Beautiful and sturdy, independent yet loving, adventurous and playful - all these terms are used in describing one of the North's distinctive creatures - a cat that has lived with the people of Norway for untold centuries.

    The origins of the Norwegian Forest Cat have been lost in time. While we know that they have been living with Norwegian familes for centuries, estimates of the breed's age range from 500 to 4,000 years. At the far end of that range, the descriptions of fairy cats in Norse mythology closely match the appearance of the modern cats.

    Freyja, a fertility goddess, had a chariot drawn by fairy cats, which were seen as a symbol of her warm affections. The image to the right is a detail from "Freyja", painted in 1852 by N. J .O. Blommer - to see the whole painting, click on the image.

    "Norwegian Forest Cat" is a direct translation of Norsk Skogkatt, the breed's name in Norwegian. In the United States, it is often referred to as a "Wegie". Despite its long history, the breed was not shown in an exhibition until 1938, and only in 1977 was it finally recognized internationally as a distinct breed.

    The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy, in their breed standard, states that "the breed originated as a natural outdoor working cat on Norwegian farms. The appearance of the Norwegian Forest Cat should reflect this natural heritage."

    The cat has several distinctive features. The most important, in both evolutionary and current show terms, is the double coat. A dense wooly undercoat is covered by long, glossy guard hairs that shed rain quite well. In shows, all colours and patterns are permitted in the coat except chocolate, sable, lilac, cinnamon and fawn, and pointed patterns. The vocal kitten above is FIN*Blue-Viking Dalane, a blue white bred by Karoliina Hjelm and now owned (October 2000) by Maritta Jarva. Below is Thor Av Torden Njord, a red tabby mackerel owned by Frida Brandi.

    The tails of a Norwegian Forest Cat are very long and bushy - the tail should be the same length as the body.

    Several features make the general appearance of a Norwegian Forest Cat similar to that of a lynx. Most noticeable is the body structure - they are very powerful looking cats, with broad chests and a heavy bone structure. In the winter, that look is enhanced by the heavy mane that develops as cold-weather protection. As well, tufts on the ends of the ears are desired in show cats, their backs legs are longer than the front ones, and their paws are large and heavily furred.

    An adult male weighs 14-16 pounds, while females are 8-12 pounds. Many breeding programs are working to increase that size, so even larger cats may soon be the norm.

    Norwegian Forest Cats have very expressive eyes. While a dark emerald green is the most widely favoured by enthusiasts, that colour is not nearly as common as green-gold.

    The characteristic that has led to the rapid growth in the number of breed fanciers is probable the Norwegian Forest Cat's love of people. While they generally prefer to just be beside you rather than on your lap, they are very affectionate and gentle around people. They are also very vocal, though not loud. When a Norwegian Forest Cat is around, you will always know when he wants attention or food.

    Around small animals or birds, however, the breed's ability as hunters is apparent. They love to climb trees after birds, and when they come down, they do it head-first.

    If you think that your life and home may have room for a Norwegian Forest Cat, have a look at the links that follow for a great deal more information.

Norwegian Forest Cat Links

Blue Viking Norwegian Forest Cats
Breeder Karoliina Hjelm, located in Turku, Finland has a great kitten photo album, as well as lots of other photos. The photo to the right is EC S*Heaven Hills Big Bang, DM, described as a brown mackerel tabby white, owned by Erik Nyman of Sweden. In show circles, he is possibly the most successful Norwegian Forest Cat in the world, being 9 times Best of Best and 21 times Best in Show.

Breed Profile
A description by a true lover of the breed, posted by The Cat Fanciers' Association.

Breed Standard
The official Standard Of Points from The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF).

Breed Standard
This page includes descriptions of about 50 colours recognized by The Cat Fanciers' Association.

Fortryllekat Norwegian Forest Cats
This Washington State breeder has lots of information about their cats.

La Maison Forte Cattery
Located in Switzerland, Paula Swepston breeds Norwegian Forest Cats, and her Web site is an excellent source of breed news.

Maelstrom Norwegian Forest Cats
This breeder in Southampton, England has lots of photos of their cats.

Maldives Postage Stamp
With an image of a Norwegian Forest Cat.

Nature's Wonder
An illustrated article by Susan Shaw.

Norsk Skogkatt Society
The UK Club for the Norwegian Forest Cat has a site that's loaded with information and photos, and over 600 links to other Norwegian Forest Cat sites!

Norsk Skogkattring
Formed in 1975, this was the world's first club for Norwegian Forest Cat enthusiasts.

Norsk Skovkattering
This Danish club is one of the largest Norwegian Forest Cat clubs in the world. The Top Cats albums on the site are especially good.

T-shirts
Beautiful Norwegian Forest Cat paintings are offered on these shirts.

Verdicatz
UK breeders Sam and Anne Harper have posted lots of photos, and a page for Norwegian Forest Cat rescues.

Wegiekatt Cattery
Patti & Robert Hudson are raising champion NFCs in New Jersey.

Winteridge Norwegian Forest Cats
This California breeder has lots of photos of their present and past cats.

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The photos of Thor and Virena are ©2000 by Frida Brandi, and the photos of Blue-Viking Dalane and Heaven Hills Big Bang are ©2000 by Karoliina Hjelm. The graphic of Freyja's chariot is ©2000 by Clipart.com. All images are used here with the express permission of the copyright owners.