The Norwegian Forest Cat is one of Mother Nature's finest achievements. It is the native cat of the Scandinavian countries, much like the Maine Coon is native to America. History No one really knows how long the Norwegian Forest Cat has been around, but if you ask any Norwegian he will say forever. This beautiful cat was first introduced to the public in 1938 at a cat show in Oslo, Norway. This event can not be considered the beginning history of the breed. Norse mythology speaks of a cat so huge the even the god Thor could not lift it from the ground; the goddess of Love and Fertility, Freya, had a chariot pulled by two large cats. Vikings may have brought short-haired cats from England and the Crusaders could have brought in the long-haired cats and this is thought to be the beginnings of the breed. Needless to say, the Norwegian Forest Cat is a big and hearty feline specimen. It is designed to withstand the cold harsh winters and the damp rainy summers of Scandinavia. They are truly a "real cat". Description A Norwegian Forest Cat has a medium length body and the hind legs are higher than the front legs. It is heavily boned and very muscular, The head is triangular shaped. The profile is straight and the cat has a strong chin. The eyes are almond shaped which gives them their sweet expression. The eyes can be any color, but the most common color is green/gold. They have medium to large ears set on the head so that they follow the line of the triangle from the outer base of the ears down to the chin. Ears are well-tufted and can sport lynx-like tips. The tail is long and flowing. The Norwegian Forest Cat comes in all colors and patterns except color points. The Norwegian Forest cat is considered a semi-longhair. It has a double coat which consists of a rich woolly undercoat covered in long guard hairs. It is very water repellent, warm, and requires little grooming. They do not mat easily. The body coat is long. The britches are full. The ruff is short on the back of the neck and shoulders with side mutton chops and a full frontal bib. Norwegian Forest Cats do shed and in the summer they lose so much of their coat that they resemble a short-haired cats except for their bushy tails. Males average 12 to 15 pounds in weight. The females are proportionately smaller. The male is not considered mature until the age of 5 years and the female is at approximately 3 years of age. They have a very outgoing personality. They enjoy challenges and adapt to surroundings easily. In general, they are not a vocal cat. They make a noise that can best be described as chirping. The very first breeding pair was imported to the United States on November 1st, l979 and the first litter was born on March 29, 1981. |
History and Description of the Norwegian Forest Cat |
Copyrighted 1998 Wegies1st |
The Norwegian Forest Cat is one of Mother Nature's finest achievements. It is the native cat of the Scandinavian countries, much like the Maine Coon is native to America. History No one really knows how long the Norwegian Forest Cat has been around, but if you ask any Norwegian he will say forever. This beautiful cat was first introduced to the public in 1938 at a cat show in Oslo, Norway. This event can not be considered the beginning history of the breed. Norse mythology speaks of a cat so huge the even the god Thor could not lift it from the ground; the goddess of Love and Fertility, Freya, had a chariot pulled by two large cats. Vikings may have brought short-haired cats from England and the Crusaders could have brought in the long-haired cats and this is thought to be the beginnings of the breed. Needless to say, the Norwegian Forest Cat is a big and hearty feline specimen. It is designed to withstand the cold harsh winters and the damp rainy summers of Scandinavia. They are truly a "real cat". Description A Norwegian Forest Cat has a medium length body and the hind legs are higher than the front legs. It is heavily boned and very muscular, The head is triangular shaped. The profile is straight and the cat has a strong chin. The eyes are almond shaped which gives them their sweet expression. The eyes can be any color, but the most common color is green/gold. They have medium to large ears set on the head so that they follow the line of the triangle from the outer base of the ears down to the chin. Ears are well-tufted and can sport lynx-like tips. The tail is long and flowing. The Norwegian Forest Cat comes in all colors and patterns except color points. The Norwegian Forest cat is considered a semi-longhair. It has a double coat which consists of a rich woolly undercoat covered in long guard hairs. It is very water repellent, warm, and requires little grooming. They do not mat easily. The body coat is long. The britches are full. The ruff is short on the back of the neck and shoulders with side mutton chops and a full frontal bib. Norwegian Forest Cats do shed and in the summer they lose so much of their coat that they resemble a short-haired cats except for their bushy tails. Males average 12 to 15 pounds in weight. The females are proportionately smaller. The male is not considered mature until the age of 5 years and the female is at approximately 3 years of age. They have a very outgoing personality. They enjoy challenges and adapt to surroundings easily. In general, they are not a vocal cat. They make a noise that can best be described as chirping. The very first breeding pair was imported to the United States on November 1st, l979 and the first litter was born on March 29, 1981. |
