Nebelung care: settling in a shy cat, coat and calories

The Nebelung is a semi-longhaired blue cat with green eyes, developed in the United States in the 1980s and first shown at a TICA show in 1989. According to the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, adults weigh 8 to 16 pounds (about 3.5 to 7 kg), males noticeably heavier than females, and usually live 15 to 18 years. The founder named the first kittens after characters in Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung and gave the breed a German name meaning "creature of the mist". Nebelungs are often described as longhaired Russian Blues. The GCCF calls that incorrect: the two look alike, but the Nebelung is a separate breed.

How a shy cat settles in

Nebelungs tend to be shy at first and can take a while to settle in a new home. Once settled, they bond closely with their own household, like being petted and will play games such as fetch, but they often stay wary of strangers. The GCCF also describes them as intelligent and fairly energetic, and notes that they do not like being left alone for long periods.

That combination shapes the first weeks. A new Nebelung may spend several days hiding, which is normal. Start it in one quiet room with food, water, a litter tray, a scratching post and somewhere enclosed to sleep, and let it come out and explore when it is ready. Picking it up or pulling it out of a hiding place usually sets things back. Early, gentle handling of kittens matters for this breed, because a well-socialized Nebelung copes far better with visitors, vet visits and moves.

Routine, change and stress

Cats rarely show stress openly. The AAFP and ISFM environmental needs guidelines point out that stress in pet cats is frequently caused by needs going unmet without the owner realizing, and that it shows up as abnormal or unwanted behavior. In a reserved cat, the signs are easy to miss: more hiding, eating less, grooming one patch of skin over and over, or peeing and pooping outside the tray.

• Meals: feed at the same times each day.
• Core territory: keep the food, water, litter tray and main sleeping spot where they are. If something has to move, move it gradually.
• Visitors: ask guests to ignore the cat and leave it a clear route to a hiding place.
• Absences: a sitter who visits the home is usually less disruptive for a shy cat than a boarding cattery.

Any of those signs that start suddenly, especially a change in eating or litter habits, also warrant a vet check, since pain and urinary problems can look like stress.

The blue coat and its care

The coat is semi-long, with a fine undercoat under thicker guard hairs, dense but soft and silky. The color is an even medium blue down to the roots, and ideally the guard hairs carry silver tips that give a light silver sheen, though on many cats this shows mainly on the head and shoulders. Males may grow a fuller ruff. Kittens can show faint "ghost" tabby markings and yellow eyes that turn green with age.

Two things surprise new owners. The adult coat can take up to two years to develop fully, so a young Nebelung often looks sleeker than an adult. And the length and density of the undercoat change with the seasons, so shedding comes in waves.

The GCCF says the coat needs minimal brushing, and a weekly comb is enough for most cats. Swallowed hair during a heavy shed is the main reason to comb more often.

Health

The GCCF describes the Nebelung as a hardy breed with no known breed-related diseases. It is also a small breed with limited published health data, so "no known" partly reflects how little has been studied. Routine yearly checks, vaccinations, parasite control and dental care cover most of what a Nebelung needs.

Heart disease

Nebelungs are sometimes said to share a risk of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with the Russian Blue. Cornell's Feline Health Center calls HCM the most common heart disease of cats and lists the breeds in which it is more prevalent, including the Maine Coon, Ragdoll, British Shorthair and Persian. Neither the Nebelung nor the Russian Blue is on that list. Any cat can develop it, though, and many affected cats look well until a clot or heart failure appears.

Signs that need a vet the same day: fast or labored breathing at rest, open-mouthed breathing, sudden weakness, or sudden pain or paralysis in the back legs. HCM is diagnosed with an ultrasound scan of the heart (echocardiography), so if a murmur or irregular rhythm turns up at a routine check, ask whether a scan is needed.

Weight

The GCCF's main warning for owners is the breed's hearty appetite, which can make a sleek cat stout quickly. Weight matters. In a study of more than 1,400 cats followed for four and a half years, obese cats were 3.9 times as likely to develop diabetes and 4.9 times as likely to need veterinary care for lameness as cats at optimal weight.

A dense coat hides a lot of body fat, so feel rather than look. The ribs should be easy to feel under a light covering, with a slight waist behind them. Weighing a Nebelung monthly on a baby or kitchen scale catches slow gain early. An overweight cat that stops eating for more than a day needs a vet promptly, because cats that go without food can develop fatty liver disease.

Diet and daily calories

Nebelungs have no breed-specific dietary requirements. They need what any adult cat needs, in portions matched to a fairly small indoor cat. Energy needs in the Merck Veterinary Manual start from resting energy requirement (70 times body weight in kilograms to the power 0.75), multiplied by 1.4 for an intact adult cat, 1.2 for a neutered one and 1.0 for a cat prone to obesity:

Merck notes that two animals of the same weight can differ by as much as 30% in what they need, so the scale decides. Feed measured meals rather than leaving a full bowl down, and count treats.

• Protein and taurine. Cats need taurine from their diet, and a deficiency can cause dilated cardiomyopathy and retinal degeneration. Plant proteins contain none. A complete and balanced cat food supplies enough, and AAFCO sets a minimum of 26% protein on a dry matter basis for adult cats.
• Water. Canned food is 60% to over 87% moisture, against 3% to 11% for dry food, and cats eating mostly canned food drink less as a result. A mix of wet and dry, or all wet, puts more water into the diet itself.
• Hairballs. Regular combing during shedding does more than any special food. A cat that vomits hairballs often, or retches without producing anything, should be checked.

Supplements for coat shine are not needed on a complete diet. Dog food and homemade diets built from a few ingredients are often inadequate for cats, and a home-cooked recipe should come from a veterinary nutritionist.

Setting up the home

The AAFP and ISFM guidelines apply to every pet cat, but a shy, active breed shows the difference quickly when the basics are missing.

• Hiding places: several enclosed spots, such as a covered bed, a box on its side or a shelf in a cupboard, in more than one room.
• Height: a sturdy cat tree or shelves, ideally one near a window, so the cat can watch the room from above.
• Separate resources: food, water and litter tray in different places, with the tray away from noisy appliances and busy hallways.
• Play: short daily sessions with a wand toy that moves like prey, ending with a catch. Let the cat approach the toy rather than pushing it at the cat.
• Company: because Nebelungs dislike long spells alone, plan for someone to check in and play on long workdays.

Sources

1. Nebelung breed profile. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy.
2. 2013 AAFP/ISFM Environmental Needs Guidelines. American Association of Feline Practitioners.
3. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
4. Associations between body condition and disease in cats. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 1998.
5. Nutritional requirements of small animals. Merck Veterinary Manual.