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The Norwegian Forest Cat
International catbreed
The Norwegian Forest Cat is a semi-long-haired cat, which was officially recognized as an international cat breed in 1977. In the summer you can only see from the long-haired bushy tail that you are dealing with a purebred cat.
In winter, when the Norwegian Forest Cat puts on its winter coat, an imposing cat emerges, which has a collar, a bef and knickerbockers, while the bushy tail usually thickens. The Norwegian Forest Cat also gets a woolly undercoat, which keeps out the cold.
The Norwegian Forest Cat has long hair between the pads under its feet (so-called snowshoes), so it has more grip on snowy surfaces in winter.
The Norwegian Forest Cat is a large, heavy and muscular cat with a long body. The males can weigh between 5 and 10 kilos, there are males that weigh even more. The females are slightly smaller and weigh between 3.5 and 6 kilos.
They stand high on their legs and the legs are sturdy. The hind legs are longer than the front legs. The feet are round and large in correct proportion to the paws.
What does the Norwegian Forest Cat look like?
The head is a triangle seen from the front, all sides are the same length. The profile seen from the side is high and the forehead slightly rounded. The nose is long and straight without stop. The chin should be firm. The ears are large and open, wide at the base. The ears have lynx-like tufts and long hairs from (in front of) the ears. The outer lines of the ears follow the lines from the head to the chin. The eyes are large and oval, well open and set slightly obliquely. They have an alert awake look. All eye colors are allowed, regardless of coat color.
The tail is long and bushy. If you lay the tail over the back, it should reach at least the shoulder blades, but preferably the neck.
The coat can have all colors except the pointed (Siamese drawing), x-colors are not yet recognized, these are chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn.
Learning through play
The Norwegian Forest Cat likes to learn in a playful way. They quickly learn to walk on a harness, bring prey or toys, jump on command and talk to you. If the cat has enough to play, and can use his muscles, you have a happy, beautiful, interesting and loving friend.
Character
The Norwegian Forest Cat has a great character, they are courageous and fearless. Forest cats are known for their way of climbing from a tree, with their head down. They are not nervous and restless and will quickly accept a new situation. They can climb very well and are happy to demonstrate this.
These cats are very friendly towards people, they like to be petted and cuddled. They can live very well in the house, but they do need a few things to be able to climb and scratch. Norwegian Forest Cats get along well with other cat breeds, dogs and children.
The Norwegian Forest Cat tends to bond with one person in particular, whom it will follow through thick and thin. He is a real loyal mate. They love attention from people, other dogs and dogs, but they can also live very well on their own.
Care
The greasy and water-repellent coat, so typical for the breed, does not require intensive maintenance. They require very little grooming. Outside the moulting period, you can tidy up the coat every now and then with a wide-toothed comb or brush. In the spring and early summer, the cat has a relatively short but heavy moult. The Norwegian Forest Cat then takes on the appearance of a short-haired cat but with a full hairy bushy tail. The dead underhair therefore remains in the stiffer outer coat and can form tangles that are difficult to remove. In addition, the cat also swallows them. It is therefore necessary to brush and comb the fur of these cats daily in the spring.