The Norwegian Forest Cat is a breed of domestic cat native to Northern Europe , and adapted to a very cold climate. In Norway they are known as skogkatter or more properly, the Norsk skogkatt (literally, Norwegian Forest Cat). Other alternative names are Skaukatt and, colloquial, Weggie.

Norwegian Forest Cat Origin

The Skogkatt has been around for centuries. We know this because of cat descriptions in fairy tales that historians say are very old indeed. It has been described in a children's book in 1912, and the artist Olaf Gulbransson has a drawing of a grand champion type Skogkatt in his autobiography - the drawing was made about 1910.

Cats arrived in Norway probably around 1000 AD, and it is entirely possible that the ancestors of the skaukatt are Turkish longhairs - since several Byzantine emperors had Scandinavian guards - the vaeringer. Cats have been farm animals ever since, usually living outdoors with shelter wherever they could find it in the barns and stables.

The Forest Cat was, in all probability, the cat the Viking explorers took with them to keep their ships clear of rodents.

The cat fancy in Norway got started as late as 1934, and not until 1938 did anyone think of the Skogkatt as a special breed. Then, suddenly, everybody had other priorities for a while.

The Skogkatt was almost forgotten until the beginning of the 1970's, when a group of fanciers started breeding programs in earnest. The people who had shown a few skaukatt in 1938 and got very favorable reactions from Danish and German judges, recruited some more breeders and got going.

(The Norwegian National Association of Pedigree Cats, or Norske Rasekattklubbers Riksforbund (NRR), was founded as late as 1963, and some of the founders were very interested in the Skogkatt.) FIFe international approval was given in 1977 and the cats started spreading out into the world. The first two cats exported were sold to Sweden, and the first wegies came to the US on November 29, 1979. (They were male Pan's Tigris, brown tabby, breeder Else Nylund, and female Mjavo's Sala Palmer, black and white, breeder Solveig Stenersrød, bought by Sheila Gira, Michigan, of Mycoon cattery. Thanks to the Clairs, Elsa and Susan Shaw for this info.)

Norwegian Forest Cat Appearence

Norwegian Forest Cats have a thick fluffy double-layered coat, tufted ears and a long bushy tail to protect them against the cold. Their coat is essentially waterproof due to its coarse outer layer and dense underlay. They are very large cats with adult males weighing 6 to 10 kg (13 to 22 lb), while females are approximately half that size. Their hind legs are longer than their front legs.

Norwegian Forest Cat Colors and Coats

They appear in coats of most colors, from pure white to deepest coal black, with every possible coat pattern and color combination in between, with the exception of the colorpoint colors as seen in the Siamese or Persian-Himalayan such as seal point or chocolate point. Darker cats require less coat to keep warm since they absorb more heat from the sun. Lighter cats tend to have fuller coats with more undercoat. Some colors change from light to darker tones with the seasons. Mother Nature is so thoughtful! And, finally, because they are a natural breed, their mature size will differ from line to line.

The Norwegian Forest Behaviour

Like Maine Coons , Norwegian Forest Cats are an intelligent, robust and playful breed. They like the outdoors, are well suited to cold conditions and are great hunters. Despite their great affection for the outdoors, they also enjoy the company of humans and other pets and will sometimes go looking for company if left alone by their owners. They are not easily stressed and are quite patient, which makes them great for a family with children. They appreciate high vantage points and enjoy climbing trees, or, if they are indoor cats, climbing on appliances, bookshelves and other elevated surfaces in the home. Norwegian Forest Cats are very good family pets and do not need too much maintenance, only a brush at least once a week.