Norwegian Forest cats are present in the some of the oldest Scandinavian myths, where they chase away elves from farm houses, are keepers of the precious butter, and turn into fairies whenever they move away from the indiscreet human eyes. In fact, one of the many fairy tales in which a wegie is said to be the protagonist, is the famous “Puss in Boots”. Their astonishing size and their magical gaze connected them with the gods. Two very large cats were pulling Freya’s-the goddess of love- chariot, while she was crossing the skies. Those cats were a present from her husband, Thor, who could not manage to lift them when Loki challenged him, although he was one of the strongest gods. Their hunting abilities were greatly appreciated by the Vikings, who chose them as their fellow-travelers for their long journeys, to protect them from pests.

It is a large breed, with the males reaching 10 kilos of weight. Their body development is usually complete by the age of four years. Their muscular body is covered by thick coat usually in tabby pattern, although there are many other acceptable colours such as blue, black, white, bicolor etc. Their eyes can be from deep blue to vivid emerald or copper, depending on the coat colour. Their triangular head, their ears-wide at base and ending in graceful lynx tips-with tufts inside, their strong chin, straight profile, their long and fluffy tail, together with their heavy built and of course their thick mane, give them the fascinating look of a big feline.

However, they are very fond of human company, as well as the company of other animals. They are really social cats that become very protective of their family members and adjust very well to new surroundings. As they are very patient and confident, they are great company for children, and an ideal breed for families. In fact it is said that they are so addictive, that if one lives with a Norwegian Forest cat, cannot simply resist the temptation of having more!