The Nebelung cat breed was developed in the 1980s when Cora Cobb, a woman who owned two blue-grey cats that looked like Russian Blues, but with semi-longhaired coats. These cats, named Siegfried and Brunhilde, ultimately became the foundation for the Nebelung breed.
This didn’t happen without some effort on Cora Cobb’s part. With the help of an American Cat Association feline geneticist named Solveig Pfleuger, who determined that Cobb’s beloved pets were best defined as semi-longhaired Russisan Blue cats, Cobb presented a breeding standard that incorporated all traits of the Russian Blue breed with the exception of the coat length.
The International Cat Association (TICA) revised Cobb’s description after Russian Blue breeders voiced their objections. The new breed – now known as Nebelung – would be held to standards that more closely resembled early blue-grey cats imported from Russia beginning in the 19th century.
Today, the Nebelung cat breed is recognized by a few registries worldwide including Livre Officiel des Origines Felines (LOOF), the World Cat Federation (WCF), and the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) as well as a few independent associations.
Despite growing interest and popularity, it is still difficult to find Nebelung cats in most places.