What is a Norwegian Forest Cat?
Short answer: A large, long-haired natural breed from Norway with a thick, water-resistant double coat suited to cold winters. In Norse mythology, the goddess Freyja rides in a chariot pulled by two cats.
Quick facts
- The coat. The breed has long, water-resistant outer hair over a woolly undercoat, which helps it cope with cold and wet weather.
- The look. Norwegian Forest Cats are large and sturdy, with tufted ears, a bushy tail and a triangular face.
- The name. In Norwegian the breed is known as skogkatt, which means forest cat.
- Freyja. In Norse mythology, the goddess Freyja travels in a chariot drawn by two cats.
- Viking ships. It is often said that these cats travelled on Viking ships to control rodents. It is a popular story, and difficult to verify, so it is best treated as a legend.
Student report
I travelled to Norway in the cold season to observe a breed built for it. I arrived in a light coat, and was informed by several cats that this was an error.
The Norwegian Forest Cat approaches winter the way the School of Applied Gravity approaches a table: with confidence and a great deal of fur. I spent a happy afternoon under a bench with an extremely large grey cat, who let me share the warmth.
I was pleased to discover that a goddess with a cat-drawn chariot is on the books. I have suggested to the Chancellor that the University acquire one.