Your guide to finding and caring for a Chartreux in Honolulu
A Chartreux is a good fit for a small Honolulu apartment, because it's quiet and content watching the street from a window. In an older Makiki building or a Salt Lake condo, its soft chirps rarely carry through the walls. Chartreux tend to pick one favorite person and follow them from room to room, then play in short bursts, so a wand toy after work keeps them lean. The dense blue coat is the one thing to plan for in Honolulu's warmth, so brush often and keep air moving.
Say hello to your Chartreux
While we don't have enough cats near Honolulu, keep in mind that many rescues may offer transport.
M, 3-7 y., 3209 miles
Chartreux, Russian Blue
M, 0-6 mo., 3209 miles
Russian Blue, Chartreux
M, 3-7 y., 3209 miles
Russian Blue, Chartreux
M, 6 mo.-2 y., 4056 miles
Chartreux
F, 0-6 mo., 4938 miles
Chartreux, Domestic Short Hair
M, 0-6 mo., 4938 miles
Chartreux, Domestic Short Hair
The Chartreux is a medium-sized French cat with a plush, water-resistant blue-gray coat, gold to copper eyes and a sturdy, muscular body on fairly short legs. Blue cats show up in French writing as far back as the 1500s, and the modern breed was rebuilt in the 1920s after nearly disappearing following World War I. It remains uncommon, so the listings on this page and similar breeds are both worth a look.
Chartreux are quiet and steady. Many are gentle and loyal, chirp more than they meow, and attach to one favorite person. They mature slowly, over three to five years, and gain weight easily without play and measured meals. Shedding is seasonal, and in Honolulu's warmth a regularly brushed coat is a comfortable one. Every cat differs, so judge the cat in front of you, not the breed label.
Having a Chartreux in Honolulu
Chartreux are sturdy, medium-sized cats whose quiet manner, short play sessions and tendency to gain weight shape daily life. In Honolulu, the practical points are keeping a dense coat comfortable in the warmth and giving an indoor cat enough to do.
Chartreux tend to be calm, gentle and loyal, and many watch newcomers before engaging. They usually do well with respectful children and calm pets after gradual introductions. In a condo with neighbors close by, a cat that stays unbothered by hallway noise makes life easier, so notice how the cat reacts to people and sounds.
Expect short, intense play bursts followed by naps. Wand toys, feathers and toy mice use the Chartreux's hunting instinct, and food puzzles add mental work. Two or three sessions a day help keep weight in check, which matters because the breed gains weight easily. A window perch over the street adds entertainment without going outside.
Chartreux are generally hardy. Patellar luxation, a kneecap that slips out of place, is documented in the breed, and weight gain and dental disease are common in mature cats. Measured meals, regular play and yearly checkups help, and a veterinarian can check the kneecaps and teeth at the first visit. Indoor living also keeps a cat away from traffic and toads in wet yards.
A Chartreux adapts well to a condo, a low-rise apartment or a house, as long as it has a cat tree and a window perch. In Honolulu's high-rises, secure screens and closed lanai doors matter. Calm and medium-sized, it tolerates workdays alone better than very social breeds, but still wants steady routines and evening company.
| Expense | Typical cost | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Pet insurance | $25 to $50 per month | $300 to $600 |
| Routine vet care | $150 to $350 per year | $150 to $350 |
| Other* | $450 to $1,150 per year | $450 to $1,150 |
| Estimated yearly total (after year one) | $1,200 to $2,700 | |
Other costs are estimates and vary with size, age and health.
* Litter, parasite prevention, a dental cleaning allowance, toys and scratchers, and brushing supplies for seasonal shedding.
Now that you know more, let’s find you a new best friend. These rescues and shelters below have cats available in and near Honolulu.
Oʻahu's adoption community includes an open-admission humane society with two campuses, alongside a no-kill shelter and foster-based rescues. Here are the rescues & shelters in the Honolulu area with cats available for adoption, worth asking whether a Chartreux is coming in.
Yes. Honolulu has no known breed bans, so a Chartreux is treated like any other cat, and the main city requirement is a registered microchip. Rental and condo rules usually matter more than city law, so get pet approval in writing. Because Chartreux are uncommon, watch the listings on this page and consider similar breeds or nearby cities.
Yes, a Chartreux is well suited to apartments. It's medium-sized, quiet and content with short play sessions, which fits Honolulu condos and low-rise buildings. Give it a tall cat tree, a window perch and daily wand play, and keep lanai doors and screens secure. Read your lease for pet limits before committing to a unit.
Often, yes, for people who want a calm indoor companion. A Chartreux handles small homes, quiet routines and workdays alone better than very social breeds, though it still wants daily play and evening company. The main adjustments are keeping the dense coat cool and brushed in Honolulu's year-round warmth and keeping weight in check with regular play.
Yes, with some planning. Honolulu summers run about 75 to 88°F with humid, sunny days, and a Chartreux's dense coat holds heat. Indoors with a fan or air conditioning, fresh water and shaded windows, most cats do well. Keep the cat inside through the afternoon heat, never leave one in a parked car, and brush often.
Plan on brushing two or three times a week, and daily during seasonal sheds, when extra loose undercoat comes out. Honolulu's year-round warmth means a clean, well-brushed coat is more comfortable for the cat. Baths are rarely needed. Brushing supplies fall within the $450 to $1,150 yearly Other cost, alongside litter and dental care.
Yes, in a carrier. TheBus allows animals only in a small enclosed container held on your lap or placed under the seat, and Skyline asks for a cage or carrier that fits under the seat or on your lap. A Chartreux weighs about 7 to 14 pounds, so pick a carrier roomy enough for the cat but small enough to fit under a seat.
Yes, Chartreux cats are rare, especially outside France. Relatively few are registered each year in the United States, and they seldom appear in shelters. Many blue-gray shelter cats are domestic shorthairs or mixes rather than Chartreux. Breed rescues and cat rescues occasionally have adult Chartreux available, so watching listings regularly helps.
Chartreux is pronounced shar-TROO in French, and many English speakers say shar-TREW. The name may come from the Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery, though some historians link it to a Spanish wool. Whichever origin is true, the breed's name is tied to its French homeland.
You can identify a Chartreux by its solid blue-gray woolly coat, gold to copper eyes, sturdy muscular body on fairly short legs and a rounded head with a tapered muzzle that looks like a smile. Look-alikes include Russian Blues, which have green eyes and a sleeker coat, and British Shorthairs, which are rounder. Pedigree papers confirm a purebred.
Expect roughly $50 to $100 a month for food and insurance combined, plus $150 to $350 a year for routine vet care and $450 to $1,150 a year for other costs such as litter, parasite prevention and dental care. That puts a typical year at about $1,200 to $2,700, before any emergency or illness.
Looking for a different breed? Browse other cats available for adoption in Honolulu.
