The Norwegian Forest Cat

The Norwegian Forest Cat belongs to the breed who has been developed in a certain region of the earth without any human assistance. They have been adopted optimal at the conditions climatic over a lot of generations (many centuries). The clime in Scandinavia is affected by contrasts: frosty and snowy winters are been followed by hot and dry summers. A cat who has to live with this conditions needs the capability to accommodate. Only the cats with the best accommodations have survived and were able to reproduce. Thusly a health and robust breed has been developed.

A special attribute of the Norwegian Forest Cat is the "double coat", i.e. the cat got a dense undercoat which keeps the cat warm against severe cold and a guard hair which is water-repellent, this guard hair is a little bit greasy. While the winters the cat got a dense and napped coat which is covered by water-repellent, easy greasy shinning guard hairs. In Springtime the cat is loosing this winter coat and got a summer coat with so much less under-coat. But the guard hair stays with this typical structure. This means, the cat can walk for days in continuous rain without to get soggy. Also temperatures till -10 degrees are any problem for this natural cat. If you touch after the cat you can feel a cold and wet guard hair, but a warm under-coat and a warm body.

Another special attribute are the tufts between the toes. They don't broaden not only the paw - they avert a deep sinking in the snow. The ears who are sensitive to cold are protected by long tufts. Even while strong snow flurry the auricle will be free of coldness and wetness. Also cumbrous vermin don't reach the inside of the ear. And when it will be uncomfortable in the Scandinavian woods, the Norwegian forest coil up and put the long and very bushy tail around the pads, like a blanket extra. The cat got a very alert look who shows this wildness. The triangular head with the straight profile and the elegant lynx-ears with the long tufts belongs into this environment of old fir trees and with moss overgrew spruces. The body is ductile, muscular, every time ready to surrender to each challenge. Springing legs and athletic joints give to this cat the qualification to hurry away and to climb on the highest treetops ... and then you can see this bushy tail wafting triumphantly over everything!

Due to some breeders, who are confederated for a methodic breeding to obtained this wonderful race, the whose loss has been impeded. Yet before the Second World War they started with the breeding but the war stopped it. Between the fifties and the sixties this idea of a methodic breeding has been picked up again. 1972 the Norwegian Forest cat has been accepted as independent race. 1977 the Fifé general assembly in Paris accepted this race in Fifé. The basic for the standard was a black-tabby with white male, called "Pan's Truls". We have still the same standard, only 1987, 1993 and 2000 small modifications has been made. Since 1981 we can import Norwegian Forest Cats of Scandinavia.

The cat has to be judged by expression and type and by the color even the race has been divided up in different subcategories - with respect to show-points.

The first Worldshow for pedigree cats has been organized in 1991 in Munich and the winner was a Norwegian Forest Cat (Male): N*Flatland's Bjørnstjerne.

N*Flatland's Bjørnstjerne

This race reach an amazing popularity during the last years. At shows in Norway and Sweden and meantime also here, the group with the Norwegian Forest Cats is the most numerous group.

This is really a great triumph for this admirable cats who came to us of the deepest Scandinavian woods!