|
Norwegian Forest Cats, or ‘Wegies’ (WEE-gees) as they are called, originated in the forests of Scandinavia. After domesticated cats were exported from Africa to Northern Europe, some were abandoned. These cats went on to live feral lives in the woods and the traits of the Norwegian Forest Cat developed naturally.
Norwegian Forest Cats are hardy, robust cats and they have a dense thick coat with long flowing hair. Unlikeother long hair cats, the coat of the Forest Cat does nottangle and is silky soft. The Norwegian Forest Cat’s coat also is very different in the summer and winter. During the harshly cold winters of Scandinavia, the Norwegian Forest Cat developed a double coat, an outer layer to protect it against snow and sleet, an inner layer that insulated the cat like long underwear. During the summer time, Norwegian Forest Cats shed the inner layer and they look much thinner. Forest Cats also developed ear hair to protect them from the frigid elements and it can grow to be three to four inches long. The cats also have very long bushy tails and thick manes similar to those of lions.
The coat of the Norwegian Forest Cat can vary to nearly any color, with the exception of color points, like those of the Siamese. The most common coat coloring is brown and white tabby. The lighter the coat of a Forest Cat is, the thicker it is because white or pale coats do not trap as much heat as dark ones do. Some Norwegian Forest Cats even change color during the summer shedding and winter growth season.
Although the Norwegian Forest Cat has feral roots, it is not a wild cat at all. Like any other kitten, if it is raised with human care it will enjoy human company, and if raised wild it will not. The Norwegian Forest Cat came out of the forest and back into domestication some time around four thousand years ago. It’s Norse name, skogkatt,
literally means ‘forest cat.’ The Norwegian Forest Cats were the cats of the Vikings and the first to travel to the shores of North America. It is believed that some of their offspring stayed behind in what is now Canada and the United States, and produced a line of feral cats.
Norwegian Forest Cats are among the most people oriented cats there are and they make great pets. Most owners of these cats describe the breed as ‘intelligent, calm, and at times, a little mischievous.’ Since they were designed by nature, their coats require very little maintenance, only a brushing or two during shedding in the spring.
During the middle of the twentieth century, suburban expansion in Norway threatened to exterminate the Norwegian Forest Cat. Special groups set up special breeding programs to save the Forest Cat from extinction and they soon became popular pets. The Norwegian Forest Cat Club was started in Britain in 1987, the year the first one was brought into the
country. Then, the Norwegian Forest Cat became a recognized breed by the Cat Fanciers’ Association in 1993 and many beautiful cats have competed in the shows since.
| 
