Norwegian Forest Cat Show Standards

By Erica Armstrong

Judges at cat shows look for specific characteristics and award points to each animal based on how the animal conforms to the 'ideal' standard.

The head is supposed to be triangular, where each side is the same length. The head should also have a good height when viewed in profile with a slightly rounded forehead. The chin is best described as 'firm'. The Norwegian Forest show cat should ideally have large ears, wide at the base, with pointed tips and tufts of longer hair on the tips and protruding from within the ear. Eyes should be large and oval, wide open and set at a very slightly oblique angle with an alert expression. No penalties are imposed for any colour eyes, as all are acceptable.

Show judges are looking for Norwegian Forest Cats who have a long, strongly built body, with a solid bone structure. The hind legs are naturally longer than the forelegs, and the paws should be large and round, and in proportion to the length of the leg.

The tail is a particularly striking feature of this breed, and judges are looking for a tail that is very long and bushy, reaching back at least to the length of the back, and preferably to the neck. The coat is characterised as 'semi-long' and the fine haired undercoat is covered by a coarser smooth water repellent coat made up of long glossy hair that generally covers the back and the sides of the animal. A cat in full coat (during the winter season) should have a visible 'shirtfront', a full ruff and knickerbockers (a style of pantaloon type short trousers) around the hind legs.

Unusually, any amount of white is allowed on the Norwegian Forest Cat, and all colours are permitted with the exception of pointed patterns, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn.

Points are awarded out of 100 and in this breed are broken down like this: