Origin
The American foundation of this cat breed was laid by the cats Siegfried (1984) and Brunhilde (1985). Cora Cobb, the owner of Siegfried and Brunhilde, was very impressed by the beauty of her blue/grey cats. Siegfried and Brunhilde looked like a Russian Blue but with a semi-long coat. To find out if it was possible to start a new breed with these cats Cora got in touch with the geneticist of the American Cat Association. This geneticist, DR. Solveig Pfleuger, said that the breed was best defined as semi-long haired Russian Blue. Supported by DR. Pfleuger, Cora Cobb wrote the breeding standard according to the blue Russian, but with a difference: its coat length.
TICA is the first association to recognize the Nebelung and provides the breed standard. The goal of the Nebelung breeding program is to produce a blue cat with the same type as those imported from Russia in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and to combine this type with a thick shimmering coat of medium length. The body and tail are long, the ears large in proportion to the head and the eyes range in color from yellowish green to green. Size is medium and the body well muscled. The coat is medium long on the body, longer on the tail, with lighter colored guard hairs. The overall appearance is long, sturdy and well muscled.
The Nebelung around the globe
The Nebelung is a rather new breed, with breeders in America, Canada, Russia and Europe. At present the Nebelung is recognized by TICA, WCF, LOOF and the independent cat associations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany. And currently is being applied for recognition of the breed in ACFA. It is still rather rare, so one must be prepared to wait for a kitten or cat of this breed.
Character
Nebelung cats are lively, playful, affectionate, good-natured and intelligent cats. Many owners will ignorantly believe their mild-mannered state and personality is a sign of low intelligence. This is not true; the Nebelung being one of the (if not the most) intelligent domestic cats alive. In spite of the fact that it is an active cat, it can live very well indoors. The Nebelung prefers their own family and often keep a distance to strangers. It is, however, a cat which gladly accepts company of its people or of another cat. Nebelungs are very good communicators, and never hesitate to remind their owners of any problems. This happens often since Nebelungs can be very picky about things such as litter cleanliness and food.
