Emma Jones
Would you like a clingy pedigree cat that you don’t have to share with anyone? Then you should try to win the favor of a Nebelung. The beautiful blue cat with the shimmering fur is characterized by its friendliness – but it rewards its caregiver with particularly intense affection. The Nebelung is a sensitive, cautious velvet paw who prefers things to be quiet and unexcited, but by no means boring. Meet the attractive American!
Nebelung: character
The Nebelung is a sensitive cat that is initially shy around people. She chooses carefully who to put her trust in. Most of the time, the cat develops an intensive bond with the “closest family circle” after getting to know each other. She proves to be clingy, playful, and cuddly towards the lucky “chosen ones”. However, people first have to earn this trust and create a safe framework in which the Nebelung can develop according to their nature.
Due to the selective reference to people, a Nebelung is ideal as a housemate for singles or couples who also take it easy. On the other hand, the animal will not feel comfortable in a turbulent extended family with noisy children or households with many visitors.
Give your Nebelung the opportunity to get used to people and surroundings in peace and quiet and don’t push them into anything. Once the animal has found its routines and reference persons, it proves to be extremely good-natured and – in the right mood – also ready for power games. The Nebelung needs the full attention of its people and then shows itself to be agile and active. Unlike some “talkative” races, the Nebelung is reluctant to vocalize. Making noise is not in their nature.
The Nebelung prefers regulated daily routines and a calm atmosphere in a predictable, safe environment. However, that doesn’t mean that boredom is king. A Nebelung also needs variety in quiet phases, for example, a comfortable observation post with a view of the garden or the street.
The pedigree cat greatly appreciates the company of a conspecific – ideally that of a cat with a similar personality. An energetic whirlwind, on the other hand, can be exhausting for the more leisurely Nebelung.
However, the cautious behavior often only sets in when the animals grow up: kittens often have a temperament that is atypical for adult specimens.
Keeping and caring for the Nebelung
The Nebelung’s medium-length, the dense coat requires more grooming than that of a shorthair cat. To avoid matting, comb or brush the cat carefully several times a week. Once the cat is used to this treatment, it will enjoy it as a form of feline wellness.
There is no known disposition for diseases typical of the Nebelung, but the breed has not existed long enough to derive binding statements about this. Life expectancy for animals of this breed is 15 to 18 years.
Since the cats are very sensitive, they often do not put away excitement so easily. This can manifest itself in the form of diarrhea, vomiting, and even behavioral disorders if the stress is prolonged.
If your velvet paw loses substance, this is often not immediately apparent due to its thick fur – so check the cat’s weight regularly on the scales so that you can quickly investigate the cause if necessary. Conversely, you can also tell early on when the elegant fur nose threatens to become a chubby sofa lion: Many Nebelung cats tend to be overweight.
A Nebelung reacts to nutrition in a similarly sensitive manner as in other areas. Choose preferably high-quality feed with a high meat content and reach for grain-free products with a low fat or sugar content. If you ever have to change your usual brand of food for any reason, make a careful transition.
If you are interested in purchasing a Nebelung, you have to reckon with acquisition costs of between 950 and 1,300 euros.
Nebelung: Colors
According to the breed standard, a Nebelung can only have one color: blue and plain. Badges, stripes, or spots are not desirable. So-called ghost markings, which sometimes appear in kittens on the body as tabby or ringed patterns on the tail, usually fade by the age of two.
The breeding standard specifications for the Nebelung are aligned with those of the “Russian Blue” breed. The main difference is the length of the fur. The Nebelung’s fur has a special feature compared to other blue cats: the tips of the individual hairs are silvery or light – in technical jargon this is called “ticking”. This makes it appear as if the animal is surrounded by a shimmering mist. The breed owes its name to this look.