The Chartreux is a French breed whose blue-gray ancestors appear in sixteenth-century writing. It nearly disappeared after World War I and was rebuilt in the 1920s from natural colonies of blue cats, so it remains uncommon. Every Chartreux is blue, with a dense, woolly, water-resistant coat, gold to copper eyes and a sturdy, muscular body on fairly short legs.
Many Chartreux are calm, gentle and quietly devoted, often following a favorite person from room to room. They tend to chirp rather than meow, and some barely make a sound. Maturity is slow, the thick coat sheds seasonally, and the cat gains weight easily without play and measured meals. In Miami, that points to a cool, climate-controlled home where the cat can stay lean and comfortable.