Norwegian Forest Cat Breeder Directory

More Breed Information

The Norwegian Forest Cat is a healthy, robust natural breed that developed over hundreds of years of natural selection in a harsh climate. They are a slow-maturing breed that may take up to five years to reach full maturity. This is a fairly low-maintenance breed, requiring minimal grooming, and is an interactive, playful, loving member of any household.

Temperament

Intelligent and resourceful, the Norwegian Forest Cat is a mild-mannered breed that adapts easily to its environment. They are very interactive cats who enjoy being part of their family environment and love to play with any one who enjoys a game!

Health

There have been kidney and heart diseases reported in the breed. In an experiment it was concluded that a complex rearrangement in the breed's Glycogen branching enzyme (GBE1) can cause both a perinatal hypoglycemic collapse and a late-juvenile-onset neuromuscular degeneration in glycogen storage disease type IV in the breed. This disorder, while rare, can prove fatal to cats that have it. There are DNA test available for GSD IV, it is highly recommended (some cat associations obligate their Norwegian forest cat breeder member) to carry out the DNA test before using such animal for breeding.