The Norwegian Forest cat is a very closely related to both wild cats and domestic cats, therefore it is considered a natural breed and is sometimes referred to just simply as Norwegians. The Norwegian Forest cat is big, robust cat that has semi long hair with a distinctive bushy tail and a distinct ruff.
Various images of this cat are found on ancient Viking coins, and in Norse mythology The Viking fertility goddess Freya took two forest cats with her.
In Norwegian fairy tales, one often finds the reference to Spells undertaken with goblin or troll-cats and in Norway this Trolldom cat equates to magic and these cats had long bushy tails.
It is believed that the immigrants from Central Europe brought short-haired cats with them over the years and these cats adapted, to the harsh climate of Scandinavia and in the process and the isolation of the Norwegian forest and fjord farms this breed developed,
Because of the climate in Norway the cat adapted to rugged mountains, deep forests, and myriad fjords and the climate is tempered by the vast ice fields North of the Arctic Circle.
This cat or “goblin cat” as it was better known developed a dense undercoat to protect against severe cold and a smooth, slightly oily and therefore water-repellent outer coat to keep out rain and snow.
The cat has relatively large paws with tufts of hair between the pads allowing the cat to walk more easily on snow. Breeding programs were set up in 1930 and in 1938 the Norwegian Forest Cat was unveiled at an exhibition in Oslo. In the early 1970s there was a further development in the breeding of the Norwegian Forest cat.
In September 1972 the Norwegian Forest Cat finally got a provisional standard, it was accepted by the Norwegian associations for the first time as a separate breed and in 1972 gained recognition as the Norwegian National Cat. The designation was introduced as Norsk Skogkatt.
The first breeding cats were registered in 1975 at the FIFe and not until 1977 did the first Norwegian Forest cat, Pan’s Truls, get at the age of 3 years, full certification status at the FIFe.
This aroused interest all over Europe for the cat as it made its debut on the world stage but initially FIFe only allowed fourth generation cats to be licencesed for export.
Since the 1980s the cat has enjoyed popularity in Europe and increasingly so in Germany.
Description
The Norwegian Forest Cat is one of the SLH largest cat breeds next to the Maine Coon and the Ragdoll cat. The appearance of the Norwegian Forest Cat due to the extreme and harsh climate in their Scandinavian homeland has produced a tall, very robust, strong and muscular built cat with a double-layered coat.
The coat is made from a very dense undercoat and water repellent outer coat, which is supported by a thin layer of still longer hair which is a third layer of hair called guard hair which is fine and close to the skin.
Like almost all cats from temperate and polar latitudes, the Norwegian cats also change their coats seasonally making the coat denser in order to optimally protect against the cold.
The Norwegians and the Siberian cat in winter develop a characteristic thick winter coat developing under the belly, neck, breast and especially along the thick tail so that the cat is protected even in biting cold of minus 30 degrees.
The long, glossy guard hair is slightly oily with the Norwegian Forest cat unlike the Maine Coon so even hard rain is repelled and moisture gets to the skin.
The coat of the Norwegians is not as silky as the Maine Coon, but is more shaggy and between the pads of the paws are the so-called “snow hair ” that is 4 to 5 cm long tufts of hair used to keep the snow away from between the pads of the cats feet.
This hair also assists in walking across the snow and in summer the undercoat is usually very poorly developed and often only the long tail hairs suggests that it is a breed of a longhaired cat. In nichtkastrierten the difference of summer coat to winter coat of the cats is much greater. Compared to the European domestic cat, the original Norwegian is very large, mostly mackerel or black and white in colour with or without typically white gloves.
In the Northern forests are found mainly the Norwegian tabby cat on the grey rocky coasts, the Norwegians cats are more often to be of a black coat color or a non-white variety. However the cats are found in all the colours that domestic cats are found in.
The Norwegian Forest cat has a slender body and long legs, unlike the Maine Coon and Siberian cats, and their hind legs are higher than the front legs. The face of the typical Norwegian cat is triangular, the ears are highly placed, the ears are internally provided with strong hairs and often they have lynx-like tufts.
The very long whiskers emphasize the triangular shape of the face and the collar should be well developed to the legs, the Norwegians have Knickerbocker shaped trouser hair as reported in the cat standard. The tail is long and bushy and a good perfectly long nose and a firm chin in contrast to the Siberian Cat.
The Norwegians are fully grown before the age of three to four years.
Because Norwegians are not artificially bred but developed by natural selection over a long period they do not have the problems associated with other cat breeds that despite having been bred for centuries often have recurring breeding problems.
After about 63 days of gestation, the Norwegian Forest cat produces a litter of between four to six healthy, strong kittens. Common cat problems from premature birth, stillbirths and birth disorders, including difficult labour are rarely to be seen in this breed.
One of the most amazing abilities of this cat is it’s ability to be able to climb down in a spiral line head first down a tree.
Behaviour
Norwegian Forest Cats look like wild animals, but they are very gentle and good natured and are by their very nature simple and playful, and develop a close relationship to their human owners.
Norwegian cats are sociable and usually accept other cats into their area or in an apartment.
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