Cat breed Carthusian
Profile
What is the special trait of this breed?
Your plush Smiley: Whenever you come across a Carthusian, it seems to be smiling at you. Especially the male adult has a striking head with a dominant nose and prominent cheeks.. The shape of nose and chin creates the characteristic facial feature, the so-called “Chartreux smile”. A plush bundle – one could think, they wear a double coat, because it is so amazingly dense. The coat does not lie close to the body; instead it sticks out a little, which makes it both fluffy and soft.
All the blue hues in the world – from steel blue through to grey blue – the Carthusian hair can display all possible nuances that come to mind. The tips of the paws, the roots of the whiskers, the nose and the backside of the ears are shimmering silver.
At birth, the Carthusian kitten coat still shows the tabby pattern; a “ghost” pattern which vanishes as the cat grows up. The coat of the adult is single-coloured.
What are the unique traits of the Carthusian?
Apart from Chartreux, the Carthusian is also known as “Chat Chien” which is French for “cat-dog” – but what does that nickname stand for?
It is not called chat chien due to its looks, even though the muzzle might recall certain dog breeds; rather the name refers to certain characteristics: The Carthusian is e.g. known to be as loyal as a dog. Some of them actually follow their human around. They even listen to commands and retrieve toys. Except for barking and tail wagging, anything goes and makes them a true “Chat Chien”.
Carthusians have a friendly disposition, are modest rather than intrusive and get along wonderfully with fellow cats as well as dogs. For children, they are great playmates. If things are too much for them, they simply withdraw: De-escalation instead of extended claws!
Very human-oriented but independent at the same time they tend to keep themselves in the background. And if they are meowing then in a very decent way.
