The Norwegian Forest cat : Norsk skogkatt or Norsk skaukatt is a of domestic originating in Northern. This is adapted to a very cold climate, with a top coat of glossy, long, water-shedding hairs and a woolly undercoat for insulation. Although this is uncertain, the breed's ancestors may have been a of short-haired cats brought to by the around 1000 AD, who may also have brought with them long-haired cats, like those ancestral to the modern and breeds. During , the breed became nearly extinct until efforts by the Norwegian Forest Cat Club helped the breed by creating an official breeding program. It was registered as a breed with the European in the 1970s, when a local cat fancier, Carl-Fredrik Nordane, took notice of the breed and made efforts to register it. Currently, the Norwegian Forest breed is very popular in Norway, , and. The breed is very good at climbing, since they have strong claws. The lifespan is usually 14 to 16 years, though kidney and heart diseases have been reported in the breed. Specifically in this breed, complex rearrangements of GBE1 can cause a perinatal hypoglycaemic collapse and a late-juvenile-onset neuromuscular degeneration in. The Norwegian Forest cat is adapted to survive 's cold weather. Its ancestors may include black and white shorthair cats brought to Norway from Great Britain some time after 1000 AD by the , and longhaired cats brought to Norway by. These cats could have reproduced with farm and feral stock and may have eventually evolved into the modern-day Norwegian Forest breed. The Siberian and the Turkish Angora, longhaired cats from Russia and Turkey, respectively, are also possible ancestors of the breed. The name Norse skogkatt is used by some breeder and fancier organisations for the modern breed. Most likely the ancestors of the Norwegian Forest cat served as mousers on. The original lived in the Norwegian forests for many centuries, but were later prized for their hunting skills and were used on Norwegian farms, until they were discovered in the early twentieth century by cat enthusiasts. In 1938 the first organisation devoted to the breed, the Norwegian Forest Cat Club, was formed in , Norway. The club's movement to preserve the breed was interrupted by. Owing to with free-ranging domestic cats during the war, the Norwegian Forest cat became endangered and nearly extinct until the Norwegian Forest Cat Club helped the breed make a comeback by developing an official breeding program. The breed was registered in Europe by the 1970s, and in the in 1994. The Norwegian Forest breed is very popular in Norway and Sweden. Since 2003, it has been the fifth most popular cat breed in France, where there are about 400 to 500 births per year. The Norwegian Forest Cat is strongly built and larger than an average cat. Adult females of the species will typically weigh in at 3. The breed has a long, sturdy body, long legs and a bushy tail. The coat consists of a long, glossy, thick and water-repellent top layer and a woolly undercoat and is thickest at the legs, chest and head. The profile of the breed is generally straight. Hue distribution in bi-colored Norwegian Forest cats varies widely. The head is long with an overall shape similar to an equilateral triangle, a strong chin, and a muzzle of medium length; a square or round-shaped head is considered to be a defect. The eyes are almond shaped and oblique, and may be of any colour. The ears are large, wide at the base, and high set, have a tufted top, are placed in the extension of the triangle formed by the head, and end with a tuft of hair like the ears of the. All coat colors are accepted except chocolate and lilac and the dilutions fawn and cinnamon. Since the cats have very strong claws, they are very good climbers, and can even climb rocks. Norwegian Forest cats have a quiet voice but can develop a loud voice if kept in a house with a dog. They are friendly, intelligent, and generally good with people. The Norwegian Forest cat has a lot of energy and can be very demanding of attention. Those cats that live primarily outdoors become swift and effective hunters, but the breed can also adapt to indoor life. The cats usually live to be 14 to 16 years old. As they are heavy-boned and tall, they require more food than most other domestic breeds. Health issues Kidney and heart diseases have been reported in the breed. In an experiment directed by John C. Kurzhals, and others, it was concluded that a complex rearrangement in the breed's GBE1 can cause both a perinatal hypoglycemic collapse and a late-juvenile-onset neuromuscular degeneration in in the breed. This disorder, while rare, can prove fatal to cats that have it. There are DNA tests available for GSD IV, and it is highly recommended some cat associations obligate their Norwegian Forest cat breeder members to carry out the DNA test before using such animals for breeding. PawPeds provide a pedigree database which comes together with health programmes, through publishing each single cat's test result, to provide useful information for breeders to make a well-informed breeding decision. The breed has also been known to suffer from , which is a rare, partially hereditary disease of the hip joint. D'un aspect mi-chat, mi-lynx. Encyclopedie Active Le Cha. ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats: Everything You Need to Know About Choosing and Caring for Your Pet. The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition and Health 1 ed. Ultimate Cat Book: A Unique Photographic Guide to More Than 100 International Breeds and Variations 1 ed. An Identification Guide to Cat Breeds. Retrieved September 10, 2014. Edina, Minnesota: Abdo Publishing. Be the Cat: Secrets of the Natural Cat Owner. Retrieved 10 September 2014. Cat: Selection, Care, Training, Nutrition, Health, Breeding, Showing 2 ed. Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians Hardcover 4th ed. Cat Lover's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Insight and Guidance for Living a Joyful Life with Your Cat 1 ed. Cats Home Reference Library Hardcover. Archived from on 2011-02-23. Encyclopedie Active Le Chat in French. Published 1 May 2004. Accessed 26 March 2011. The Complete Burke's Backyard: The Ultimate Book of Fact Sheets. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism. Abnormal glycogen accumulates in myocytes, hepatocytes, and neurons, causing variably progressive, benign to lethal organ dysfunctions. A naturally occurring orthologue of human GSD IV was described previously in Norwegian Forest cats NFC. An example here is the Norwegian Forest cat. Dedicated owners learned that their cats have the possibility of suffering from hip dysplasia. What Your Cat Is Trying To Tell You Mass Market Paperback 1st ed. Cats Complete Pet Owner's Manual. Hauppauge, New York: Barron's Educational Series.
