A beautiful and striking pearl gray with a long, silky coat, such are the cats of the Nebelung breed, some of whose characteristics are inherited from Russian blue cats, as far as color is concerned, and from American long-haired cats, in terms of coat softness and length. But their image is not the only one to be adorable, because their affable and above all happy character has made many fall at the feet of these wonderful cats.
In this PlanèteAnimal sheet, we introduce you to one of the breeds of cats that are not yet fully popular in Europe to explain all their characteristics, their care and their possible he alth problems.Keep reading this article to know all the nebelung cat information you want!
Origin
- America
- United States
Physical Characteristics
- Big ears
- Strong
Size
- Average
Average Weight
- 5-6
Life expectancy
- 15-18
Character
- Active
- Affectionate
- Curious
- Shy
Climate
- Temperate
Hair type
- Long
Origin of the nebelung cat
The cats considered to be the first of the Nebelung breed were born in 1986, not so long ago, in the United States. These kittens were the descendants of a female American longhair cat and a Russian blue cat. These cats belonged to an American breeder named Cora Cobb, considered the “author” of the breed. The breed's name comes from the German word 'nebel' which means 'fog', all thanks to the gray color of their coat.
Although the general public liked these cats very much, there were some problems in terms of recognition of the breed by official bodies. Currently, thanks to the struggle of several groups of breeders, the breed is already recognized by several entities such as the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA), the World Cat Federation (WCF) and the Official Book of Feline Origins (LOOF).
Characteristics of nebelung
The Nebelung breed is considered medium-sized, weighing between 4 and 6 kilograms for males, and between 3 and 4 kilograms for females. The life expectancy of the nebelung is around 15 to 18 years.
As for the characteristics of the nebelung, this cat has a strong body, but very proportionate and balanced, with flexible and very agile extremities. The tail is long and has a long gray feather duster. The head of a nebelung should be triangular, medium-sized and with a long, straight muzzle. The ears are large, well separated and always erect. Their eyes are penetrating blue or dark green, almond shaped or round and medium in size.
The striking coat of these cats is always long and gray, the same color as that of a Russian Blue cat. This hair is soft and silky to the touch, being longer on the tail, and very dense all over the body.
Nebelung character
The character of the nebelung cat is quite grateful, as these cats are very happy and affectionate, although they are quite reserved with strangers.For this reason, it will be fundamental that we accustom our cat to people unknown to your household as soon as possible, to ensure that their socialization is adequate and that they do not show excessive fear towards our visits. In this sense, if we adopt a nebelung kitten, we must know that its stage of socialization must begin as soon as possible, since from the three months of life its implementation will be more difficult for us. Nevertheless, this does not mean that if we adopt an adult cat we cannot socialize it, since it is possible, it means that we must have more patience.
Continuing with the temperament and behavior of nebelung cats, it should be noted that they are very active and playful, which is why we can enjoy preparing games for them and playing with them. However, it may not be wise to claim that he is the ideal cat to spend time with children, especially the youngest ones, because he is not too patient and is quite temperamental, which can lead to frustration. children when they try to play with it.
On the contrary, these cats are considered to adapt quite well to coexistence with other felines as well as with other pets. They need constant company, so if we spend a lot of time away from home, they can easily suffer from disorders such as anxiety and depression. They are perfectly suited to apartment living, regardless of size.
How to take care of a nebelung?
Due to the characteristics of its coat, which is dense and long, we will have to pay attention to its maintenance, brushing it quite often. It is particularly recommended to brush it at least once a day to ensure that it is in optimal condition, although if this is not possible, 4 or 5 times a week will suffice.
These cats need a lot of activity, so to ensure the best care for the nebelung cat, we can resort to games, but also to walks, because many people like to take their nebelung out for walks, using a cat-friendly harness.If we decide to do so, it is best to choose the route of the walk carefully, avoiding traffic areas or loud or strident noises, which can scare our animal and even scare it away.
The Nebelung breed being particularly clean, we will have to keep its litter box, as well as its water bowl and food bowl, always very clean and renew them frequently. If they feel they are not toilet trained enough, they may stop eating and not even use the litter box.
Nebelung cat he alth
Nebelungs are extremely he althy cats, which is why some specimens have lived to be 20 years or more. That is why, if we keep our cat in good conditions, that is, if we give him a good diet, if he does physical exercise daily, if he has love and of the company and if he goes regularly to the veterinarian for his check-ups, we can enjoy a pet for many, many years without he alth complications.
In order for our feline to maintain its good he alth, we must ensure that its vaccines are up to date and we must deworm it both externally and internally. It is also strongly recommended to check and keep their eyes, ears and mouth clean and he althy, in order to avoid infections or problems of all kinds.
Photos of Nebelung
