Seattle Show Features Rare Nebelung Cats

Sometimes cat shows serve up a snack-food feel - tasty, bite size and perfect packaging.

The smorgasbord, however, leaves you yearning for more, particularly when there's a featured new ingredient.

That's exactly what next weekend's When Cats Fly club's all-breed fest offers with the introduction locally of The International Cat Association's newest family member, the Nebelung, which is nebulous to most.

Very few have set eyes on one of these silvery blue long-haired copy cats of the Russian Blue or even read about it. In fact there are only an estimated 270 Nebelungs worldwide, according to the breed's founder Cora Cobb, of Denver.

If there was ever a doubt the breed would be right at home in Seattle, the German meaning of Nebelung - "creature of the mist" - should dispel that.

Nebelungs gained a foothold in this area two years ago when Vicki Brewer of Kirkland became fascinated with one she met at TICA's annual meeting here.

"I was a fan of the Russian Blue and decided to find a good foundation cat or get a good lead on one," recalls Brewer.

"Well, I met Cora there, and the rest is history." Cobb had a beautiful little female Nebelung which Brewer fell in love with and eventually bred to Russian Blue, producing three offspring.

The breeds are very similar except for coat length. The Blue package combines the elegant beauty of a silver-tipped short blue coat with an elegant foreign body, with males weighing eight to 10 pounds and females four to eight. Nebelung males go nine to 12 pounds, females 6 1/2 to nine.

Like the Russian Blue, the Nebelung is gentle and requires only a moderate amount of maintenance.

The elasticity of a new breed's temperament is under the magnifying glass of geneticists and judges constantly. "The Nebelung is somewhat shy," says Cobb, "but breeders are attempting to develop a more social animal. It's very loyal to owners, and won't run out and jump on a visitor's lap or ask to be petted. At least, not until that person's been in the home for an hour or so and a comfort zone has been established."

Brewer's adult cat, Princess Lea, is "almost doglike," opening cupboard doors, retrieving toys and occasionally romping through the house on impulse.

The breed is fine in households with dogs and cats, says Cobb, but not well suited to homes with rambunctious children and constant loud noise. While it's adventuresome, it maintains a kittenish buoyancy throughout adulthood, yet relishes quiet time. Hence, it's the perfect pet for working professionals.

Potentially the Nebelung's most distinguishing trademark will be its emerald green eyes, but Cobb admits "that's several good breedings off. For now, its elegance - long legs, long plumy tail and muscular structure - are its chief attractions."

The three-kitten litter of Brewer's Nebelung and a Russian Blue produced a surprise package - one short, one medium and one longhaired offspring. "The shorthaired trait of the Blue is supposed to be dominant when bred to the longhaired Nebelung," says Brewer.

The lone Pacific Northwest breeder, Brewer is one of only seven worldwide. She'll show one of Cobb's females, Psykitt's Silver Streak, a 4-year-old, at the Seattle show, plus showcase her 3-months-old kittens and Princess Lea. Plans calls for Silver Streak to be bred with Brewer's Russian Blue.

Cobb's introduction to the Nebelung came in August 1984 with Siegfried, the result of the breeding of a black domestic shorthair and another resembling a Russian Blue, that produced six black and blue shorthairs and one blue longhair (Siegfried).

Several months later Elsa (Siegfried's mother) and her Blue boyfriend produced another litter, which included two longhaired females, one black, one blue. Cobb kept the blue, named her Brunhilde. She and Siegfried mated in 1986, producing a litter of three that featured Siegfried's Russian Blue body type and Brunhilde's long glossy hair.

"When they were a couple of months old, I decided to start a new breed of cat. Finally, after years of refining, we've arrived."

The breed, although new, has its origins in Russia, Cobb believes.

Cobb, a computer programmer, concludes, "This has been a refreshing departure for me. Computer programming is so predictable; developing a new breed of cats is just the opposite. Each litter is like a surprise package."

The show will feature 110 entries in seven rings at the Seattle Center Flag Pavilion. Other seldom-seen breeds represented include the Chartreux, Turkish Angora and Russian Blue. New breeds and longtime favorites coming are Pixie Bob, LaPerm and Munchkin, along with Maine Coon, Persian, Siamese, Ragdoll, American shorthair and British shorthair.

Show hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5 adults, $3 children (aged 6 to 12) and seniors (60 and over), children under 6 free when accompanied by an adult.

Cruiser finishes third

Champion Lajosmegyi Far and Away, a 5-year-old komondor owned by Patricia Turner and Anna Quigley of Chehalis and television producer Robert Halmi of New York, finished third in the Golden Collar Show of Champions last weekend in Milan, Italy. Cruiser was the lone United States entry in the 178-dog field, which was won by an Old English sheepdog, owned by a Scandinavian.

"It was a great experience," said Quigley. "Despite the 14-hour flight from Seattle to Zurich, Cruiser traveled well. And the crowd loved him."

Unlike most United States shows, where there's occasional cheering when a dog is being exhibited, music blared and there was a carnival-like feeling, according to Quigley. "It was quite a change of pace," she concluded.

Jacque holding his own

Jacque, the Jack Russell terrier shot on its second day in town this month, is home and improving slowly, according to owner Lisa Merrell.

The dog, which was featured in this column March 16, has been returned to Critical Care Associates veterinary hospital in Ballard for follow-up treatment for a low red blood-cell count, according to Merrell. Veterinary bills have reached approximately $4,500, of which Merrell has received donations of $2,000-plus.

"He's not out of the woods yet," says Merrell, "but the veterinarians are confident he'll make it".