Where did the breeds name come from?
Legend says that these cats were brought back from the Crusades by the Carthusian monks (the monks who are famous for the Chartreuse liqueur) and were later raised by the monks as companions. Although this story suits the unobtrusive temperament of the breed (some people even say the cats “took the vow of silence”) the present day order of Carthusians does not have any record of these cats. Another hypothesis is suggested by the early mentions of the Chartreux as “a type of blue cat whose pelts are traded by furriers.” The pelt was valued for the thick, wooly texture of the fur. It is possible that fur traders and clothing makers named the cat after a type of fine wool called “pile de Chartreux” which was considered very luxurious at the time.
