Nibelung is a relatively new breed of cat.Officially, it was recognized in 1984. Physically, the Nibelung cats appeared half a century earlier because of random mutations of ;Russian blue cat; breed. From the ;progenitor; breed, Nibelung cats differ primarily in their long hair and its unusual ;silver; shimmer. Outwardly, it gives the animal a certain mystery, which serves as the basis for such a name that speaks the word from German - mist.
Nibelung cats affect their appearance. The first thing that attracts attention is its beautiful green eyes with emerald sheen. Its hair envelops them like a dense smoke. The most saturated hair is in the chest and the tail. The cat in its appearance actually resembles some sort of heroes of children fairy tales. Cats of this breed, in spite of a major appearance are actually very fragile creatures. Sticking out in different directions thick dense hair gives them a large effect.In reality, under the veil of thick hair, hides the animal of a medium size, slightly elongated body and having long thin legs. Nibelung cat has well developed muscles and this allows the cat, if necessary, to show speed and agility. It has a beautiful graceful neck and a long fluffy tail. The head of this breed is not too large, but medium-sized, slightly wedge shaped. All note that the flat forehead and the straight nose form a kind of a convex corner on the snout. Cats have a pronounced chin and whisker pads.The ears are large and seemingly stretched forward. The recognized color of the breed is pure blue.
The nature of the Nibelung cats is special.On the one hand, they do not refuse to respond to overtures from the "family members", but do that with genuine importance and do not suffer humiliating games. Very kind and helpful. Their bright feature also expresses curiosity to all the new things in the house. The cat does not require special care. It looks after its hair, easily gets accustomed to the tray.
Cats of this breed are still very rare and therefore expensive. This breed is for the non-poor people. The cost of a kitten can reach thousands of dollars. If you have spent a lot of money on the purchase of the animal, be sure you did not waste your money and got a wonderful pet for many years.
The Nibelung Today
The Nibelung remains one of the rarer recognized cat breeds, and that hasn't changed much in the years since this article was written. It's recognized by TICA (The International Cat Association) as a breed distinct from the Russian Blue, its closest relative, primarily by coat length, but it's still absent from many other major registries, including the CFA. Breeders remain few and far between compared to more mainstream longhair breeds, which keeps both price and availability limited for anyone specifically seeking one out. If you're drawn to the Nibelung's look but can't find a breeder, a longhaired Russian Blue mix from a shelter can carry a similar appearance without the wait.
If you're set on the Nibelung specifically, expect to join a waitlist rather than find one readily available, and be prepared to travel or have a kitten shipped, since breeders are thin on the ground even compared to other rare longhair breeds. Health-wise, the breed shares the same general health profile as the Russian Blue, with no major breed-specific conditions currently documented, which is one advantage of its close genetic relationship to a well-established, generally healthy breed.
