Your guide to finding and caring for a Chartreux in Virginia Beach
Chartreux cats suit Virginia Beach's apartment and townhouse neighborhoods, from the high-rises at Town Center to the townhomes of Green Run. They're soft-voiced, so thin walls rarely become an issue, and they're content watching birds from a window perch. A Chartreux plays in short bursts with a wand toy, then settles near its favorite person. It's an easy match for someone home at fairly regular hours. The breed is uncommon, so saving a search on this page is a sensible way to hear when one is listed.
Say hello to your Chartreux
While we don't have enough cats near Virginia Beach, keep in mind that many rescues may offer transport.
M, 3-7 y., 1768 miles
Russian Blue, Chartreux
F, 1 y., 2346 miles
Chartreux, Domestic Short Hair
M, 6 mo., 2346 miles
Chartreux, Domestic Short Hair
F, 6 mo.-2 y., 2367 miles
Russian Blue, Chartreux
F, 6 mo.-2 y., 2372 miles
Chartreux
M, 3-7 y., 2495 miles
Chartreux, Domestic Short Hair
The Chartreux is a French breed whose blue-gray ancestors appear in writing as far back as the sixteenth century. It nearly disappeared after World War I and was rebuilt in the 1920s from natural colonies of blue cats. Every Chartreux is blue, with a dense, woolly, water-resistant coat, gold to copper eyes and a sturdy, muscular body on fairly short legs. The tapered muzzle gives many a slight smile.
Most are calm, gentle and quietly devoted, and some follow a favorite person from room to room. Expect soft chirps more than meows. Maturity is slow, and the thick coat sheds more heavily in spring and fall, so regular brushing helps through Virginia Beach's humid summers. Without play and measured meals, a Chartreux gains weight easily. As with any cat, each one differs, so an adult's personality tells you more than the breed does.
Having a Chartreux in Virginia Beach
Expect a medium-sized, plush-coated cat with a soft voice and a hunter's streak. Short play sessions, measured meals and a steady routine keep a Chartreux healthy and content in a Virginia Beach apartment or house.
Chartreux are often calm and devoted, and some pick one favorite person to shadow. Many do well with respectful children and calm pets after gradual introductions, though they tend to watch newcomers first. Each cat has its own history and comfort level, so spend time with the cat before deciding.
Plan on a few short, energetic play sessions a day with wand toys, feathers or toy mice, plus food puzzles for the mind. In a Virginia Beach apartment, a cat tree beside a window gives birdwatching time too. Regular play matters because Chartreux put on weight easily.
Chartreux are generally hardy, but patellar luxation, a kneecap that slips out of place, is documented in the breed. Weight gain and dental disease are also concerns. Measured meals, play and regular veterinary checkups help, and a veterinarian can check the knees, teeth and weight soon after adoption.
A Chartreux usually adapts well to apartments, townhomes and houses, as long as it has a cat tree, window perches and a calm atmosphere. Keeping it indoors protects it from traffic, coyotes and storms. It tolerates time alone better than very social breeds but still wants steady routines and 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* | $455 to $1,155 per year | $455 to $1,155 |
| Estimated yearly total (after year one) | $1,205 to $2,705 | |
Other costs are estimates and vary with size, age and health.
* Litter, the $5 yearly Virginia Beach license for a spayed or neutered cat, 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 Virginia Beach.
Virginia Beach's adoption options include a city-run open-admission shelter and a private SPCA, both placing cats and kittens with new families. Here are the rescues & shelters in the Virginia Beach area with cats available for adoption, worth asking whether a Chartreux is coming in.
Yes, and no known breed-specific rules apply to cats in Virginia Beach. The city requires a license for cats over four months old, $5 a year if spayed or neutered, and Virginia requires a current rabies vaccination. State law also requires adopted cats to be sterilized or covered by a sterilization agreement, which keeps the license at the lower rate.
Yes, a Chartreux usually does well in an apartment. The breed is quiet, moderately active and content with a cat tree, window perch and daily play, which suits both mid-rise buildings and garden-style communities. Read the lease for pet policies and fees first, and keep the cat indoors for safety.
Yes, as indoor cats. Summers are humid, with about a month of 90-degree days a year, mostly in July and August, so a Chartreux's dense coat is best kept in air conditioning. Offer fresh water, brush out loose fur and call a veterinarian for panting or lethargy. If the power fails during a storm, use the coolest room.
Plan on brushing once or twice a week, and daily during the heavy sheds in spring and fall. The dense, woolly coat is water-resistant, and professional grooming is rarely necessary, so the cost is mostly brushes and supplies. That small expense is already counted in the Other line of the cost table above.
Only in a small cage on buses and the VB Wave trolley. Hampton Roads Transit allows animals in cages small enough not to need a separate seat, which can be tight for a medium-sized Chartreux. The Tide light rail runs only in Norfolk and allows service animals only. For vet visits, a car with a secured carrier is usually easier.
No, a Chartreux is better off at home. Virginia's rule letting restaurants admit pets on open-air patios covers only dogs, and pet animals aren't allowed in dining rooms. Cats are also more comfortable in a cool room with a window perch and fresh water than in a crowded, hot outdoor setting.
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.
Budget about $25–$50 a month for food, $25–$50 a month for insurance, $150–$350 a year for routine vet care and $455–$1,155 a year for other costs such as litter, parasite prevention and dental care. Together that's roughly $1,200 to $2,700 a year for a Chartreux in Virginia Beach, with emergencies extra.
Looking for a different breed? Browse other cats available for adoption in Virginia Beach.
