BLUE-EYED GERMAN LONGHAIR

Nicole Ehrenboth (Cattery vom Leineufer), Hannover, Germany breeds the German Longhair (DLH Deutsche Langhaar) and in collaboration with Miriam Volk and Anette Lanetzki (Cattery von Barnstorf) has introduced the Altai blue-eyed gene into the German Longhair. The breeding programme for blue-eyed Deutsche Langhaar began in 2017 using Muscari of Aerlin, a Celestial (a breed developed using Topaz & British). Some of the early cats produced had the attractive high-white "panda" pattern (white front end, grey hind end) and tendency to roaning which had occurred in early Topaz cats and had been removed from breeding lines because of a tendency to deafness. DBE German Longhairs now have a minimum of white markings and do not exhibit deafness.

The earliest DBE German Longhairs included cats with the high-white "panda" pattern and a tendency to grey/roan fur. These traits, from the early days of the Topaz breed, were associated with deafness and are no longer bred. Today, only sound lines with a low degree of white are bred.