A strong, muscular cat, the Norwegian Forest Cat is also a loving companion and appreciates the praise of pet parents.
The Norwegian is a large breed and an abundance of fur makes them look even bigger.
Weight range:
Male: large: >5 kg.
Female: large: >5 kg.
Eye colour:
Blue, Green, Gold, Odd-eyed
Expectations:
Life Expectancy: 8-14 yrs.
Social/Attention Needs: High
Tendency to Shed: High
Coat:
Length: Long
Characteristics: Straight
Colours: White, Black, Blue, Red, Cream, Silver, Golden, Red, Cameo, Tortoiseshell, Bluecream, Brown
Pattern: Solid Colour, Tortoiseshell, Bicolour, Tricolour/Calico, Tabby, Ticking, Smoke, Shaded
Less Allergenic: No
Overall Grooming Needs: High
Club recognition:
Cat Association Recognition:
CFA, ACFA , FIFe, TICA
Prevalence: Rare
The Norwegian Forest cat is a large, heavily boned, heavily coated cat. A muscular cat that looks like a hunter.
They have a triangular head, set on a thick, muscular neck. The ears are medium sized and the chin is strong, but slightly rounded. The hind legs of the Norwegian are slightly higher than the front legs. The legs are heavily muscled. The paws look a bit oversized; they are big and round, and have fur between the toes.
The abundance of fur makes the Norwegian look even bigger than they are. The coat is both thick and long. This coat provided natural protection for the breed when they lived in the forest. The coat has a silky feeling and the length of the coat varies widely with the season. The fur on the tail is also long and bushy in appearance.
Personality:
The Norwegian Forest cat is a sweet, loving cat. They appreciate praise and loves to interact with their parent. They make a loving companion and bonds with parents once they accept them for their own.
The Norwegian has never forgotten their heritage and is still a hunter at heart. They love to chase toys as if they are real and are territorial, patrolling several times each day to make certain that all is fine.
Living With:
The Norwegian Forest cat tends to control their nutrition well, increasing exercise and cutting down on intake when they feel it necessary. If provided with adequate play time and room to run and roam, they will not usually need to be kept on a nutrition plan.
Being territorial, the Norwegian likes room to make their own. They enjoy running, hiding and ambushing toys. Perches and room to run should be provided.
The Norwegian must be groomed daily to keep the coat free from knots and tangles, especially during shedding season. This grooming can be incorporated into play time, but generally they enjoy being groomed. As with all thick coated cats, a hairball remedy may need to be given when regular shedding is occurring.
History:
In legend, a cat weaves their way in and out of the trees in the forest, appearing and disappearing like magic. Sometimes all that can be seen is the long, thick furry tail of this magical cat. This cat knows what is happening when man does not and knows what is in the heart of a man. This beautiful cat with the lovely, unusual tail is the Norwegian Forest cat.
With a legend as beautiful as the breed itself, the breeders in Norway began to develop their magical forest cat into a breed that would be accepted for the show bench. The Norwegian Forest cat was first exhibited at a cat show in Norway before World War II.
It took awhile for the Norwegian Forest cat to make their way to the United States where the Maine Coon, the United States' native forest cat, already held the country entranced. With a group of breeders dedicated to keeping the Norwegian Forest cat in the show hall, this breed became well known in the United States where it has a devoted following.
