Do you know the Norwegian Forest Cat?
It belongs to the category of very large cats (after the Main Coon and like the Siberian) and combines power and refinement. It's a big rustic cat with semi-long hair and imposing stature.
The style
The head, viewed from the front, forms an equilateral triangle. In profile, the forehead is slightly rounded and the line of the nose is straight.
The eyes are large almond-shaped and placed slightly obliquely.
Medium to large in size, the ears are placed in line with the triangle of the head. Seen in profile, they are directed slightly forward. Tufts of hair at their ends (feathers or lynx tips) are sought after.
The body is long and massive with a robust boning and a broad chest. The legs are quite high in relation to the body with a strong bone structure. The feet are large and round with tufts of hair between the toes. The tail is as long as the body.
The dress is double, made up of a woolly and thick undercoat covered with a fur with a waterproof and lustrous aspect. A beautiful ruff starts from the back of the ears and extends over the throat. It can be almost non-existent in summer and reappears in winter. The quality of the fur is more important than the color.
On the character side....
As many cats say giants » and under his wild cat look, the Norwegian is placid and gentle by nature. He is a cat of great character stability, close to his master even " pot of glue" to the point that it is often called a cat-dog. Energetic when he plays, he knows how to control his strength and adapt his behavior to all members of the family. Despite his origins and his size, he does not suffer from living in an apartment as long as his masters give him attention and he has a cat tree.
Very sociable, it accepts all two-legged or four-legged companions. In a word, the Norwegian is an outstanding companion !
Grooming question...
He is not very demanding, a weekly brushing is enough, he must get used to the brush still kitten. During moulting, therefore, most often at the end of winter, daily brushing will help eliminate dead hair and prevent the formation of unpleasant knots for him.
The colors and patterns allowed in Norwegian (NFO)
Colours
black : n - blue dilution : a
red : d - cream dilution : e
tortie : f - blue tortie : g
white: w - amber : t
silver/smoke : s
Depending on the proportion of white in the coat :
01 : van (top of head, tail,)
02 : harlequin (a few dark spots on a white body)
03 : two-tone (about half the body)
09 : little white, usually on the legs, head, tail
Patterns
tabby blotched (or classic) : 22
tabby mackerel : 23
tabby spotted : 24
tabby ticked : 25
The standard of Norwegian
The board below comes from the Loof website (official book of feline origins)
draw credits : Aurelien Boudault
How to distinguish Norwegian from Maine Coon and Siberian?
Most people, the Norwegian and the other 2 big cat breeds Maine Coon and Siberian are quite similar. However, with a little attention, notable differences appear. Certainly, the 3 are part of the breeds with semi-long hairs but there are nevertheless notable differences both in terms of physical appearance and in terms of character.
The boards below from the Loof site will allow you to better appreciate the physical characteristics specific to each one.
norwegian history
_cc781905-5cde-3194 -bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905 -5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5cde-3194- bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905- 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ _cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b- 136bad5cf58d_ Pan's Trul born 1/05/1973 (photo copyright Nunyld)
In this You Tube video (click on the link above), you will have a good overview of the first Norwegian founders of the breed in the different European countries. The type has evolved a little in 50 years, (in particular to better differentiate it from Maine Coon). Nevertheless, it is a breed that has remained very natural, breeders over time having taken care to preserve its characteristics of a large, robust and rustic cat.
Today, we can note 2 trends, the first group wants to stay as close as possible to the original standard, the second makes it evolve by interpretation of the standard, with in particular longer profiles, larger ears and placed a little lower, ...
For my part, it's all about balance, I'm not for extreme types who run the risk of losing certain qualities, such as the triangle which must remain wide and equilateral, the size which must absolutely be kept, the quality of fur, tail length,...
But larger ears and more head length are not heresy until the triangle sharpens. Many breeders do a great job and produce beautiful Norwegians. I repeat it's all about balance and harmony as a whole
