Shampoo for Chartreux Cats
The Chartreux is one of the oldest natural breeds in France, and the only one whose coat comes in a single colour: blue, from the lightest ash grey to the deepest slate. You recognise it by its broad head with full cheeks, which draws a permanent smile, by its copper to gold eyes, and by that powerful body set on fine legs. It is a silent cat, often described as the most discreet of companions: it rarely meows, bonds deeply with one person, and observes a house more than it crosses it.
What are the characteristics of the Chartreux?
Its coat is short to medium short, but do not be fooled: it is a double coat, with a very dense woolly undercoat that the guard hair barely covers. That density gives the coat its characteristic texture, which breaks into locks at the neck, on the chest and on the flanks, rather like a fleece. It protects the cat from cold and damp, and it also explains why a Chartreux takes longer to dry than an ordinary short haired cat.
The Chartreux is a slow growing cat: it only reaches its final form at around two or three years old, and males remain noticeably more imposing than females. The spring moult is pronounced and leaves a great deal of undercoat behind. That is the time when brushing stops being a comfort and becomes a necessity, or the fur will mat close to the skin, where you cannot see it.
Where does the Chartreux come from?
Its name keeps a persistent confusion alive. Legend has it that the breed was raised by the monks of the Grande Chartreuse, but no monastic document confirms it. The more serious hypothesis points to the pile de Chartreux, a Spanish wool renowned in the eighteenth century for its softness and its thickness: the cat would have been named after the cloth its coat brought to mind.
The breed is described as early as the eighteenth century and appears in the naturalist classifications of the time under the name blue cat of France. It nearly disappeared after the Second World War, and it was rebuilt from an island population, notably on Belle-Île-en-Mer. Today's Chartreux descends directly from that rescue work.
How do you look after a Chartreux?
Weekly brushing is enough outside the moult, provided you reach the undercoat rather than simply smoothing the surface. In spring, move to several times a week. Bathing stays occasional: the Chartreux washes itself very well, and washing it too often removes the protective film that gives its fur its fall and its water resistance.
When you do wash it, choose a shampoo that respects the colour rather than a universal product. Blue coats dull quickly and turn brown if the hair is stripped. Lady Silver is formulated to revive grey and blue coats, and Lady Traital suits a cat whose skin reacts easily. Always dry thoroughly: on that woolly undercoat, residual damp is the first cause of irritation. The full cat shampoo range is on our category page.
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