Chartreux

The Chartreux, or the Chartreuse, is an internationally recognized breed of domestic cat from France. The Chartreux is large and muscular, with short fine-boned limbs, big paws, and very fast reflexes. They are known for their blue (grey) water-resistant short hair double-coats and gold- or copper-colored eyes. Chartreux cats are also known for their "smile"; due to the structure of their heads and their long, tapered muzzle, they often appear to be smiling. Chartreux are exceptional hunters and were highly prized by farmers. The first letter of the official name of a Chartreux cat encodes the year of its birth; all Chartreux born in the same year have official names beginning with the same letter. The code letters rotate through the alphabet each year, omitting the letters K, Q, W, X, Y, and Z. For example, a Chartreux born in 2002 would have an official name starting with the letter T.