Rare Cat Breeds – The Nebelung

There are many different cat breeds around the world and many of them are kept by huge numbers of enthusiasts.  However there are still some that remain relatively rare and specialist and one such breed is the Nebelung.

About the breed

The name comes from the German word for mist or fog, nebel, along with the name of a Germanic saga called the Nibelungenlied but despite this, the breed actually originated in the US.  The foundation of the breed came from two cats called Siegfried and Brunhilde who was owned by one Cora Cobb.  Taken with the blue grey colour of her cats, who looked like Russian Blues with a semi-long haired coat, she wanted to create a new breed.  She got in touch with a geneticist from the American Cat Association called Dr Solvieg Pfleuger describe the cats as a semi-long haired Russian Blue but Russian Blue breeders objected to this.  Therefore the Nebelung was created and TICA was the first registry to recognise it. 

The aim of the breeding program is to create blue cats that look like the early Russian Blues that came to America in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.  They have a medium length coat that is very thick and shimmering, long body and tail and eyes that are yellow-green to green.  They are medium in size and have a well muscled body. 

The breed is now found across North America, Russia and Europe though remains a rare breed with only small numbers in each country.

Description

In terms of personality, these cats are said to be affectionate, good natured and playful as well as having good intelligence.  They are mild-mannered and that may lead to a misapprehension of being less bright but this isn’t the case.  They are good house cats as they prefer to be with people they know and keep away from strangers.  This isn’t to say they are hostile to people that are unknown to them, simply preferring to spend most of their time with those close to them. 

They are quite particular cats who like their food type and litter to be as they choose and thrive on routine, knowing when they will be fed and so on.  Early socialisation is very important to increase adaptability in later life or can become nervous around changes.