Norwegian Forest Cat

The Norwegian Forest Cat (Norwegian: norsk skogkatt or norsk skaukatt) is a pedigreed breed of domestic cat originating in Northern Europe. This landrace breed is adapted to a very cold climate, with a top coat of long, glossy hair and a woolly undercoat for insulation. The breed's ancestors may have been a landrace breed of short-haired cats brought to Norway about AD 1000 by the Vikings, who may also have brought with them long-haired cats, like those ancestral to the modern Siberian and Turkish Angora. During World War II, the Norwegian Forest Cat was nearly extinct; then the Norwegian Forest Cat Club's breeding program increased the cat's numbers. It was registered as a breed with the European Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) in the 1970s, when a Norwegian cat fancier took notice of the breed and made efforts to selectively breed and register it. It is a large breed with a strong body, long legs, a bushy tail, and a sturdy body. It is very good at climbing, partly because of its strong claws. The breed is most popular in Europe, specifically in Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and France.

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