Out of the mist a cat appeared and pulled a passport from her pocket. Nationality: American. Name: Nebelung!
History of the Breed
Indeed, if a Nebelung kitten could show you its passport, it would proudly declare that its homeland is the United States. These kittens reached their American dream of becoming a breed of their own only in the 1980s.
In the Mile High City, better known as Denver, Elsa met “the last Russian.” Elsa was a black domestic shorthair, and “the last Russian” lived next door and looked like a Russian Blue.
Their union produced kittens: five took after their black mother, but one stood out with a solid blue coat, long legs and long fur. This remarkable kitten went to computer programmer Cora Cobb. Being an educated woman, she gave him a grand name: Siegfried, the hero of Wagner’s epic opera cycle “The Ring of the Nibelung.”
“The last Russian” and Elsa didn’t stay together long; the lady soon found another suitor, and their union produced the next litter. This time, a female kitten stood out with long, silky fur like a picture-perfect mist. Cobb took a close look at the kitten and saw great potential.
Since Wagner’s Siegfried passionately loved Brünnhilde, that settled the kitten’s name. Siegfried (born in 1984) and Brunhilde (born in 1985) turned out to be a great couple and essentially founded the new breed. Cora Cobb wrote the Nebelung breed standard herself, and TICA granted the breed championship status in 1997.
Some people still refuse to see the Nebelung as a separate breed, pointing to its obvious similarity to the Russian Blue. But the Nebelung’s distinctive features win out, and its numbers are growing slowly in most countries.
Nebelung Breed Description
Nebelungs are silky inside and out. They’re soft to live with and soft to hug, yet they never lose their regal posture and majestic manners! Breeders and owners of these “misty” cats alike give them great reviews. The right way to describe the breed: harmony between the cat’s personality and its looks.
- The Nebelung’s head is fairly small, shaped like a soft wedge. The profile is straight, the forehead high and the chin strong:
- the nose line is straight and clean, visually dividing the face. The nose leather is always gray;
- the ears are large, upright and tilted slightly forward. Ear width at the base equals ear length. The ears are set wide apart, with short, fine fur on the outside;
- the eyes are large, round and set at a slight slant toward the ears. Kittens may have yellow eyes, but by about 4 months a green ring should appear around the pupil and gradually fill the whole iris. In the end, an adult has only green eyes. Flecks of yellow in the eyes are a fault, and no green at all is disqualifying. Ideally, the greener the better;
- the neck is long and not heavy.
- What does a Nebelung look like? Probably like a professional athlete. Lean muscles and fine bones combined with a long, slender body give it a sporty build.
The legs are refined and the paws small and round. People say Nebelungs always walk on tiptoe. The paw pads match the coat: grayish-blue. The tail is long, straight and slightly pointed, and a luxurious plume is a must. Nebelungs can be fairly tall but are never heavy. An adult weighs about 5.5–11 lb.
- Coat
These cats are famous for their unusual coat. It’s flowing, silky and blue. What makes it unique is that, despite a fairly dense undercoat, it doesn’t tangle or mat. Each hair is lighter at the tip, so it sometimes looks as if a silvery cloud of mist is swirling around the cat.
- Color
The silver-tipped hairs contrast noticeably with the base color. But Nebelungs are always, without exception, blue with a distinct silver sheen. A black or white cat can be endlessly beautiful, but it will never be a Nebelung.
Personality
Sweetness and kindness: that’s the Nebelung’s personality. At heart, Nebelungs are conservative. They take a long time to get used to new surroundings or new people, and only once they’ve fully settled in do they show their true colors.
Nebelungs aren’t pushy, but they usually attach themselves heart and soul to one family member. Around that person, they’ll spread themselves out like a silk blanket, gaze into their eyes, sing cat songs in their ear and warm them with love. With the rest of the family, they’ll be friendly and playful, but no more than that.
Nebelungs can’t stand being alone. How can you tell a cat is lonely? It may refuse to eat or do forbidden things, such as going to the bathroom outside the litter box or playing with your valuables. Don’t punish your beauty right away; most likely she’s not being spiteful, just trying to get your attention. So if you’re rarely home, it’s better to get another pet so they can keep each other company while you’re away.
Many note that the Nebelung is a “compact” cat. It doesn’t need much space to live comfortably and does great in small apartments as well as houses.
Nebelungs also have a very quiet, melodic voice and can’t stand noise. These cats hate loud noises, arguments, yelling and the like. At best, they’ll hide under the couch, and sometimes they’ll even go into hand-to-hand combat with the source of the annoying sounds. All in all, they have a heart of gold!
Health
Read a vet guide and found every symptom in your cat? Not if it’s a Nebelung. Nebelungs have no known genetic diseases! It’s that rare case when a man-made breed turned out to be very robust. Of course, ordinary cat illnesses threaten Nebelungs like any other cat, but timely vaccinations and regular vet visits will help prevent them.
Nebelungs reach their prime at about 2 years old. Their average lifespan is 12–15 years.
Care
The Nebelung’s greatest treasure, its beautiful coat, needs special care. Yes, it doesn’t mat, but regular brushing removes dead hair and keeps that famous “cloud” looking its best!
IMPORTANT! Don’t bathe a Nebelung more than necessary, since it can hurt the coat’s quality. If a bath is truly needed, DON’T use pink or yellow shampoo: breeders warn that the dyes in it can affect the coat color. Lather your cat only in the direction of hair growth, and don’t forget to put cotton balls in its ears before the bath.
IMPORTANT! Sunbathing is bad for Nebelungs. Direct sunlight breaks down the coat pigment, and after long sessions on a sunny windowsill you risk ending up with a “rusty” cat that only vaguely resembles a Nebelung.
Feeding
Experts recommend feeding Nebelung kittens a homemade diet. If you plan to switch to commercial food later, introduce it gradually. Most breeders lean toward homemade food for adult Nebelungs too. Of course, a homemade diet raises the question of whether it’s complete. The price of proper nutrition is the time spent planning the menu, ideally with your vet’s help.
IMPORTANT! The coat will be in better condition if you add special supplements with sulfur and vitamins A and B.
DON’T! Breeders advise against giving Nebelungs liver, buckwheat, carrots, or supplements with iodine, seaweed or copper. These can also affect the coat color.
Photos
Nebelung fans still can’t agree where the breed’s unusual name came from. Some favor the Wagner version, while others link it to the German word “Nebel” (mist). Either way, the Nebelung’s misty nature wins hearts. They look great in photos, and they’re so smart that it seems if you trained them a little, they could take the pictures themselves.
Where to Buy a Kitten
Few cities can boast a Nebelung cattery. In the US, the breed is recognized by TICA (but not the CFA), and only a small handful of active US breeders are listed, so expect a waiting list. Some American owners import kittens from Europe, where the breed is more common today.
A Nebelung kitten from a registered US breeder typically costs about $600–1,500. Add the cost of a meet-the-kitten trip and a deposit if the breeder requires one. But every penny spent on a Nebelung kitten is worth it!
- TICA breeder listings: choose “Nebelung.”
Ask for TICA registration papers and a written health guarantee. Remember that a random longhaired gray cat can look similar, so papers matter.
The Nebelung: the American dream!
