History
It is agreed that the origin of long-haired cats is
to be found in Southern Russia, Turkey and Iran (formerly
Persia). In the past, all the cats found outside these
areas were short-haired. The ancestors of the Norwegian
Forest Cat must therefore have arrived in Norway as
a result of man's intervention. It is assumed that the
seafaring Vikings took long-haired cats they found in
Turkey and elsewhere back to Scandinavia with them in
about the ninth century. Their reason for doing this
had nothing to do with any particular admiration for
these cats' looks, it was a purely pragmatic desire
to keep the vermin under control on board their ships
on their long sea voyages.
In
the light of the numerous references to long-haired
cats with plumed tails - Huldrekatten - in the old Norse
legends, it is thought that the forefathers of the present
day Norwegian Forest Cat have lived in the forests of
Norway for many centuries. In winter when the cats had
difficulty finding enough food, they would seek human
company. They made themselves extremely useful in and
around the houses and farms by destroying vermin, and
were consequently highly valued by the people.
A
Norwegian Forest Cat was shown as a pedigree cat for
the first time in 1912, but was not officially recognised
by the international cat associations until 1977. Nowadays,
the Norwegian Forest Cat is a familiar sight at shows
all over the world, but back in the vast Norwegian forests
and in the countryside there are still plenty of Norwegian
Forest Cats living in the wild.
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Temperament
The Norwegian Forest Cat has an easy-going, tolerant,
sociable nature. They are placid, equable cats, but nonetheless
fairly active. Although the name may suggest otherwise,
this is not a wild, outdoor cat. For centuries many of
its ancestors have been cherished pets in the farming
communities of Norway.
There
are many Norwegian Forest Cats that enjoy a happy life
as indoor cats, although it is obviously great for any
cat to be able to enjoy itself in a large outdoor run.
However, if these cats are kept indoors from birth they
really do not miss being able to roam since they have
never known anything else. This is not to imply that the
Norwegian is an indolent animal, they are in fact active
and playful and must be given the opportunity to work
off their energy.
Norwegian
Forest Cats can climb very well and love to demonstrate
their prowess, which means a good scratching and climbing
post is absolutely essential! They also really enjoy toys
such as fur mice and ping pong balls. These intelligent
cats are extremely friendly to adults and children. They
like to be stroked and petted, although they will certainly
let it be known if there is anything they do not like.
Norwegian Forest Cats have a tendency to become attached
to one person.
There
are seldom problems with dogs - in fact there are plenty
of instances of lifelong friendships between dogs and
Norwegian Forest Cats.
Norwegian
Forest Cats have a very strong sense of territory, so
toms are unlikely to get on well together. Neutered males
will usually live together without to many problems. Females,
whether they are neutered or not, generally get on well
together, provided each animal has enough space. Above
all the Norwegian Forest Cat is inquisitive: he wants
to know what is going on around him and will subject everything
that comes into the house - from a bag of groceries to
a visitor - to a thorough inspection.
The
Norwegian Forest Cat's water-repellent, insulating fur
is extremely well adapted to a harsh, wet climate, they
can be kept in an outdoor run summer and winter alike
provided they are given enough attention. Most Norwegian
Forest Cats will remain playful until they are quite old.
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Care
The
greasy, water-repellent coat so typical of the breed means
that it does not need extensive grooming. Like other semi-longhair
breeds, Norwegian Forest Cats need little coat care. Outside
the moulting season, all you need do is tidy the coat
every now and then with a wide-toothed comb or a brush,
taking great care not to pull too much of the undercoat
out.
The
Norwegian Forest Cat undergoes a relatively short but
heavy moult, leaving it looking like a short-haired cat
with a long plumed tail. You will find loose hairs all
over the house, but the dead undercoat hair can also become
trapped in the coarser guard hairs of the top coat, where
it can cause matting and tangles that are difficult to
get out. The cat will also swallow a great deal of hair
during its own grooming sessions. It is therefore well
worth while to brush and comb the coat daily during spring.
Although it is customary to bathe many of the longhair
and semi-longhair breeds before a show, this highly inadvisable
with the Norwegian Forest Cat. Washing makes the coat
softer and silkier, ruining the desirable rugged, greasy
coat, typical of the breed for a very long time. The cat
will also get dirty quicker because the shampoo removes
the dirt-repellent layer.
Only
clean the ears when necessary. Use a special ear cleaner
for cats, which you massage gently into the ear and then
dab off with a tissue.
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Physical
Characteristics
Body
The Norwegian Forest Cat is a fairly large, sturdy cat
with a strong bone structure and a long body. It is a
tall cat, with hind legs that are longer than the forelegs,
so that the back slopes up slightly towards the tail.
The paws are large, round and strong, with tufts of hair
between the toes.The hind legs are completely straight
and should never be cow-hocked, but the front paws do
turn out slightly. When the tail is laid along the back
it should reach to the hollow between the shoulder blades.
Characteristics that will be considered as faults at shows
include a frame that is too small, too lean or too long,
a short tail or short legs. Males should be somewhat larger
and stockier than females.
Head
Viewed face on, the head forms an equilateral triangle.
The nose is straight and there should be no stop. The
chin is strong. The almond-shaped eyes are expressive
and slightly slanted. In young cats the eyes may still
be quite round. The ears are fairly broad at the base
and sit high on the head; they taper to a point. Looked
at from the front, the outer edges of the ears are in
line with the shape of the skull, so that the ears and
the face form a triangle. There are lynx tufts on the
tips of the ears and tufts of longer hair inside the ears,
curling slightly backwards. The lynx tufts are not compulsory.
Coat
The quality of the coat is of the utmost importance in
the Norwegian Forest Cat. It is semi-long with a dense,
woolly undercoat. The smooth shining guard hairs have
a water-repellent texture that protects the cat from the
weather. Except in the summer, the cat should have a luxuriant
ruff and bib, and it should always have a long plumed
tail. Obviously cats that spend a lot of time outdoors
will have a thicker, denser coat than those who stay indoors,
and males have a thicker coat than females. A dry or felty
coat is regarded as a fault at shows.
Colours
The Norwegian Forest cat is only recognised in natural
colours, which means they have to be the colours found
in ordinary domestic cats. The Himalayan pattern found
in Siamese and Birmans is not permitted, nor are non-natural
colours like lilac, cinnamon, fawn and chocolate. In contrast
to breeds such as the persian, little importance is attached
to the distribution of the colour on the Norwegian Forest
Cat's body. Because the distribution of the colour and
the colours themselves are of secondary interest in the
Norwegian Forest Cat, breeders can concentrate on preserving
a healthy cat of an attractive type. Black Classic Tabby
and Black Mackerel Tabby with and without White are the
most usual colours. The Norwegian Forest Cat's eyes may
be of any colour, ranging from green and yellow to copper
and blue. Odd-eyed Norwegian Forest Cats do occur, but
they are rare.
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Special
Points
The
kittens are recognisable as semi-longhairs at an early
age, but their coat will be nothing like as luxuriant
as their parents'. It can take two years or more for the
Norwegian Forest Cat to develop its full coat, and it
may be as long as three years or more before it reaches
its ultimate size.
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