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Breed Information
Norwegian Forest Cats
Norwegian Forest Cats
No one really knows how long the forest Cats had lived in Norway. It was assumed that they are descendants of shorthaired cats brought from England by the Vikings and longhaired cats brought by the Crusaders. The rough climate in Norway determined that only the strong survived, as their winters are long and harsh.
If in a litter there was a combination of longhaired, shorthaired and semi-longhaired kittens, it was the semi-longhaired kittens who had the best chance of survival. The shorthaired kittens were not able to survive the cold winters and the longhaired kittens got wet and cold and easily caught their coats in the undergrowth.
The bigger and stronger cats survived in the wild. They were the best at hunting and were able to escape from bigger animals, as these cats lived in the forests in Norway. As time went on the long legged, springy, intelligent and brave ones survived and established themselves. These became a special breed on their own without intervention from humans wanting to create a new breed of cat. The Norwegian Forest Cat was created by snow, cold rain, the forests, undergrowth and by natural selection (only the strongest and fittest survived to breed on).
These are people orientated cats, and enjoy the company of other cats and dogs in a household. They can be demanding of attention and can be quite talkative. Most NFC are smart and independant. It is a lovable cat with the genuine instincts of a cat having to cope with a rough life out doors. With this in mind, it is recommended that they remain indoors, especially after dark, as they are extremely good hunters.
The right coat is not massive, fluffy, soft or silky. It should be dense and somewhat harsh to handle. But it is quite an easy coat to maintain in good condition. Most NFC will shed their coats once a year, with their summer coats looking decidedly different from their large winter coat. They come in most colours and combination of colours, except pointed combinations.
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