Content
- Norwegian Forest: origin
- Norwegian Forest: physical characteristics
- Norwegian Forest: personality
- Norwegian Forest: care
- Norwegian Forest: health
From the lush Scandinavian forests, we find the Norwegian Forest, whose appearance resembles that of a small lynx. But that this wild aspect is not deceiving, as we are facing an incredibly cat. affectionate and sociable, even some tutors take them for walks.
The history of this cat breed is incredible and fascinating, being full of Viking magic and mysticism. It is one of the cats that do not fear the water, being an excellent fisherman. Don't be fooled by its physical appearance, it is a surprisingly agile animal that can become an acrobat worthy of the most incredible pirouettes. Keep reading this article and learn more about features of the Norwegian Forest, your care and curiosities in PeritoAnimal.
Source
- Europe
- Norway
- Category II
- thick tail
- Big ears
- Strong
- Small
- Medium
- Great
- 3-5
- 5-6
- 6-8
- 8-10
- 10-14
- 8-10
- 10-15
- 15-18
- 18-20
- Active
- Affectionate
- Intelligent
- Curious
- Calm
- Cold
- Warm
- Moderate
- Medium
- Long
Norwegian Forest: origin
Although the Norwegian Forest cat breed has been recognized in 1930 and its standards have been officially established in the 1970s by the Fédération Internationale Féline, these cats were already listed in Norse myths and legends. One of these legends from Scandinavian mythology tells that it was these cats who pulled the chariot of the goddess Freya, even when Thor himself could not perform this task. On the other hand, there are documents that register it as one of three types of Norwegian lynx, as written in 1599 by a Danish friar named Peter Friis, which is why it is now cataloged as one of the most interesting and ancient cat breeds in the world.
The truth is that it is very plausible that it was the Vikings who caused the expansion of the race across the continent, because they took them in their boats due to the great rodent hunting skills that the Forest Norwegian had, and the race eventually reached many countries.
This breed was not well known, but when Norwegian King Olaf V named it a national pet, it suddenly gained popularity, which continues today. There is also a theory that they are ancestors of the current Maine Coon.
Norwegian Forest: physical characteristics
this is a big cat breed, weighing up to 9 kg. Usually the weight ranges between 3 and 5 kilos in females and 4 to 6 in males. It has a muscular body, long tail and ears that make it look like a lynx. Its head is triangular, long and with a straight profile. Its hindquarters are tall and its claws are large and strong, making the Norwegian Forest cat a magnificent climber.
your coat is long and it has two layers, a dense and woolly layer closer to the body, which insulates it from the environment, waterproofing and maintaining body heat, and a longer and silkier layer, especially on the tail, neck, back and flanks. The Norwegian of the Forest lose at once a year, varying the length of the hair according to the seasonal season.
In relation to colors of the Norwegian Forest, black, blue, red, cream, silver, gold and brown are recognized. The coat can be single color uniform, called solid or mottled, which can be of various types, such as square or classic mottled, with designs that resemble butterfly wings on the sides, tabby mackerel, that would have the same pattern as a tiger, or marked with muddy dots. You can also submit more than one color.
When the cat is bicolor, one of these colors must be white, yes or yes. The proportion of the 3 types differs in terms of colors:
- Bicolor: with a 25% to 50% white surface, cover go 75% white (the rest of the layer can be any color and will be distributed between the ears and the tail), or the harlequin layer, when 50-75% it will be white, the other color will form patches of one or more shadows.
- Tricolors: will mostly be females because the genetic variation that gives rise to it is extremely rare in males. Within the tricolor are blacktortie, bluetortie and cheetah, which would be the most attractive of the breed. See all information on Why are tricolor cats female? in this article by Animal Expert.
Norwegian Forest: personality
The Norwegian Forest Cat is an attentive and affectionate cat with its guardians, so it is a perfect companion for families, as it gets along very well with the children in the house. He will take care of the house as a guardian because it's very territorial, his wild origins make his hunting instincts remain very present, that's why he also loves to play with toys that stimulate him.
They are cats who love climb, so it is recommended that you provide them with scratchers with several floors or heights for the Norwegian of the Forest to enjoy a lot. This will prevent them from climbing on our furniture, preventing it from breaking down and making them feel frustrated that their basic needs are not being met.
As we have said, the personality of the Norwegian Forest is characterized by being patient and intelligent. Therefore, his training will be much easier than with other cat breeds and you can even teach him some tricks, like teaching the cat to give a paw. Emotional maturation is slow, lasting up to 5 years of age, so you will have time to train and teach your pussy the house rules.
Norwegian Forest: care
Being a longhaired cat, within the basic care of the Norwegian of the Forest are the frequent brushing. The use of cat malt can be beneficial in avoiding hairballs that can cause digestive disturbances of various kinds. These precautions should be more rigorous during the moulting season, which usually occurs during the spring months and later in the fall, that is, when temperature changes occur when passing from one season to another.
O constant bathing is not recommended, as it removes the protective layer that insulates the animal from the cold and humidity, but if necessary, it is important to know how to bathe your cat or go to a petshop.
Is important monitor feeding, opt for a quality kibble and a balanced diet that also maintains its lustrous coat and gives you enough energy to maintain your activity level, which in turn will determine your cat's energy needs. Likewise, it will be necessary to pay attention to the ears, mouth and teeth and nails. Remember that scrapers and various toys will mentally stimulate the Norwegian of the Forest, so they are extremely necessary for the feline's well-being.
If you want to know more about long-haired cat brushes, check out our article.
Norwegian Forest: health
The Norwegians of the Forest are healthy and strong, but this cannot be an excuse to neglect or forget frequent visits to the vet to prevent and detect possible pathologies that will have a better prognosis the sooner they are diagnosed. Some of them are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, which consists of a thickening of the heart muscle, or hip dysplasia , very common in cats that have a large size. For the latter condition, care must be taken that the pet remains in a suitable weight range, as excess pounds will negatively affect your joints.
In turn, the Norwegian of the Forest may be predisposed to suffer changes in retina and type IV glycogenosis, which consists of an enzyme deficit that is usually quite severe. Fortunately this is a condition that happens very rarely.
You must pay attention to your animal to detect possible changes that need to be checked by the veterinarian and it is highly recommended to follow the vaccination schedule and have frequent reviews with the specialist.