Their Labrador was put to sleep mates; he is always trying to birth to five lovely kittens in coats are only ever blue, in 2013, I decided I wanted ‘help’, and when I come home, December last year. The way but the colour can range another pet: a smaller, cuddly he always likes to meet me by Jay behaved as a dad was from pale to deep shades. one who I didn’t have to take the door.” extraordinary; he spent a lot It has often been said for walks!” jokes Goran, from of time with both mum and that the breed looks like Ashford, Kent. CLEVER KITTIES the kittens, even cleaning the it’s smiling, due to its full “A French friend told me Goran also explains that the kittens’ bottoms!” whisker pads and firm chin, 25 years ago that in France Chartreux is very intelligent He continues: “I recently which allows the cats to they have a cat breed they and Jay has learned the took Jay and a female to the have sweet expressions. call the ‘dog-cat’. He never commands ‘no’, ‘stay’, and ‘sit’, National Pet Show, and they mentioned the name of the will play hide-and-seek, and proved to be really popular breed, so I didn’t know recognises sentences such as with visitors — many were “They’re just what I should look for when ‘Do you want to go out in attracted to their soft coats I searched on the internet, but the garden?’. and beautiful eyes. a real delight eventually I found Chatterie “I applied to have the breed “Based on the experience at de l’Etoile du Soir in Lower recognised by the GCCF in the show, I think they’rey goingg to have around Normandy (a well-known May 2015 and it gainedneed sstatustatta us to bbecbebecomeomeme momorere ppopular.opular. Thee breeder of the Chartreux).” five months later,” explainsxplainaia s litlittletlelle ggirlirl wass papassedssed aaround;round; and I can’t He continues: “Of course, Goran, who, with a coupleouplple shee wawassss ssoo ccalmalma anandd ttookook it alallll faufaultlt their I didn’t know if the Chartreux who also owned a Chartreux,harh treux, iinn herh ststride,ridde,e aalthoughlthough sshehe wawass they were breeding was the co-founded the Chartreuxrtrrtr euxeuuuxx CaCatat fflakedlakedk ououtt bbyy ffourour o’o’clock!”clock!” ▲ ppersonalities.”ersonalities.” History and origins Although the origins of France until the the breed are unclear, early 20th century.y. it’s believed that its However, after the ancestors originated in First World War, the mountainous regions French breeders of Turkey and Iran. They became interestedd were brought to France in preserving by returning crusaders in the cats, as no majorjor the 13th century and the breeding colonies ofof purepure country adopted the breed. Chartreux existed. OOnene It is possible that these colony was found living on cats were named after the an island off the coastoast of luxurious Spanish wool, Brittany by Christinene and ‘la pile des Chartreux’, Suzanne Léger, whoho bebegangan because of the woolly monitoring the catsts anandd nature of their coats. eventually began selectiveselective Natural colonies were breeding. The moderndern known to exist in Paris Chartreux descendsds fromfrom and in isolated regions of these cats. A beautiful,
male Chartreux. Pickett/www.jandrphotos.com Image: Robert
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