History

Norwegian Forest Cat History

The history of the Norwegian, or "wegie" (wee gee) as it is affectionately called here in the States, is a rich one; there is mention of forest cats in Norse mythology.
It has even been reported that the Vikings brought the cats as pets along on their voyages across the sea. As in nature, as the predecessor to the current “Norwegian Forest Cats” developed, only the strongest and the most capable survived the cold Norse winter. These developments have made the Norwegian Forest Cat or “NFC” what it is today.
It has a long flowing beautiful dual coat. Due to the fact that mother nature designed the coat, it is very easy to keep and requires little grooming. Mainly in the spring as they blow out their winter coats, does it require some grooming? The coat has two layers; it is thick underneath with long waterproof guard hairs. The fur around the neck is thick and long, it resembles the mane of a lion. With each successive molt, the coat is said to become thicker and more luxurious. The fact that these cats developed naturally also influenced the development of the wide variety of colors you find today. They come in almost any color – and color combination, except for the pointed variety, like the Siamese.
The Norwegian Forest Cat is a well-built agile cat, the conformation of the cat I will attempt to describe. In the NFC, its legs are heavily muscled, with the rear a bit longer than the front, since the NFC spent a lot of time in trees, it required a heavily muscled body and legs. To support this heavy muscling, a strong bone structure is essential, and it should even be seen in very young kittens. Its feet are heavily furred to protect them from the elements; with thick claws that facilitated the NFC as it hunted in the tree tops. The NFC also developed ear hairs that have been known to grow quite long. These hairs helped to protect the ears from the frigid Norse winters; the ears are rather large and set somewhat low; again, to help retain heat. The ears are inline with the shape of the head that is formed as an equilateral triangle. The NFC has a long thickly furred tail that should reach at least the length from its hind quarters to its shoulders, if not longer. The profile of the Norwegian should be straight, from the tip of the nose to the forehead. Now, one of the most outstanding features is the eyes. They are large and expressive almond shaped eyes, turning in just a little towards the ears at the corner. They can be a color of rich gold to deep emerald green, varying degrees of green/gold combinations are seen, but the most sought after are the deep green.
In addition to finding the coat and physique to our liking, when talking to various owners, we found that the NFC has an outstanding personality. Though they have feral roots, they are described as a talkative, fun loving, peaceful and at times “naughty” individual. While each cat is different and has a distinct personality, if raised in a loving environment, they will crave human companionship. This is not a cat for the frequent traveler, as its personality has also been described much like that of a dog. It will await your return with eager anticipation...
As happens many times with urban expansion, as humans encroached on the domain of the natural “Forest Cat” it was feared these naturally pure cats were going to be lost to extinction. So in the mid 20th Century as special groups started breeding these wonderful cats in their homes, they began gaining a reputation as superb house pets. The dedication of these individuals enabled the Norwegian Forest Cat to be accepted by FIFe as a recognized breed in 1977.
After we decided that the Norwegian Forest Cat fit every requirement, we purchased our first ones from Candace at TreTap Cattery with blood lines direct from Germany, Denmark and Poland. After having them in our homes, we happily found everything said about them to be correct. They are a truly loving breed, excited to see you, adoring you every minute you are there. They are beautiful and love life. I have a saying that I have always heard about potato chips, and it truly applies to the NFC. So I have revised it.

“Norwegian Forest Cats are like potato chips….You can’t have just one…”

Candace at TreTap has kindly allowed me to copy her description included above. I made a slight revision in the last paragraph to reflect us here at FancieKat Cattery.

TreTap can be found at www.loveawegies.com/index.html

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