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Although in the United States the
Norwegian Forest Cat is considered a "New Breed," it is indeed
centuries old in its native homeland. Norse mythology speaks of a
cat so huge that even the god Thor could not lift it from the
ground. The goddess of love and fertility, Freya, had a carriage
pulled by two large cats. National fairy tales by Asbjomsen and Moe
mention Troll Cats who were huge and furry; later translations
changed Troll into Forest Cat. In 1912, Gabriel Scott, a renowned
Norwegian poet, wrote an entire book about a white Forest Cat,
"Snowflakes," who was mobbed by the other cats because he was long-haired.
Until 1938 the Forest Cat was just a domestic cat like any other cat
in Norway. This lynx-like cat was called the "Skaukatt" by people
who knew about its existence. No one really cared about this
long-haired stray cat except the farmer, who appreciated this big,
beautiful domestic cat. Forest cats can still be found on the farms
in Norway.
No one really knows for sure how long the Forest Cats have existed
in Norway. They may be descendants of the short-haired cats brought
in from England by the Vikings and the long-haired cats brought in
by the Crusaders. They do not look like Persians or like long-haired
short-haired cats. They are something very special. The rough
Norwegian climate has been hard on humans, but it has been a
blessing to the cats. The Norwegian Forest Cat has become what it is
today because only the fittest remained alive. As these cats had to
feed and defend themselves from enemies in the the forest, only the
ones who were best at hunting and fast to escape from predators
survived. Cats who lived through their first winter were
long-legged, springy, intelligent and brave. This very special breed
evolved without any human interference.
In 1975 an association called "Norsk Skogkattring" was established
in order to lead the breeding in the right direction. Strict rules
were followed by the breeders. Only genuine Forest Cats were allowed
in the breeding program. In order to control this, meetings were
arranged and cat owners were invited to come and show their cat
before the Breed Committee. Only cats recognized by the breed
committee could be registered as such.
In describing the Forest Cat, the foremost characteristic is
disposition. They continually exhibit their love of people. If they
have a fault, it is that they want to be with you and love you all
the time. With a Forest Cat in the house you have to close the door
to get any privacy. True to their origins in the forests, they are
exceedingly alert and very intelligent.
A Norwegian Forest Cat is a big, muscular and heavily boned cat with
a medium - long body. The legs are in proportion to the body and
hind legs are higher than the front legs. The head is triangular
shaped with all three sides equal. The profile is long and straight
from the tip of the nose to the brow with no bump, stop or break.
The chin is firm. The eyes are expressive, large and almond shaped
set at a slight angle with the outer corner slightly higher than the
inner corner. All eye colors are accepted, including blue and
odd-eyed whites. The ears are large, set on the head so that they
follow the line of the triangle from the outer base of the ears down
to the chin. The ears are well tufted and many of the cats have
lynx-like ear tips. The tail is long and flowing and carried high.
The Forest Cat is accepted in all colors and patterns except
colorpoints.
The breed is known for its long, rich fur with a woolly undercoat
covered by long guard hairs. This coat is warm and water-repellent
requiring less grooming than some other long-haired cats. The ruff
in winter is truly magnificent, exhibiting three separate sections:
a short back of the neck ruff, side mutton chops, and a full frontal
bib. When feeling the coat, one should get the feeling of denseness,
especially on the tabbies. Solids, bi-colors, and tri-colors often
have a softer coat. The length of the coat is semi-long which means
that it should not be as long as a Persian coat.
The development of the coat is very special. As a kitten the
Norwegian Forest Cat has a long woolly coat. At the age of three
months the kitten's coat starts to change, and for a long time
(sometimes several months) the kitten looks short-haired except for
a bushy tail. The guard hairs start to grow when the kitten is about
five months old, but can take some time to develop. Some of the cats
do not have a fully mature coat until they are about two years old.
The Forest Cat sometimes appears almost short-haired in the summer.
The undercoat drops in the spring, and the new undercoat starts
growing in the fall. Shorter days and limited light plus cold
temperatures have a major affect on the development of the
undercoat. Although the Forest Cat originated in the forests of
Norway the cat is perfectly suited to indoor life.
The overall appearance is of an alert, healthy, firm, muscular, and
well proportioned cat. The males are large and imposing (averaging
12 to 15 lbs) while the females are considerably smaller (8 to 10
lbs). It should be noted that this breed is not fully mature until
five years of age. The Norwegian females are especially good
mothers, keeping their offspring in tow as long as you will let
them, and have been known to readily adopt other kittens as well.
November 1, 1979 saw the entry of the first breeding pair into the
United States. It was accepted in TICA in 1984.
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