Norwegian Forest Cat : appearance, character, care, breeding

A cat with an interesting story behind it, between reality and legend


The Norwegian Forest Cat or Norsk Skogkatt, as it is called in its native land, is an ancient breed whose origins are lost in legend. Semi-long hair and webbed legs are just some of its characteristics. Let’s get to know him better.

The Norwegian Forest Cat  has an interesting history behind it, as the name suggests.

The reconstructions on the origins of the Norwegian forest cat are linked to those of the Vikings. In fact, it is thought that the warriors of the North hosted, on their ships, the cats that inhabited the Norwegian forests, to hunt mice. The first proven citations, however, did not occur until 1559.

It was in the Thirties that the Norwegian forest cat became domestic, following the birth of the first crops, through crosses with the short-haired house cat .

It was officially recognized only in 1972 by Scandinavia, and in 1976 by Fief.


Norwegian Forest Cat: Size and Appearance

Long, but robustly built and large in size, the Norwegian Forest Cat has a triangular head and large ears at the base. They are characterized by the presence of tufts also present in the European cat and in the lynx. The eyes are large, oval, and the color varies from green to golden green.

The hind legs are higher than the front ones. The fingers are wide and webbed to facilitate movement on the snow; here too there are abundant tufts of hair. The tail is long and very bushy. The weight in males varies from 7 to 8 kg, in females from 3 to 5.5 kg.

The coat is semi-long, while the undercoat is woolly and water-repellent, to withstand the severe cold. Gorget, shorts and mane characterize the structure of the entire coat, making it resemble a lynx .

The colors are many, with forays into gray, reddish and white.

The point type designs, typical of the Siamese cat, and the colors chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn are excluded.


Norwegian Forest Cat: Character

This cat is  intelligent, independent and yet seeking attention. He has an excellent instinct for hunting, so he also loves water and physical activity. In fact it tends to climb everywhere. It is an extremely dynamic cat.

Being crossed with the house cat, he has no problem making friends with children and other cats. But the Norwegian forest cat makes itself irresistible to everyone, thanks to its melodious and sweet voice.


Norwegian forest cat: breeding and care

It has an iron health but in some subjects food intolerances related to rice have been found.

Despite its long hair, it does not get knotted easily, in fact it can be brushed once a week. During the moulting period, it is better to intensify its frequency, although there is a short period in which the (summer) coat will be very short. The only exception is the tail.

It is not easy to find a Norwegian forest cat in Italy. On farms, it is possible to buy it for no less than 710.25-828.62 USD.


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