Created and/or natural?

I keep reading that Nebs were created by Cora. But I remember reading that "natural" Nebs were also discovered, mainly in Russia I think. What is what?

Je lis que le Neb a été créé par Cora. Mais je me souviens avoir lu que des Neb "naturels" ont aussi été découverts, surtout en Russie je crois. Qu'en est-il ?

It’s both.

Russian blue is a natural breed and longhaired Russian blue cats have been born once in a while* for many years. The first longhaired Russian blue seems to have attended to a show in the beginning of the 20th century. (* no breed is made by “God”**, and the longhair gene is recessive so it can be in a cat without being known. A fellow breeder, who is breeding British shorthair, told me she had a longhaired kitten in a line with 20 generations of short hair. And the mother of the kitten had a really good and short coat). Most of these longhaired used to be given away as pets, without talking about it – it was a “bad” remark on your cats, so silence was the best.

The recognition of the Nebelung is thanks to Cora, who started with Siegfried and Brunhilde. And thanks to the TICA geneticist who stated that the breed resembled a longhaired Russian blue, the breed was given the standard of a Russian blue but longhair – and a few minor differences.

So Cora created a new breed, which also gives (the already born once in a while) longhaired Russian blues a spot on Planet Cat . In Europe most the breeders have Russian (blue) lines, and some are with American background.

But Vicky is around longer than I, so she might have a different opinion.

** I do not mean to oppose the existence of God. I only mean to say that no breed is perfect.

Anke

Anke Zekveld wrote:It’s both.

Russian blue is a natural breed and longhaired Russian blue cats have been born once in a while* for many years. The first longhaired Russian blue seems to have attended to a show in the beginning of the 20th century. (* no breed is made by “God”**, and the longhair gene is recessive so it can be in a cat without being known. A fellow breeder, who is breeding British shorthair, told me she had a longhaired kitten in a line with 20 generations of short hair. And the mother of the kitten had a really good and short coat). Most of these longhaired used to be given away as pets, without talking about it – it was a “bad” remark on your cats, so silence was the best.

The recognition of the Nebelung is thanks to Cora, who started with Siegfried and Brunhilde. And thanks to the TICA geneticist who stated that the breed resembled a longhaired Russian blue, the breed was given the standard of a Russian blue but longhair – and a few minor differences.

So Cora created a new breed, which also gives (the already born once in a while) longhaired Russian blues a spot on Planet Cat . In Europe most the breeders have Russian (blue) lines, and some are with American background.

But Vicky is around longer than I, so she might have a different opinion.

** I do not mean to oppose the existence of God. I only mean to say that no breed is perfect.

Anke

[b]Nope, you have it down pretty well I personally don't believe the Russian Blue is a "natural" breed, it has been crossed with several other breeds and many "foundation" cats, so is far from natural. Plus, if you look at the old "russian blues" from the past, like Bayard, they look NOTHING like current CFA style russian blues! So, in my opinion, it was just a matter of time until a LH version was created? Cora just happened to have a cat that looked like a semi-longhaired russian blue, and that is what she decided to breed for with the help of Solvieg Pfluger (the TICA genetics expert).

When you stop to think that there are no natural barriers in the Archangelisk area of Russia, there is nothing to keep the cats blue and shorthaired only, we all know that a blue male when approached by a LH orange tabby female in heat will NOT turn her down because she is not blue in color and shorthaired I am sure there were little colonies of blue cats, but you can find blue random bred cats anywhere in the world. It was just chosen for by breeders, like originally the British shorthair used to be known as the "British Blue", and then later came in all sorts of colors so they changed the breed name to "British Shorthair". There were rumors way back when (late 1800's) about a LH Russian cat, but the one I have seen doesn't resemble a RB, and according to Harrison Weir I think it is (you can find excerpts from his book on Pawpeds) the coat was very wirey and coarse. But that doesn't say there were not other semi-longhaired cats being shown at the time back then either as it seemed like a real hodge podge of cats being shown.

OK thank you both for your answers.

I just wondered as we can still find natural Chartreux here in France.