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On this race you have no certainty as to its origins, but in fact is universally regarded as the sacred cat of ancient Vikings. They were cats that accompanied the sailors during voyages to protect the holds from the attacks of mice. They landed in England, France, Sicily and North America. However, historically the earliest date certain on the NFC was 1599, when Peter Friis Clauson, priest and naturalist Norwegian, ranked for the first time. It was then considered a species of lynx, thanks to the many somatic and behavioral similarities. And 'though only in 1841 with the publication of Norwegian folk tales of Asbjørnsen and Moe the cat becomes part of the Forests of the Norwegian cultural and literary heritage. The NFC has developed unique characteristics in the cat world. Over time, selective breeding has only enhanced the natural morphological characteristics of cat and wanted to give back to the original breed identity. The selection, stretching the body, tail and snout, it has also clearly differentiated from the races (like the maine coon and angora) with which it was often confused. The Norwegian became a reality when it is officially recognized as important at home in the late thirties. Then, however, the 'Europe was entering one of its most troubled times, and the development of this race was not easy. The closing of borders, and the choice to submit to quarantine the animals in and out from Scandinavia, prevented the dissemination and exchange of information on these cats. The isolation brought about a progressive impoverishment of the genetic heritage of the breed, which in the fifties underwent a veritable collapse. Between the sixties and seventies, was created the first breed clubs that failed to fully promote the development and knowledge of Norwegian. At that time he was given a pair of Skogkatt "pure", Pippa and Truls was elected to the parent. First to be registered in the studbook in Norway. Breeders have heaved a sigh of relief when, in 1974, the first born pups and the breeding program was initiated to obtain recognition of the FIF. The Norwegian Forest joined the ranks of domestic races in 1977. In Italy the Norwegian was imported in the Eighties by Elena Scorta.

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The pitiless natural selection over the centuries has given us a cat strong, imposing, tall, against the cold that has a skin that thickens and a cape that stretches about 10 cm higher than the summer. The guard hair is thick, fat and heavy, waterproof and, amazingly, dries in less than 15 minutes. To protect him from cold are also the tufts on the ears, the thick ruff that surrounds the neck and shoulders, fluffy fur panties thighs. The male has a beautiful rich fur collar and is very large, while the female has no collar and is more petite. In summer almost completely lost the game: only the tufts on the ears, tail and fur between the toes of the feet bear witness that we are dealing with a cat with a semi-long coat. Then, in early autumn, the skin begins to thicken, the fur becomes thick and, at the height of winter, more than ten inches long.

Size: large (males weighs from 5.5 to 7 kg, females about 4.5 kg).

Body: is quite long and quite impressive. The bone structure is strong, the chest is broad and rounded, heavy hips.

Head: has a triangular shape.

Ears: large and placed so as to continue the line of the cheeks. They are nicely topped with tufts of hair at the end, such as the lynx.

Eyes: large, slightly oblique and well opened. They can be green or yellow or any color of the mantle.

Muzzle: The profile is long and straight, without any interruption on the muzzle. The cheeks are full, the nose leather is blue and whiskers are long and prominent. The neck should be garnished with a thick ruff.

Legs: are long. The rear higher than front. The feet are large and well planted. The bearings have the same color as the mantle.

Tail: must be long and thick, must be a plume. When the cat turned back the door, must reach into the base of the neck.

Mantle: thick and heavy, is formed by a surface layer (over the mantle) water-repellent and an inner layer (under the mantle) of woolly consistency.

Colors: red, brown, silver and black. Rare white ones. On display are allowed to compete for all colors (solid, smoke, silver, scales, tabby bi-color) to the exclusion of coats because Siamese.

Average life: can live up to 16 years.

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It is very fond of the man, loves being in the company. And 'peace and quiet, does not require excessive care. She loves the outdoors and has a thick undercoat that insulates it from heat and cold well. It has a strong vitality and, if it can move in the open air, is a good hunter. It also adapts well to apartment life. It 'a very independent cat who knows how to fend on every occasion and resents intrusions and impositions. It is therefore necessary that his ideal boss is a person serene and balanced loving and respectful of another's personality Like all cats from the important character, the Norwegian, use 'mark' his master, let him smell her and at the same time collecting all information that leads outside. For this reason it is easy to find on desks, on shelves, tables, always ready for a 'heads up'. When he can not get it up on tiptoes and jumps in an attempt to 'face to face', failing that content to rub sensuously with his tail and his whole body against the legs of his master. He loves to play forever, the puppies but adults are really tireless, hard to resist a ball in motion, the flutter of a feather and, in the absence of a game, they invent: a leaf or even a dust may suddenly become attractive prey, then it could come down from his throne to dedicate himself to his favorite leisure activities.

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The coat of the Norwegian is exceptional: it is difficult to tie but should be brushed and combed thoroughly during the changeover period, in order to prevent the coat infeltrisca and that the same cat, during cleaning, ingurgiti of excess hair . So in this period (September) is essential to brush and comb 2 times a day. In the rest of the year, however, the particular texture of the hair makes it easier. Just give him a good brushing once a week and will have a sumptuous robe and fluffy fur. Only show cats who need a more thorough grooming and maybe a bathroom if you have the clear coat. The bathroom is best done a week before the show so the fur will resume its natural appearance and fluffy. It 'a cat that has a slow growth which is completed at around 4-5 years has no major health problems. May suffer from food allergies (some people can not tolerate rice) will be sufficient to cure eliminate the food from the diet.

Being a good hunter and a good fisherman, you can get food by himself. Her favorite foods are meat and fish, but dry food to supplement the diet. Being a cat's life and always on the go needs a well-balanced and varied diet. An adult cat that can weigh 7 kg eats about 450-550 g of wet food a day. The ration will decrease if the diet is based on dry food. Always leave fresh water for your cat to drink. Avoid rice.

The complete female sexual development around 10 months of age The male can reproduce by 10-12 months. Gestation lasts 60 days. Litters are usually composed of 4-5 kittens. Pregnancy and childbirth, as for all animals which have not undergone strong selective pressures on the part of man, are carried out without any problem. Mothers are very affectionate, attentive and very skilled in educating puppies to clean and hunting. Weaning typically occurs around 30-35 days, although it is a delicate moment in the lives of puppies, is usually, by their very nature, without any problem.