Lola the Norwegian Forest Cat

As I write this 'Lola the Norwegian Forest Cat' is perched on my lap purring furiously.. if she is typical for her breed and you love cats then I would recommend her type as a trusty and loyal companion.

I came upon Lola through a tip off from a friend/local vet who had seen her brother from the same litter. Two female kittens were still waiting patiently on the farm to be rehoused and if they were anything like the brother then they would be a fine addition to any home. To be honest it didn't really matter what they were like, we needed a moggy... or two... (Florence the sister was unfortunately lost to the road and now sits on the mantle peice in an urn waiting to become a rose this this spring).

I hadn't heard of a Norwegian Forest Cat (or skoggkatt in Norsk) before Lola and it was only by noticing her unique charcteristics that I delved a little deeper.

According to Wikipedia, Norwegian Forest Cats are an extremely old breed and occurred naturally as an adaptation to the cold climate of Scandanavia. Infact, they were not regarded as anything other than a standard house-cat until the late 1930s. References to Norwegian Forest Cats are found as far back as 7th-9th centuries in Norse mythology where Freya - the goddess of love, beauty and fertility rode a chariot drawn by 'two huge cats' which descriptions fit those of the Norwegian Forest Cat.

Lola certainly doesn't pull any chariots and she didn't come with any certificate but she does match perfectly with several distinguishing features of a Norwegain Forest cat as described on the web.

1. A dense wooly undercoat that is covered by long, glossy guard hairs that shed rain well.
2. Long and bushy tails that are the same length as the body (Lolas is 30 cm long)
3. Powerful body structure.
4. The development of a heavy mane in the winter for cold weather protection.
5. Large and heavily furred paws.
6. Heavy (Adult males weigh 14-16 pounds, while females are 8-12 pounds).... Lola comes in at 5 kilos (11 pounds)!!!!!!!
7. Expressive eyes, mostly commonly green-gold.
8. Tufts on the ends of their ears.

Most importantly, the Norwegian Forest Cat is renowned for its love of people and persitent affection. They are talkative and expressive and you will never be lonely when they are around.... whether you like it or not.