- Cat breeds
- Medium cat
- Short, dense coat
- Origin: France
The Chartreux is a sturdy blue-gray French cat with copper eyes and a gentle, smiling expression. It is a quiet, slow-maturing breed that takes three to five years to reach its full size. Here you’ll find how big Chartreux cats get, a kitten growth chart and their care needs.
How big do Chartreux cats get?
According to Purina, adult male Chartreux cats weigh 10–15 lb (4.5–6.8 kg) and females 6–11 lb (2.7–5 kg). That makes the Chartreux a medium cat on our size scale. Body type: medium to large and robust, with fine legs, a broad chest and a rounded head with a 'smiling' expression.| Chartreux | Weight |
|---|
CFA says males reach about 14 lb and females are noticeably smaller; PetMD gives 6–12 lb.
Weight alone does not tell you whether a cat is healthy. A body condition score of 4–5 out of 9 (ribs easy to feel, a visible waist) matters more than the number on the scale.
Chartreux growth chart: kitten weight by age
Chartreux kitten weight chart (lb and kg)
| Age | Male kitten | Female kitten |
|---|---|---|
| 8 weeks | 2.2 lb1 kg | 1.9 lb0.9 kg |
| 10 weeks | 2.7 lb1.2 kg | 2.4 lb1.1 kg |
| 3 months | 3.7 lb1.7 kg | 3.2 lb1.4 kg |
| 4 months | 4.5 lb2 kg | 3.8 lb1.7 kg |
| 5 months | 5.2 lb2.4 kg | 4.3 lb2 kg |
| 6 months | 5.9 lb2.7 kg | 4.8 lb2.2 kg |
| 9 months | 7.7 lb3.5 kg | 6 lb2.7 kg |
| 12 months | 8.9 lb4 kg | 6.6 lb3 kg |
| 18 months | 10.4 lb4.7 kg | 7.2 lb3.3 kg |
| 2 years | 11.4 lb5.2 kg | 7.6 lb3.4 kg |
| 3 years | 12.1 lb5.5 kg | 8.1 lb3.7 kg |
| Adult (3–5 years) | 12.5 lb5.7 kg | 8.5 lb3.9 kg |
When is a Chartreux full grown?
Chartreux cats are a slow-maturing breed: CFA says the Chartreux reaches maturity at about three to five years, with males maturing more slowly than females; Purina agrees. Most of the weight still goes on in the first year. At 1 year a typical male is around 8.9 lb and a female around 6.6 lb, about 71% and 77% of their adult weight.How we calculate this: each figure is the midpoint of the breed’s adult weight range multiplied by the share of adult weight a kitten of that sex typically reaches at that age. The shares come from the WALTHAM kitten growth data (Salt et al., 2022; healthy domestic shorthair kittens), stretched over the breed’s slower maturity of about 4 years (a BarnCalc estimate, as no growth standard exists for this breed). Kittens that are spayed or neutered early often grow a little faster and end up heavier.
Chartreux kitten size calculator
Enter your kitten’s age and current weight to estimate how big your Chartreux will be as an adult. The calculator is preset for the breed.Kitten Size Calculator
How big will my kitten get? Estimated adult weight from its current age and weight.
Most reliable from about 8 weeks to 12 months.
A kitchen or baby scale works best for small kittens.
Large breeds such as the Maine Coon, Ragdoll or Siberian keep growing for years.
Males usually end up heavier and keep growing a little longer.
| Age milestone | Projected weight |
|---|
Cat breed weight chart (lb & kg) by size
| Size | Typical adult weight | Example breeds |
|---|---|---|
| Small | under 8 lb / 3.6 kg | Singapura, Devon Rex, Cornish Rex |
| Medium | 8–12 lb / 3.6–5.4 kg | Most domestic cats, Abyssinian, Russian Blue, Persian |
| Large | 12 lb+ / 5.4 kg+ | Maine Coon, Ragdoll, Norwegian Forest Cat, Siberian |
Breed figures vary between sources; see each breed page for its own range and sources.
How it works: kittens reach a predictable share of their adult weight at each age. The tool divides your kitten's current weight by that share, using growth data from thousands of healthy kittens, and shows the result as a range. For slow-maturing breeds the same curve is stretched over the breed's longer growth period (our estimate).
Disclaimer: estimates for planning only, not veterinary advice. Growth varies with genetics, sex, diet and neutering (kittens neutered early often grow faster and end up heavier). Weigh your kitten regularly and talk to your vet.
Sources: Salt et al., PLOS ONE 2022 (WALTHAM kitten growth standards) · KGC1 dataset (CC BY 3.0)
Chartreux personality and temperament
The Chartreux is even-tempered, adaptable and quieter than most breeds. It is loyal and affectionate without being demanding, often following its owners from room to room. It communicates with soft chirps, murmurs and touches of the paw rather than loud meows. It loves hunting-style toys and is a skilled mouser.-
Activity level3/5
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Affection4/5
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Talkativeness1/5
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Good with children4/5
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Good with other pets4/5
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Shedding4/5
Ratings are BarnCalc’s own 1–5 scale, based on the breed descriptions of the registries and the sources cited below. Individual cats vary.
History and origin
Blue cats in France are mentioned in literature as early as the 16th century. Legend says Carthusian monks kept them at the Grande Chartreuse monastery, although the name may instead come from a Spanish wool. Selective breeding began in France in the 1920s using natural colonies of blue cats, and the first Chartreux were imported to North America in 1970. Breeders have kept the breed largely unchanged since then.Chartreux lifespan and health
Most Chartreux cats live 12–15 years. Curious how old that is in human terms? Try our cat age in human years calculator.Health conditions documented in the breed
- Patellar luxation (slipping kneecaps), a heritable condition
- Weight gain in mature cats
- Dental disease
Health tests to ask a breeder for
Ask to see the results for both parents before you reserve a kitten:- Veterinary knee (patellar) check of breeding cats
- Ask about patellar luxation in the kitten's family line
This is general information, not veterinary advice. Talk to your vet about your own cat.
Grooming and care
| Coat | Medium-short, dense double coat with a resilient, woolly undercoat |
| Colors | Blue only, from ash to slate gray with silver tips; eyes copper to gold, deep orange preferred |
| Grooming | Brush weekly, more often during the heavy spring and fall shedding |
| Shedding and allergies | Not hypoallergenic; heavy seasonal shedding (CFA does not recommend it for allergy sufferers) |
| Play and exercise | Moderate; loves hunting-style and moving toys, then long naps |
| Indoor living | Calm, adaptable indoor cat that follows its people around without being demanding |
How much should a Chartreux eat?
A healthy adult Chartreux that is spayed or neutered needs roughly 180–355 kcal a day at the breed’s typical weight of 6–15 lb. Intact and very active cats need more; indoor cats that gain weight easily need less. The table below shows the full range for different adult weights.| Adult weight | Spayed / neutered (kcal/day) | Intact (kcal/day) | Dry food only* | Wet food only* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 lb2.7 kg | 180–210 | 210–235 | 45–52 g | 180–210 g |
| 10 lb4.5 kg | 260–305 | 305–350 | 65–76 g | 260–305 g |
| 15 lb6.8 kg | 355–415 | 415–470 | 89–104 g | 355–415 g |
Daily calories = 70 × body weight in kg0.75 × 1.2–1.4 for spayed/neutered adults or 1.4–1.6 for intact adults (AAHA 2021). *Example amounts for a dry food with 4 kcal per gram and a wet food with 1 kcal per gram; foods vary, so always check the calories on your food’s label and split the total into at least two meals. Kittens need much more energy per pound than adults: feed a kitten food until about 12 months; slow-maturing large breeds are sometimes kept on a kitten or all-life-stages food for longer, so ask your vet when to switch.
Breeding and pregnancy
Like all cats, a pregnant Chartreux carries her kittens for about 63–65 days (around nine weeks).Is a Chartreux right for you?
A great fit for
Calm households, families with children, apartment living, and people who want a quiet, loyal cat.Think twice if
You have cat allergies, as the dense coat sheds heavily, or you want a very talkative, attention-seeking cat.Chartreux FAQ
When is a Chartreux full grown?
How big do Chartreux cats get?
How much should a 6-month-old Chartreux kitten weigh?
How long do Chartreux cats live?
What is the difference between a Chartreux, a British Shorthair and a Russian Blue?
When is a Chartreux full grown?
Similar breeds
More cat calculators and guides
- Cat weight calculatorIs my cat overweight?
- Cat age in human yearsCalculator and age chart
- Cat gestation calculatorDue date and pregnancy timeline
- How long are cats pregnant?Signs and stages week by week
- All cat guidesBreeds, calculators and charts
Sources
- Purina breed profile
- Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA)
- PetMD
- Salt C. et al. (2022), growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in intact domestic shorthair kittens, PLOS ONE
- Kitten growth dataset (KGC1), University of Liverpool DataCat, CC BY 3.0
- PetMD: cat pregnancy, signs, stages and care (gestation 63–65 days)
- AAHA Nutrition and Weight Management Guidelines (2021): energy requirement calculations
Main photo: Nicolas Pamart, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Reviewed by grupo barncalc.com on November 11, 2026. Estimates are for planning only and are not veterinary advice.