Norwegian Forest Cat - the skogkatt

Wegies, Norwegian Forest Cats, skaukatt - all names of that somewhat Maine Coon-like, medium-haired cat from Northern Europe. 'Skaukatt' is the Norwegian word for it, meaning literally Forest Cat. (Pronounce somewhat like scowcat but make the ow more like eow :-) It's not a wildcat, but a breed of the same species as all our domestic cats.
Actually, the official name is Norsk Skogkatt/Norwegian Forest Cat/Norwegische Waldkatze/Chat des Bois Norvegien. That is, these are the names in the three official FIFe languages. In the following, the abbreviation NFO is used for this breed, it is defined in FIFe's EMS code. You'll find the code at the FIFe EMS page.

Oh, by the way - Noruegako Basoetako Katua is Basque for Norwegian Forest Cat. Thought you might like to know. (Hi, Jorge!)

History

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.

(Note : I was born in 1942, and I remember well the large, long-furred cats of my childhood that the adults referred to as 'skaukatt' )

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.)
Side note: the cat breed is registered with the Department of Trade as exportable goods .. :-)

All registered NFO cats are descended from Norwegian Swedish or Finnish cats, with no outcrossing allowed. Some Non-FIFe registries in Germany may also have registered novice NFOs.

Characteristics and temperament

A Skogkatt is a family member, like most cats. It is often a bit reserved with strangers, but usually gentle, friendly cats. Most are not lap cats. Maybe just as well, the males can weigh 10 kg. Head-bumping and chin-scratching is of course a must, but with some restraint - you don't have to pet them _all_ the time. He'll tell you, quietly, when it is needed. (If you ignore him, he'll get louder :-)

They climb well, and I can confirm that they can even climb down from trees headfirst ... Sylvester just got down off a walnut tree where he'd been chasing a pigeon. There's also evidence that outdoor cats who live near streams _do_ fish !

Description

Is this Breed for Me?

If you like a cat that bonds to you and likes being with you,
that is not overly demonstrative, needing to be petted and pampered most of your time, that doesn't talk all the time - only when something _needs_ to be said - that loves the outdoors - and can stand a cold climate, yet lives quietly indoors if you live in a place where that is necessary - that _looks_ like a cat should :-) (pardon me) yes, it's for you.

Care and Training

The semilong fur sometimes needs brushing and even combing, but mostly the cat can handle its fur on its own. It may need help in getting twigs and other debris out, though. The common wire brushes should be used when the cat is shedding, to help prevent hairballs. Otherwise, brush once or twice a week with a bristle brush. The fur _can_ get knotty and tangled, and you may have to use blunt scissors to get the nastiest knots out, but unlike some longhair breeds you don't need to brush & comb twice a day to avoid knots.

Training ? Well, a breeder I know says she trains her cats to heel and takes them for walks -- mine have so far trained _me_ :-) except that they've learned very quickly to stay off tables and use only the approved scratching post. Other breeders also report that they train easily. Early literature claims that they are very intelligent cats. ( One of my favourite kitten pictures shows a 3-weeks old kitten with the caption: Norwegian Forest Cat - long-legged, agile, intelligent and brave - but not quite yet.) ( Also, we have to admit that the Siamese _are_ smarter - and also more mischievous... )

Special Medical Concerns

Frequently Asked Questions

I'm a line chaser - are there any on-line resources?

Is this a large breed ?

Yes, medium to large. They don't seem to get quite as large as the Maine Coon, though, males generally weigh 6 to 10 kg and the females only half as much. This can be a hazard to the cat, we sometimes hear of cats that get shot at because they're mistaken for lynx -- seems those hunters need glasses if they can't see the cat's long tail. And lynx _are_ about twice as big ! ( That's 'Lynx lynx', weighing on the average 20 kg at a length of just over 1 m ). The conversion to US units is left as an exercise for the reader :-) Also note that the size varies widely.

Are they really a natural breed ?

Isn't there a lot of trouble with that long coat?

I live in Scandinavia and see similar cats outdoors - are they related?

Is it true that their fur is waterproof?

"Based on our experience of bathing a Forest Cat before a show... their top layer of fur is as close to waterproof as you can get. It is very hard to get the animal wet to the skin."

This may be why a breeder friend of mine does not want cats with white paws. Normally she does not bathe the cats - but white paws on an outdoor cat _must_ be cleaned before a show :-)

Are they strictly outdoor cats?

So what's the difference between Maine Coon cats and Norwegian Forest Cats?

I have a Norwegian Forest Kitten, can you suggest ...

Certainly! Here are three lists of names. One is mostly for females: http://home.powertech.no/skogkatt/female.html , another for males: http://home.powertech.no/skogkatt/male.html, and the third is a list of more than 1700 names taken from a database of cats - with cattery names removed : http://home.powertech.no/skogkatt/names.html

Can you tell me whether my cat is a Norwegian Forest Cat?

What's all this about X-colours?

The first NFO showing an x-colour - as far as we know - was born in Sweden in 1992 and was one lilac spotted tabby and a chocolate blotched tabby.
Later, chocolate cats have turned up in Norway.

The controversy surrounding the x-cats concerns how these colours got into the breed. Some maintain that Scandinavian breeders have cheated and outcrossed to oriental cats - we know this has happened in Germany - while others say that such outcrossing happened before the novice books were closed and was done entirely on the cats' own initiative.

There is a research project in the works trying to develop genetic maps for the NFO, also trying to show differences between regular and x-coloured cats. The project is being watched with great interest by NFO breeders all over the world.

INTERNATIONAL NFO CLUBS & ADDRESSES

Finding a Breeder

There are now several quite active mailing lists for forest cat fanciers and breeders, more information will appear here in the next update.

Breed standard

General:  Size:  large
HEAD:  Shape: Triangular, where all sides are equally long;
       with good height when seen in profile; forehead slightly rounded.
       Long, straight profile without break in line. 
       Chin: firm

EARS:  Shape: large,  with good width at the base; pointed tips;
              with lynx-like tufts and long hair out of the ears. 
       Placement: High and open, so that the outer lines of the ears
              follow the lines of the head down to the chin.

EYES:  Shape : Large and oval, well opened, set slightly oblique.  i
       Expression: Alert expression.
       Colour - All colours allowed, regardless of coat colour.

BODY:  Structure: long, strongly built;  solid bone structure.

LEGS:  strong, high on legs; the hind legs higher than the front legs.
       Paws:   Large, round, in proportion to the legs

TAIL:  Long and bushy, should reach at least to the shoulderblades, 
       but preferably to the neck.

COAT:  Structure:  Semilong.  The woolly undercoat is covered
       by a smooth, water repellent overcoat which consists of long,
       coarse and  glossy hair covering the back and the
       sides. A fully coated cat has a shirtfront, a full ruff and
       knickerbockers.

       Colour: :  All colours allowed ( except pointed patterns and chocolate,
         lilac, cinnamon, and fawn - )
         including all colours with white.
         Any amount of white is allowed, i.e. white blaze, white locket, white
         chest, white on the belly, white on the paws etc.

FAULTS: General: Too small and finely built cats.
        Head: Round or square head, profile with a break (stop). 
        Ears: Small ears. Set too widely apart. Set too close together. 
        Legs: Short legs, thin legs.
        Tail: Short tail.
        Coat:  Dry, knotted coat with lumps. Too silky. 

Scale of points : 
        Body - shape, size, bone structure, legs, shape of paws   25
        Coat  - quality and texture, length                       25
        Head  - general shape, nosr, profile, jaw and teeth,chin  20
        Ears  - shape, size and placement                         10
        Tail  - length and shape                                  10
        Eyes  - shape and expression                               5
        Condition                                                  5

Total 100

The Clairs' comparison list:

The Norwegian Forest Cat and Maine Coon Cat Comparison

Norwegian Forest Cat........................ Maine Coon Cat

HEAD
Triangular ................................. Wedge shaped with a
                                             square muzzle

PROFILE Straight ........................... Gentle curve

EYES Almond Shaped.......................... Large, wide open

EARS
Outer edge of the........................... Set high on top of the
ear follows the line ....................... head, not more than
of the head down to......................... an ears width apart
the chin, completing the triangle

BODY Medium in length,...................... Long, rectangular
square in appearance

LEGS Hind legs higher....................... Medium in length
than front legs

TAIL
Long and bushy, as.......................... Long and flowing, as
long as the body ........................... long as the body

COAT
Distinctive double.......................... Silky, shaggy, uneven
coat, long guard ........................... coat with a slight
hairs covering a ........................... undercoat
woolly undercoat

RUFF When mature a ......................... Moderate frontal ruff
profuse ruff develops around the ........... develops around the neck 
neck

Famous cats of this Breed

Then there is Flatland's Bjørnstjerne, from Denmark, who was FIFe's first World Winner.

In 1991, Maineline's Tord , a brown mackerel tabby and white, was TICA's International Cat of the Year.

Mjavos Sangueetah of Zazzara, arrived in the US March 29, 1980, granded in all four major registries. (Solveig commented that there wasn't much competition, after all -- but like me, she didn't know how US titles were gained! Competition was quite stiff.)

REFERENCES and THANKS!

Else Nylund, of Pan's cattery, and Susan Shaw, Nissekatt cattery, provided historical information, Steve & Louise Clair gave excellent descriptions and comparisons.

Thanks to the people of the Fancier's list for advice, questions and suggestions!

please e-mail comments, suggestions, questions to :

Last modified: Sun Aug. 6, 2000